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A new Bank that will cater for the needs of micro, small and medium scale enterprises, boost investment drive of the citizens and strengthen the private sector economy, will hit the business and financial market of Akwa Ibom today, Jan. 28, 2022.
The Bank, known as Ibom Fadama Microfinance Bank Limited has the vision of becoming a pace setter in microfinance banking.
Situated at No 3 Udotong Ubo Street, Uyo, the bank would be formally inaugurated by the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to commence full microfinance banking business.
Ibom Fadama Microfinance Bank, according to its managing director/chief executive officer, (MD/CEO), Imaobong Etuk, would provide solutions to entrepreneurs, farmers and those doing business at the lowest level of the society. She, however, in keeping with its name, said the Bank would pay special attention to farmers in Akwa Ibom.
The MD/CEO said: “Our focus is to help small businesses and households grow on a sustainable basis. As a Microfinance banking institution, we understand the economic challenges of small businesses and are prepared to help them overcome these challenges and grow their investments steadily and sustainably.” The Bank would also provide investment opportunities to individuals, salary earners and organizations by way of Deposit and loan products.
Ibom Fadama Microfinance Bank Limited is ‘’Your Growth Partner’’ and as such we are poised to provide customized solutions to challenges of individuals, households and businesses that would culminate in tangible and measurable growth.
The managing director/chief executive officer expressed gratitude to the State governor, Emmanuel, for his support to indigenes and residents of Akwa Ibom and urged Akwa Ibomites to embrace the new Microfinance Bank as “your growth partner”.
The Bank which is being run by a team of certified professionals led by Pastor Umo Eno as the chairman, is set to bring relief to individuals, households, farmers, wage/salary earners, traders, micro, small and medium scale enterprises, Ibom Fadama Microfinance Bank Limited- your growth partner.
It was Day One of the visit by the Brekete Family to Uyo. Brekete Family is a reality radio and television programme focused on human rights. It airs on radio and cable television, and streams online through social media platforms and Human Rights Radio 101.1 in Abuja. Their arrival in the state is on the heels of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s recent three hours interview session on the breakfast family show on Friday, January 7,2022.
Led on the visit to Akwa Ibom by Mr Ehis Agbon, they maintained that they want to see for themselves the development strides of this administration as earlier highlighted on their programme by His Excellency, the state chief executive, Mr Udom Emmanuel. This is to ensure that their constituents, the ordinary citizens can be properly informed.
“Because e get some people where feel say all the things Governor been talk on our programme, na political talk where politicians de like talk. We wan see them with our eyes make we fit tell ordinary citizens of Nigeria say, the things the Akwa Ibom Governor talk for our programme, na so we take go see them for our cro-cro eyes.”
Received and led on the projects tour by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ekerete Udoh , the team yesterday saw the ongoing Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul facility, the taxiway and the ongoing new international terminal building, all at the Victor Attah International Airport, before proceeding to see the green house farm around the Airport gate.
Their last port of call yesterday was the Infectious Diseases Control Center and PCR Laboratory and the remodeled General Hospital at Ituk Mbang, Uruan.
The Permanent Secretary Engr Effiong Efiakedoho and management staff and consultants in the Ministry of Special Duties, as well as the Commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh and the Consultant in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Emmanuel Akpan, were on hand to give more insights to the respective projects.
The member representing Etinan/ Nsit Ibom/ Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency Mr Onofiok Luke has lauded the peace efforts of former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan in Africa. Contributing to the debate on a matter of urgent public importance; “On the need to address the creeping resurgence of military coups in the West African subregion” brought by Rep. Julius Ihonvbere on floor of the House today, Luke stated that since Africa has seen the benefit of democracy globally, it is right to rise and condemn any action truncating democracy in the continent.
He recalled the role that Dr Jonathan played in 2015 when as an incumbent, conceded defeat to his opponent in the Presidential election an action he described as a panacea for peace.
