What Udom Should Learn From Ekere
“When a ripe fruit sees an honest
man, it drops” – African Proverbs
Akwa Ibom has divided deeply along PDP-APC fault line in that officials’ contributions to development are viewed under the lenses of politics. Individuals in Akwa Ibom today are judged not based on the content of their character or deeds but according to their political party affiliation. It becomes so bad that projects conceived and implemented by opposition leadership in order to improve societal life are abhorred and condemned with total vehemence. The major culprit of this misdemeanor remains the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and his followers whose phobic tendencies toward every initiative of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and other Federal Government-related programmes in the state are glaring.
Having sensed the potential capabilities of the NDDC Managing Director, Obong Nsima Ekere, to withstand the contestation of gubernatorial position with the incumbent come 2019, the PDP-led state government under Mr. Udom Emmanuel has practically subjected Mr. Ekere under systematic upbraiding. It would be recalled that the State Commissioner for Works, out of desperation, was going about blocking NDDC’s road projects in attempt to disparage the works of Obong Nsima Ekere’s NDDC. Another Commissioner in Udom’s cabinet had to inveigh the NDDC road projects by labeling them ‘bush tracks’ without minding that implementation of those projects were very apt at the time when motorists were struggling on a daily basis to navigate through collapsed routes in both towns and cities in the state. Anyway thanks the heavens that the governor, in an attempt to take the shine off the NDDC boss and to inveigle himself into the people’s admiration also got busying himself commissioning paths narrower than NDDC bush-tracks.
Today, Udom’s serpents are hissing wherever Nsima Ekere’s birds are singing. When Abak Five Redemption Movement was organizing a grand reception on Friday 15th June, 2018 at Government Technical College Grounds, Abak, to honour NDDC MD for touching the life of Abak division, at the same time, Udom’s sympathizers were also coming up with a Youth Prayer Summit at Abak township stadium in a puny effort to undercut attendance at Government Technical College. At the end the meat that had fat was proven by the heat of the fire. Abak Five event ruthlessly eclipsed the politically-motivated prayer occasion at the township stadium. It reminded one of Ola Rotimi words in The Gods Are Not To Blame, that say “when the evil-plotter beats his drum for the downfall of the innocent, the gods will not let the drum sound.”
First thing that Mr. Udom Emmanuel should learn from Obong Nsima Ekere is manageability and interpretation of seasons. Nsima Ekere intimated his host at Abak that the time is for governance not for campaigns. That when the time comes, he would return to them to ascertain if Abak Five people are really serious with the request that he should go for the tenancy of Hilltop Mansion. As a humble servant, Ekere was only there to honour their invitation as they appreciated him for the fact that Abak Five division has gained so much from his stewardship at NDDC.
But Governor Udom Emmanuel has never given a hoot to the changing political seasons and trends. To him, as far as 2019 elections are concerned, it is politicking all the way. All Udom gives out to the people are quid pro quo calculated at wining sympathy and support of the electorates. People are not viewed as humans but as election materials – they are mere means to an end. The posey manner the Governor is handling governance has shown why the NBS rated Akwa Ibom State as having the second highest number of unemployed youths in the country.
While Udom is blowing his trumpet campaigning for himself, with nooks and crannies of urban centres as well as urban areas in the state becoming inundated with his campaign posters and billboards, people are just campaigning for Nsima Ekere to become their governor. It shows that the pulse of the people naturally yearns for Ekere.
One thing about Ekere is that he has the knack to conceive and implement life-touching projects and pursue them with zest. Abak Five people were singing Ekere’s praises for fixing Hospital road in Abak which was neglected by state government for years. The road had strong economic importance on the lives of Abak people and environs. In Ika local government area, the people are expected to soon sing Halleluia song at the completion of the road traversing several villages in the local government to Abia State. Should this project completed, it would once again, hand a lifeline to the indigenes of Ika as the road would boost their economic performance more than ever.
While Ekere is doing it silently, Udom is working with high decibel of noise for the world to notice, creating vast penurious youth population. Anyway, to borrow from Chinua Achebe, there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts, that is, in respect of 2019 gubernatorial race.
What Udom has achieved for the state is that PDP members are more Akwa Ibomites than the rests; and if you dare disagree with the officials and policies or programmes PDP-led government you are deemed a wailing disgruntled opposition and therefore less Akwa Ibomite in social standing. I pray for the unity and political sanity to return to a sharply divided state once again.
