Weekly Insight Newspapers AKPABIO’S ALBATROSS By Uwem Ankak Whatever little gains Governor Godswill Akpabio may have recorded in his more than seven years at the helms of affairs in Akwa Ibom, certain actions or inactions of his administration, especially in the dying days of his tenure, have seemingly placed him on the wrong side of the people’s perception of his person and earned him public opprobrium. Yes, Chief Akpabio may have built a few roads (at astronomical cost); refurbished a few schools (mostly from his side of the state); constructed concentric bridges (flyovers); completed the state airport and made it functional; decorated a few roundabouts; and a few other physical infrastructures. But, his greatest achievement, in my view, is his boisterousness and panache through which he tried to elevate some “low esteemed” Akwa Ibom people to think that they are also Nigerians and human beings afterall. But, all these pale into insignificance if one looks at the amount of money (revenue) which streams into the State from both the federation account and the internally generated revenue. The State has been on one long frenzy and the state money thrown about to seek all sort of vain glories. Recall a particular South-South meeting where our governor doled out N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) to delegates for Mr Bigg’s lunch to the embarrassment of the other governors present. Is there another name for profligacy? Also remember Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s assessment of our state finances early this year where she mentioned at the Convocation of Babcock University, that the total value of the much-talked about infrastructure in Akwa Ibom State is not up to one percent of the State’s revenue and she’s wondering what the government has done with the over 99 percent of this revenue. Recent statistics show that the state earned a whooping N135b from the federation account alone between January – June, 2014! The closest state in terms of earning from the same federal account within the aforementioned period is Rivers state with N95b! Check the difference. Akwa Ibom State has been touted as the destination of choice for all the wrong reasons. All sorts of people, association and gatherings throng the state for pecuniary consideration rather than adding value or any form of reprocity in terms of benefit. The state with the highest allocation has been struggling to meet basic development needs of the people, largely because of the ‘donatus’ status it has assumed. The one industry per local government promised the people has remained a mirage. Workers are owed. Emergency “men of God” found the state a veritable crusade ground, all for the wrong reasons. The list goes on. Another sore thumb is the lopsidedness in which the Akpabio Administration deploys state appointments and infrastructures in the state. He does it with impunity and dared anybody to ask questions! In his years, all the federal commissioners in the federal establishment are all from the Annang stock, especially from Essien Udin and Ikot Ekpene local governments. To say the least, Akpabio failed in this critical function as a governor of the whole State. He is going to leave a divided state along ethnic lines than he met it. So unfortunate. But what most people will consider one of the greatest misadventures of Governor Akpabio is that he concentrated most of the few infrastructure that come to the state in his ethnic enclave. He took the Federal Vocational Centre to his village; built Police Mobile Unit in his home town and equally adorned his village with the relocated Federal Prison from Ikot Ekpene as well as built a well-equipped hospital in his village. This is pettiness taken too far! And statesmen, both living or dead are cringing. To crown it all, he brazenly took a Federal Polytechnic initially slated for Ididep in Ibiono Ibom to his village. This Federal Polytechnic, it should be noted is less than five minutes drive from the State Polytechnic at Ikot Osurua. What impudence! To make matters most unpalatable, he did a swap deal with Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Nwike to have the Polytechnic sited in his village in exchange for a war-chest to prosecute his governorship ambition in Rivers State. As expected, this generated furore among Akwa Ibom people both at home and in the Diaspora, except those who are direct beneficiaries. The Internet was agog while snippets of publication appear in the state and national print media. It has become Akpabio Albatross! His explanation on why the Federal Polytechnic should be sited in his village as a retirement “dash” just didn’t yell! His attack dogs went viral and descended on those who dared to raise a whimper on this injustice. Engr. Tony Udoekong, Ubon Akpan and Yours sincerely were targeted for vilification. But Mahatma Gandhi’s profound admonition that “be the change that you wish to see the world” was just the right tonic to soldier on. Some of us have lost friends in governance but Winston Churchill’s counsel that “it is no use saying we are doing our best but having to succeed doing that is necessary” kept the battle raging. The battle must continue even in the face of those who have collaborated with him to sing tunes to justify why they have to sacrifice the only Federal presence on the alter of political expediency. The truism that “the day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace” will vindicate us someday. And so, as Godswill Akpabio albatross continues to multiply with a debilitating debt profile hovering around N171,000,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Seventy One Billion Naira) and a State seething with ethnic cleavages, we must continue to add verve toward correcting the injustice meted to the Ibiono Ibom people which had remained the only Local Government Headquarters without a bank, street names and any economic energizers. We hope that Akpabio would have realized that you can fool people some of the time but definitely not all the time. He should continue dancing himself naked in the market place. His unenviable legacy of leaving the state in ethnic tatters will be remembered by history with great trepidation. And like Mark Twain said, “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” The truth in this matter may be slow but certainly will walk and catch up with lies. Ibiono Ibom people should shine their eyes for the battle ahead.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 07:25:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015