Luke applauded the role Nigeria continues to play in the conservation and stabilization of Africa’s democracy. He also commended former President Jonathan with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring democratic stability in the West African subregion.
The lawmaker stated that since Nigeria is in the leadership of the West African subregion, the country should use that power to continue to ensure democratic stability within the region and resist any of such military or forceful disruption of democratic rule.
He said that military coups increase the indices of economic sanctions and world distrust in business spheres for African countries and will lead to further impoverishment of the people.
As the pre-election season comes upon us again as a people, our party – the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State, famed for always conducting her affairs with utmost decency, respect for party familial ties, and dialogue wish to remind our members of the need to uphold the time-tested virtue of decorum as they ventilate their respective aspirations.
It is trite that one of the character checks for anyone seeking to serve the people is the ability to sell the objectives and visions of his aspirations to the delegates and electorate with utmost civility. The ability to do this of course also sends a strong message on the kind of leadership or representation the people should expect.
Our Party believes that our State is in a stage of her development where the vice of politically-sponsored blackmail, vitriolic attacks, mudslinging and smear campaigns should not be offered the privilege of mention or a place in our journey towards electing those to lead in 2023.
We therefore urge partymen and women to ensure that their actions and those of their supporters stay with the acceptable path of refinement which the PDP continues to live by.
We trust that the Same God who has been our guide through successive electoral victories, will be by our side as we journey to the 2023 elections.
Rt. Hon. (Elder) Aniekan Akpan State Chairman Peoples Democratic Party Akwa Ibom State January 26, 2022
First runners up in the My Entrepreneurship Goals Programme (MEGP) Pitch Deck (Series 3) have received their cash prizes. The cash prizes, a combined sum of nine hundred thousand naira (N900,000) were presented today by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Marketing and Brand Management, Mr Ime Uwah.
The winners are Mr Ubong Unah, who came second in the social enterprise category to clinch the five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) cash prize, Kindness Udeme who emerged runner up in the existing business category to win two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250,000), and Joseph Nduonyi who came second in the Startup category to win One hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000).
The visibly elated winners expressed thanks to Governor Udom Emmanuel for His ingenuity in putting together the My Entrepreneurship Goals Programme and the Pitch Deck Event, which they say has encouraged and rewarded enterprise across the state.
Medical intelligence and surveillance represent a very useful component in the health care system, especially regarding control of diseases outbreak, bioattack, etc. There is increasing role of automated-based medical intelligence and surveillance systems, in addition to the traditional manual pattern of document retrieval in advanced medical setting such as those in western and European countries. This is what the GOAL Project is currently understudying to see where it can be modified to suit the Nigerian, nay Akwa Ibom realities and when given the mandate, how it can be adopted and implemented towards boosting healthcare delivery and the health sector in the state. This approach in the GOALs proposes a plan that covers both facilities and workers at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels in the health sector.
The said GOALs proposes, basically, from the bottom–proper and adequate training for community health workers to globally required standard and upgrading of primary health centers to bear the features of proper health service facilities, to the top– providing secondary facilities with the needed human expertise and equipment to properly handle serious medical situations… and further compelling the tertiary facilites which are mostly private-owned to up, or in the least, maintain their standards and roles in complicated situations. To achieve this level of success in healthcare in this modern era, a system well grounded in routine surveillance and medical intelligence as the backbone of the health sector is necessary, besides adequate management and strong leadership principles.
With particular interest in tackling deficiencies in health consciousness among the rural population considered to be less literate and underprivileged in health education, the GOAL Project is considering, as solution, the upgrading the standard of training for health workers at the community level. As contained in the Universal Health Coverage Scheme, the minimum qualification for the lowest level level in the profession is a diploma certificate. For this reason, the Project believes in the possibility of recruiting the needed human resources and the provision of facilities to train and certify the community health workers at the universally required standard. This, the project believes, will help boost the spread of knowledge on preventive health measures, especially among these less literate population in the rural areas. And not disregarding the high level of disinterest on the part of health workers in serving at community health facilities and the negative effects of this, Project went digging to identify electric power, security and the lack of both, as reason. As a way of tackling this, the Project considers equipping these facilities to guarantee safety of the health workers in interior locations, as well as restore their confidence and commitment to their chosen area of public service.