Akwa Ibom has divided deeply along PDP-APC fault line in that officials’ contributions to development are viewed under the lenses of politics. Individuals in Akwa Ibom today are judged not based on the content of their character or deeds but according to their political party affiliation. It becomes so bad that projects conceived and implemented by opposition leadership in order to improve societal life are abhorred and condemned with total vehemence. The major culprit of this misdemeanor remains the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and his followers whose phobic tendencies toward every initiative of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and other Federal Government-related programmes in the state are glaring.
Having sensed the potential capabilities of the NDDC Managing Director, Obong Nsima Ekere, to withstand the contestation of gubernatorial position with the incumbent come 2019, the PDP-led state government under Mr. Udom Emmanuel has practically subjected Mr. Ekere under systematic upbraiding. It would be recalled that the State Commissioner for Works, out of desperation, was going about blocking NDDC’s road projects in attempt to disparage the works of Obong Nsima Ekere’s NDDC. Another Commissioner in Udom’s cabinet had to inveigh the NDDC road projects by labeling them ‘bush tracks’ without minding that implementation of those projects were very apt at the time when motorists were struggling on a daily basis to navigate through collapsed routes in both towns and cities in the state. Anyway thanks the heavens that the governor, in an attempt to take the shine off the NDDC boss and to inveigle himself into the people’s admiration also got busying himself commissioning paths narrower than NDDC bush-tracks.
Today, Udom’s serpents are hissing wherever Nsima Ekere’s birds are singing. When Abak Five Redemption Movement was organizing a grand reception on Friday 15th June, 2018 at Government Technical College Grounds, Abak, to honour NDDC MD for touching the life of Abak division, at the same time, Udom’s sympathizers were also coming up with a Youth Prayer Summit at Abak township stadium in a puny effort to undercut attendance at Government Technical College. At the end the meat that had fat was proven by the heat of the fire. Abak Five event ruthlessly eclipsed the politically-motivated prayer occasion at the township stadium. It reminded one of Ola Rotimi words in The Gods Are Not To Blame, that say “when the evil-plotter beats his drum for the downfall of the innocent, the gods will not let the drum sound.”
First thing that Mr. Udom Emmanuel should learn from Obong Nsima Ekere is manageability and interpretation of seasons. Nsima Ekere intimated his host at Abak that the time is for governance not for campaigns. That when the time comes, he would return to them to ascertain if Abak Five people are really serious with the request that he should go for the tenancy of Hilltop Mansion. As a humble servant, Ekere was only there to honour their invitation as they appreciated him for the fact that Abak Five division has gained so much from his stewardship at NDDC.
But Governor Udom Emmanuel has never given a hoot to the changing political seasons and trends. To him, as far as 2019 elections are concerned, it is politicking all the way. All Udom gives out to the people are quid pro quo calculated at wining sympathy and support of the electorates. People are not viewed as humans but as election materials – they are mere means to an end. The posey manner the Governor is handling governance has shown why the NBS rated Akwa Ibom State as having the second highest number of unemployed youths in the country.
While Udom is blowing his trumpet campaigning for himself, with nooks and crannies of urban centres as well as urban areas in the state becoming inundated with his campaign posters and billboards, people are just campaigning for Nsima Ekere to become their governor. It shows that the pulse of the people naturally yearns for Ekere.
One thing about Ekere is that he has the knack to conceive and implement life-touching projects and pursue them with zest. Abak Five people were singing Ekere’s praises for fixing Hospital road in Abak which was neglected by state government for years. The road had strong economic importance on the lives of Abak people and environs. In Ika local government area, the people are expected to soon sing Halleluia song at the completion of the road traversing several villages in the local government to Abia State. Should this project completed, it would once again, hand a lifeline to the indigenes of Ika as the road would boost their economic performance more than ever.
While Ekere is doing it silently, Udom is working with high decibel of noise for the world to notice, creating vast penurious youth population. Anyway, to borrow from Chinua Achebe, there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts, that is, in respect of 2019 gubernatorial race.
What Udom has achieved for the state is that PDP members are more Akwa Ibomites than the rests; and if you dare disagree with the officials and policies or programmes PDP-led government you are deemed a wailing disgruntled opposition and therefore less Akwa Ibomite in social standing. I pray for the unity and political sanity to return to a sharply divided state once again.
Yes! I am UbongAbasi Ise. For
comment, please send SMS to 08189914609 | ubongabasiise@gmail.com
Source: The Sensor Newspaper
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