With a focus on health system development, and emphasis on basic health services, the PHC bill sponsored by Luke and made law under his led sixth Akwa Ibom House of Assembly was prompted by the realized need to strengthen healthcare delivery system in the state in line with the Universal Health Coverage sometimes referred to as Universal Health Care, Universal Coverage, or Universal Care, which is defined as a health care system that provides health care and financial protection to all citizens. The Universal Health Coverage is organized around providing a specified package of benefits to all members of a society with the end goal of providing financial risk protection, improved access to health services, and improved health outcomes. With the bill passed into law, the state was just waiting for its implementation (beginning with the establishment of the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency) to join the queue of subnationals in the country which then only had Jigawa (under Gunduma Health Board); Rivers (under Primary Healthcare Mgt Board- PHCMB); Lagos and Kano (under Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Now working and hoping on being given the mandate that will empower him to make policies and expend resources for the development of the state, the GOAL project has, as part of its plans, turning this passion into evident developmental strides in the Akwa Ibom state health sector. Understanding that the healthcare industry is one of the most hazardous environments to work in, with its employees constantly exposed to a complex variety of health and safety hazards in the course of their work coupled with the stress of long and stretching working hours, the goal project is of the consideration that initiating and effecting a boost in what constitute the welfare packages of these health workers will largely aid their sustainability. This consideration goes beyond the monetary aspect, to the mental and physical health of the workers. For instance, while working around the clock to meet expectations on public health needs, very little or no attention is given to the health needs of the workers. This is possibly due to the general view of the health workers as superhumans, and with ready access to health facilities. However, the GOAL Project understands that this view is far from the case in reality, hence, the need for what the Project terms THE DOCTORS’ DOCTOR and THE DOCTORS’ CLINIC— a development that will see to the recruitment of special health workers and facilities for health workers to help keep their mental and physical health in balanced states. With this development, Akwa Ibom will not only make history as the initiator, but will also show one workable solution to part of the problems in the country’s health sector.
Upon also noting that this sector in the country is still using the manual approach to keeping public health records, in a era when developed climes are discussing and operating medical artificial intelligence– sadly, constituting part of why the country is far behind in the global healthcare delivery standards, Project believes Akwa Ibom, despite being a sub-national unit, can set the pace by creating under the health ministry, a working central health information management system with a database where public health records can be stored and easily retrieved by merely keying in their personal identity details. The advantage of this is that a citizen can choose to change who provides them medical services without or the facility where they usually seek and get medicare without having to consult the former person or facility for their health records. This will also save the sector workers the stress of having to rummage heaps of manual files to access health information of patients.
Ending, without having him confess to this, I can guess the health sector to be one of the sectors that will enjoy impacting attention from the GOAL administration, trusting God that the gubernatorial ambition of Onofiok Luke becomes reality. This is so, not only because the sector is one of the very critical social sectors in governance, but as well because of the so much passionate interest man has overtime shown in this sector and its development; the empathy towards its workers, especially those at the lowest rum— community health workers can also add to this. His sponsored primary healthcare bill during the state assembly days, to the several voices of advocacy he lent to the development of the sector and improvement of workers’ welfare will pass as stark evidence in this regard. This, with his several other contributory efforts to healthcare development in the state, was loud enough to get the attention of the Aniekeme Uwah led Nigerian Medical Association – Akwa Ibom state branch which, apparently having seen in him a worthy partner in the championing of courses concerning health sector development in the state, had chosen to recognise his efforts by honouring him with an award.
AmazingGrace
GOAL_For2023
Ubong Sampson (08021419939) writes from Asaba, Delta State.
Former Chief Law Officer reveals real reason behind backlash, hints what will happen to others mulling over Senate election in 2023
Because Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko , SAN is a man who never shy away from controversy, he has become the first Stakeholder of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to break silence on the controversial new year Stakeholders endorsement of the immediate past National Legal Adviser of the PDP and incumbent National Chairman of Maintain Peace Movement, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem for Akwa Ibom North West Senate Seat.
While Speaking on a breakfast programme on Premium 89.9fm, Nwoko stamped his feat on several issues stirring controversies in his senatorial district, disclaiming that those heating up the polity with criticism of Barr. Enoidem’s endorsement are Stakeholders of the Senatorial District.
“None of them are Stakeholders of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. The question one may ask is, who and who constitute the Stakeholders body of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District? When you see the list of those who signed the communique, you will find a clear answer “.
Curious over Barr. Nwoko’s disclaimer, the show host probed and got succinct response on what led to the invitation of non stakeholders on the day stakeholders of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District gathered.
“This is what transpired on that day. His Excellency the Deputy Governor convened his yearly get-together which isn’t exclusive to just stakeholders. The communique that was read in the meeting that day, wasn’t a referendum of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. It’s just that some people don’t seem to understand the difference between Stakeholders and the general public. Certain persons who are not stakeholders but would happen to be in the meeting simply because it was an enlarged meeting began to feel like they are stakeholders. The mere fact that you got into a stakehoders meeting doesn’t make you a stakeholder.
When you go to every local government, we have certain persons who can be selected to be stakeholders. In most cases, they’re just 5 or 10, depending on how big the local government is. So, in Ika, I signed. In Ikot Ekpene, Senator Emmanuel Ibokette signed. The deputy governor signed in Abak. Hon. Aniekan Umanah who is the representative of the federal constituency signed too.
In every local government of the Senatorial district, all the major stakeholders signed the document. It wasn’t a referendum which requires the opinion of everybody. It was a communique of stakeholders.
The people that made the noise at the get-together were not stakeholders. None of them qualify as a stakeholder. They are people who were just invited so that every local government of the senatorial district can have up to 20 people at the get-together. So, because of the mixed crowd, some people who were just invited to come and eat, drink, dance and take transport money home began to clamour that they should have been allowed to sign or that they should have been carried along in the process of the communique. It’s not done that way “.
Clearing air on whether the Stakeholders’ endorsement of Barr. Enoidem hampers the aspiration of any other contender in the Senatorial district, Barr. Nwoko said no.
“The endorsement of Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem by the Stakeholders does not stop any other aspiration. You are entitled to aspire but as I speak with you, nobody has consulted me. Let people play politics the way it should be. They don’t need the Stakeholders to become anything but they have to market themselves because the ultimate say is with the people. Sadly, they’re not even marketing themselves to neither the masses nor the stakeholders.
We made it clear that Barr. Enoidem was endorsed as an aspirant, not as a candidate. No candidate has been chosen. What that means is that every aspirant can go to the political market and sell themselves. So if you can convince me tomorrow, nothing is foreclosed. If you can convince me tomorrow that your aspirant is better than the one we are supporting, we make him the candidate. So there is nothing we have done that is undermining the aspiration of others. Their only issue is fear. The PDP is a very democratic structure.
Even if you’re not from Abak federal constituency, you can still step forward and contest. But as of this moment, we sincerely believe that the people of Abak federal constituency deserve the seat because that’s the only federal constituency that has never produced someone at the red chambers.”
“Enoidem is more than qualified “, Nwoko furthered. “Those who know me over the years know that, yes I play politics but I’m not used to massaging people’s ego, I’m not used to sycophancy. There is no value of such to my integrity. The amount of money that can be used to purchase my good name has not been printed. My support for Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem is because I know that he is very competent to represent us. He is fearless, a man who will say the truth before anybody at anytime.
When he goes to the Senate, he can meet anybody shoulder to shoulder and negotiate the rights and entitlement of our Senatorial district. He has interacted at the highest level in the country. As the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, there is no class of people he didn’t meet, no class of politicians he didn’t meet. His tentacles spreads all over the country”.
Ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election, students in Akwa Ibom State are drumming out support for Barr. Onofiok Luke as the next governor of the state.
The erstwhile student leader who is currently serving the people of Nsit Ubium/ Nsit Atai/ Nsit Ibom at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly, has won the minds students across the state, having championed the course of student unionism and youth advocacy in the past years.
In an interaction with the state coordinator of the Students support group for Luke, Goal2023, Comrade Rhyne Edor, described Luke as the right man for the Hiltop Mansion come 2023.
Edor, who doubles as the leader of the 7th Parliament of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, stated that it was time for students to unite together and support one of their own. He added that Luke deserved the vote of every student in the state, as he had not just passed through the education system within the state, but made constant efforts to better the entire system.
He further reaffirmed the commitment of students in ensuring that a young leader would be elected, to continue with the inclusive governance of the present administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Responding to whether the students were expecting the successive agenda of Governor Emmanuel to favour Luke, Edor said that the students had no doubt that, Luke, who had always been in the good record book of the governor will scale through any hurdles. He noted that the students in the state have decided to pull their support for Luke and there was nothing to fear about his becoming the next governor.
Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem has become a household name among the political class. The name rings a loud bell in the ears of every known politician in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district and entirety of the State. It is on record that every successive administrations in the state from 1997 till date identifies with him because of his sterling leadership style – service.
From his political cradle days as Chairman of Etim Ekpo Local government Area, member of Akwa Ibom State Executive Council for three consecutive terms, immediate past Legal Adviser of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Director General, Maintain Peace Movement (MPM), Enoidem has displayed unusual traits of a servant leader with his principals.
Great leaders place the common good above their self-interest. Serving in these capacities is a key indication of servant leadership. The term, ‘Servant Leader’ was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in the servant as leader; an essay that he first published in 1970, in which he explains that the servant-leader is servant first.
It begins with the passion to serve, to serve first! The heart of service and the attitude of serving is what distinguishes servant-leaders from non-servant leaders according to Greenleaf. A conscious choice to serve translates to the aspiration to lead.
In the Bible, Jesus Christ subscribes to the servant-first ideology when He said that he who seeks to lead must first be a servant.
The emergence, and continuous rise over the years of Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem in the political circle has proven to follow a servant-first pattern in all ramifications. This is manifested in the care he has taken to ensure that other people’s needs are given topmost priority.
Barr Enoidem’s leadership style is primarily focused on the growth and well-being of his people and the communities to which he belongs. This is obvious in his unrepentant attitude of turning boys into men in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area. Being a servant-leader, a very rare trait in our clime today, this astute businessman empowers members of his constituent politically, and helps people flourish in their different fields of endeavour.
In deed, Enoidem is humility personified. Full-of-life, jolly good fellow who does not wear his office paraphernalia on his sleeves like some people in lesser offices do.The legal luminary humility can be described as legendary. His servant-leadership style fits the mould described in Greenleaf’s ten servant-leader principle of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and community building. These principles which fit him as a skin were brought to the fore when he served as a Local Government Chairman, Commissioner, Legal Adviser and today, the Director General, Maintain Peace Movement.
Immediately he assumed office as DG, Maintain Peace Movement, Enoidem led members of his team to traverse the length and breadth of the state, preaching the gospel of peace and unity. As a result, peace was restored in local government areas where it was hitherto an illusion. One such visit was to Ikot Akaiso and Ikot Udoetor both in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area to ascertain the remote causes of communal crisis between the two villages and to restore peace. This could only be achieved by a leader who is compassionate, empathetic and a good listener.
Another trait which is not common with politicians but has attracted respect and commendation to him in the political sphere is a culture of trust.Successive governors in the state have enjoyed working with him because of his confidence, commitment and ability to deliver on any given responsibility entrusted to him. He is a promise keeper despite the circumstances.
Enoidem’s result oriented leadership style as DG, Maintain Peace Movement, has made him a good steward of the responsibility entrusted into his care because the erudite lawyer has given a good account of himself; his driving force remains that leadership can only be meaningful if it is channeled into the advancement of the people’s course.
So why is Enoidem’s servant-leadership style working in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and state by extension? The MPM DG sees himself as a part of a whole; He plays the role of a captain but believes strongly that the captain is the rallying point of a team. To him, every member of a team is important and should be encouraged to contribute his /her quota to the development of the state.
In summary, Emmanuel Enoidem’s excellent leadership style is the secret of his tremendous success, the unflinching support and respect he has enjoyed from every known political figure in the state.
It is therefore pertinent for the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district to rally around him, give him the necessary support devoid of sentiments and book a seat for him at the Senate as their representative in 2023.
According to John C. Maxwell, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”. Emmanuel Enoidem knows the way and will bring his wealth of experience, trust and political inclusion to bear in his constituency for its betterment.
Umanah, a Journalist,Public Affairs Analyst and Commentator, writes from Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.
Tunde Odesola was right when he said that laughter is restorative, so is crying as it is even beneficial when both are done simultaneously. Scientists he said submit that the same part of the brain, the hypothalamus, controls both laughter and crying and that laughter and crying are warm and cold springs issuing from different aquifers but ending up in the same confluence, like the Ikogosi warm springs.
There are certain things in life that ought to be possible to count with reasonable precision. Politics, it must be said, is not one of them. One unhinged event might just be enough to alter the entire course of events and render all previous permutations useless.
Many aspirants for the 2023 elections in Akwa Ibom State had their own game plan but never factored the possibility of Governor Udom Emmanuel outsmarting them and pulling the carpet from under their feet with the conceptualization, formation and inuaguration of Maintain Peace Movement, MPM, Akwa Ibom’s foremost grassroot mobilisation organization. With MPM, a man previously written off as inexperienced suddenly became a master strategist. How could this have happened, they asked in disbelief. Even the psychological power of the Governor’s silence over who he will throw his weight behind as successor is as upsetting as it is jittering. This has raised not only the political stakes but also the emotional stakes.
To further compound issues, the choice of the Immediate Past PDP National Legal Adviser, Hon Barr Emmanuel Enoidem by the Governor as the National Chairman of MPM is yet another masterstroke, setting off a chain of reactions where emotion takes precedence over reason, sentiment overuns rationality and negative and derogatory sponsored commentaries and attacks becomes a legitimate expression of a belief or means of demonstration of one’s commitment to his or her beliefs.
When you juxtapose these attacks on the premise of their claim that Barr Enoidem should resign as leader of MPM to face his Senatorial ambition, as a condition for peace, you cannot but chuckle and maybe cry over their ignorance in view of the fact that many truths are left unsaid by the promoters of the discourse. What a way to call a spade a spoon!
The problem with the ongoing political attacks on Barr Enoidem and by extension Governor Udom Emmanuel, is that those pulling the strings from behind are people who don’t want you to speak your mind, they want you to speak their mind. They don’t want you to live your life, they want you to live their life. They don’t want you to walk your path, they want you to walk their path. They don’t want your truth, they want their truth.
They forget that Barr Enoidem, their former friend and ally now branded political enemy/opponent understands better and has repeatedly stated that as far as 2023 is concerned, there are no sidelines, only sides and he has chosen his side- to stand with the Governor in the quest for a successor, a position which is within his constitutional right to take, which his critics now criminalize.
Rivalry in politics, like every human endeavor, is neither strange nor unusual but when such rivalry is targeted at a man for simply utilizing his freedom of choice and right to association, then it calls for scrutiny of the true intentions of the sponsors. Many thought the Governor coming from the Banking sector was so naive politically. They ignored the fact that anyone who has been a key player when it comes to boardroom politics in Nigeria’s banking sector is not exactly a neophyte.
The current envy against Barr Enoidem because the Governor appointed him to lead MPM is misplaced. The appointing authority knew he was aspiring for Senate long before entrusting him with the task and knew his capability to deliver on the job with clinical efficiency so why the naked envy?
Well, Christ’s preaching against envy did not save Him from the envious. Pilate was envious of His power; Annas was envious of His innocence; Caiaphas was envious of His popularity; Herod was envious of His moral superiority; the Scribes and Pharasees were envious of His wisdom. Being envious of Barr Enoidem is no campaign strategy and the futile gang up and hostility won’t stop a man who’s time has come.
These attacks are not totally unexpected, after all, Nigerian politics has taught us that not everyone you love will stay, not everyone you trust will be loyal, as some people only exist as examples of what to avoid and as Dele Momodu rightly noted, “To achieve success in a land littered with angry people, you must sometimes acquire the skin of a porcupine”.
The architects of these political inferno slowly engulfing Akwa Ibom think their actions may heat up the polity to help achieve some predetermined objectives but pretend to forget as Abraham Lincoln rightly said that, “You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong”. Ideally, it is useless trying to end a quarrel by getting angry over it.
And for those criticizing the Governor, let them be fair to their conscience. Of a truth, if you are a Governor, won’t you be interested in who takes over from you? Governor Emmanuel may not be a speech person but I bet you he knows very well that though he can’t help birds flying over his head; he must keep them from building thier nest in his hairs and that he need not be all sugar or the world would suck him down; but also need not be all vinegar lest the world will spit him out. The medium point he places himself which many thought he won’t find, is what has made some people go wild.
To the Akwa Ibom youth who are always the most manipulated victims during every election circle, while the opportunities of tomorrow entice you to fearless boldness, never prevent the experiences of yesterday to educate you on mature prudence because as Herbert Hoover noted, “Older men declare war, but it is the youth that must fight and die”.
To those who feel Barr Enoidem is their new political nightmare that must be “taken out”, remember that though all lizards lie prostrate on the ground, not all of them suffer from stomach ache and Barr Enoidem is not the type of politician who will promise to build a bridge even when there is no river. He says his mind by saying his mind. He lays it bare as it is- raw, unedited, unfiltered, and undiluted, with a confidence which his critics mistake for pride and arrogance.
So while his critics are free to be angry, in the words of Fulton Sheen, “It is not anger that is wrong, it is being angry at the wrong thing that is wrong”. They should realise that while it is true that nothing is brighter than the sun, even the sunlight fails during an eclipse.
2023 will not be the first fierce political battle Akwa Ibom has witnessed as a state and overcame with resounding victory. So why not go about your aspiration by selling yourself to the electorate, after all, those who are destined to win will win and those destined to lose will loose so why make Barr Enoidem the focus of your 2023 aspiration? Oh, lest I forget, in this State, we all know ourselves. The era of threats, kidnapping of perceived political opponents, assassination of opponents and their supporters are gone for good. Such formula don’t work anymore. Things have changed and violence is no Unique Selling Point, USP, for any prospective aspirant or candidate.
Also, you may not like Governor Udom Emmanuel’s face but underrate his political sophistication at your own peril. He might not be the ultimate determinator of who wears the crown of a successor but he is certainly an influential factor that cannot be ignored in the game. In the same vain, Barr Enoidem may not be your favourite fan but he is not the type of politician you declare war on without a rapid evacuation plan because he is a man who is neither afraid of battle or develops cold feet going into war for something he believes in.
As for me, with my experience of the 2015 and 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom, I know that despite all the noise, what will be will be, thus I hold my peace and refuse to have political enemies triggered and created out of ignorance because as always, objective indicators on the ground and the politics of politics will always be the major determinants. This is why I have decided not to join issues with some folks who think elections are won on social media because a wise old owl once sat on an oak: the more he saw, the less he spoke; the less he spoke, the more he heard.
BaseNews.ng 