Akpabio’s Mistake

By UbongAbasi Ise

“If one finger brought oil, it soil the others” – Chinua Achebe

When Ahmed Musa scored the second, scintillating goal on Friday 22^nd June 2018 at Volgograd Arena in Russia to take the Super Eagles’ victory beyond the reach of the resilient Iceland team, lo and behold, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the uncommon transformer and a powerful politician from the South-South of Nigeria, was there in a euphoric mood as captured by the camera at the VIP stand. He was reached out to by the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, in the heat and thick of the spasmodic celebration. Akpabio was wearing his typical graceful, endearing smile with all the aura of charisma. Indeed, it was a double jubilation for Nigerians of Akwa Ibom extraction who spotted their own Akpabio at the stage of the soccer fiesta joining to celebrate one of the most glorious and unifying moment of national life where all ethnic nationalities collapsed their distinct identities into ‘one Nigeria.’

                To be fair enough, Senator Godswill Akpabio had every right to be at Russia for the mundial. The Senator, unarguably, had had a firm hand in the journey of the Nigerian team to the ginormous soccer tourney in Russia.  His administration, as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, had bequeathed state-of-the-art infrastructures that qualified Uyo as a suitable home for Nigeria’s Super Eagles during the World Cup qualifiers. The international airport that facilitated the trips of Super Eagles players, their opponents, and other members of the sporting world to Uyo was dramatically brought to completion by Godswill Akpabio’s administration; the scenic, beautiful Le Meridien Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort that offered luxurious accommodation for the Nigerian players and other visitors bear Akpabio’s signature; and the magnificent world class stadium in Uyo where the Super Eagles, with the support of teeming passionate home fans, humiliated their foes on their way to Russia, was the entire achievement of the administration of Godswill Akpabio. The foregoing accentuated the giant stride the former Governor recorded in the infrastructural development in the state. During Akpabio’s reign, network of roads sprang up; electricity was massively brought to the rural areas; Uyo and Ikot Ekpene particularly, went through uncommon remodeling; specialist hospital came on board, and Akwa Ibom State, for the first time, had a spot on the map of attractive destinations in the country.

                The praise-singing of Senator Godswill Akpabio could not be completed without mentioning free and compulsory secondary education, some lofty programme that could have served as the springboard of human development and a foundation of better tomorrow if properly managed. Albeit, it brought some sort of hope to the common citizenry.

 Akpabio left Hilltop mansion in 2015 setting a trajectory on which the present-day Akwa Ibom politics runs its course. He changed the socio-political narratives of the state more profound than his predecessors.  Of course, this writer is of argument that the emergence of Akpabio, as the governor of Akwa Ibom State, had weaved together various ethnic divisions in the state in the face of stiff political competitions. The marriage of these hitherto strange bedfellows of Ibiobio, Annang, Oron, and Eket had succeeded in begetting a completely different class of political elites that kicked off clannishness only for the sake of their self-serving interests. Their personalized interests were lucky to have been watered by the emergence of powerful rival political parties. As ethnicity became seemingly silenced, perhaps temporarily, the bitter political enmity according to PDP-APC fault line emerged and became extremely vociferous. We can say  the modern nature of Akwa Ibom politics today owe its origin to Senator Godswill Akpabio, the protagonist of uncommon transformation who has practically transformed the socio-economic and political landscape of the state.

Despite representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District at the upper chamber of the Nigeria’s legislature, Senator Akpabio has been apotheosized into Akwa Ibom god of politics. Many politicians in the state today deify him for the sake of his grace, mercies and favours in their political endeavours. For the ambitious PDP faithful, identifying with Akpabio, is a first rung to climb on the state’s political ladder. He has god-fathered so many sons and daughters, and no wonder many pundits are still describing the present state government as Akpabio’s third term in office as he is allegedly dictating to his successor at the Hilltop mansion.

Senator Godwill Akpabio could have been for Akwa Ibom what late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was to the Southwest. Awolowo had practically uplifted his region with the Awoist philosophy which centred on human progress and welfarism. Free primary education had transformed Southwestern intellectualism to an enviable height thus giving the region an edge over other parts of the country. With Awolowo’s Awoism, the Southwest today could boast of strong industrial and enviable economic base. Akwa Ibom could have had Akpabio in the mould of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the pride of Igboland, whose thoughts helped won independence for Nigeria. Beyond Igboland, Azikiwe went on to enliven the entire country and the sub-Saharan Africa with Zikism which had centrality on economic independence as the indicator of true freedom from neo-imperialism. Although Zik’s image in the southeast was seriously slashed by the events of the civil war, he, nonetheless, remains the torch-bearer and prime-mover of the Southeast political history.

As all geo-political arrangements in the country are in the pugnacious struggle for dominance, it could be recalled how Sir Ahmadu Bello worked with intensity and vigour to position the North at the forefront of the national politics. He unified all facets of northern life to pursue their collective destiny in the Nigerian project. To Bello, it was Northern Nigeria first before the country. Today, the North is exerting political dominance over the whole country despite their relatively low profile in terms of natural resources.

Akwa Ibom seems to lack the cult figures in the likes of Awo, Zik, and Ahmadu Bello. But Senator Akpabio has all it takes to break into the league of these historic leaders, and at the same time he remains largely unqualified unless certain questions are answered in affirmative on his behalf. How many politicians across all political divides in the state would love to look up to Akpabio as the father of modern Akwa Ibom? How relevant is his Akpabiosm today? To what extent has the uncommon transformer struggle to take Akwa Ibomites beyond party lines to the forefront of the national politics just like what Sir Ahmadu Bello did with the North?

Akpabio’s biggest political blunder is the imposition of Mr. Udom Emmanuel on the good people of Akwa Ibom State. The Senator’s continuous backing of a non-performing governor has sent a bad message that indicates that he lacks goodwill for the collective prosperity of the state. With his over-enthusiastic, unwholesome support for Udom Emmanuel, the Senator has descended from the pedestal of a Great Teacher and the Grand Master to being an ordinary disciple of his own made stooge. He has reduced himself to a polemical politician who does not worry about the galumph manner his successor is backpedalling the state away from greatness.   His political tendency has not shown the attribute of a leader capable of being the father of his geo-political set-up. The splendor of his glorious years has badly waned under Mr. Udom Emmanuel, yet the uncommon transformer remains unperturbed. Had the Senator charted a course for the emergence of the people’s choice in 2015, fruits of his uncommon transformation would triplicate by now.  So untoward that Akpabio left behind a governor with alarming vapidity towards human development and welfare. It does not bother the Senator that Akwa Ibom has the second highest unemployment rate of 36.5% in the country despite rambunctious waves about industrialization, and despite huge allocation from FAAC plus IGR and Paris Club Refund. It is bad that Akwa Ibom is losing focus of becoming that land of fulfillment, and no thanks to Akpabio as the state is no longer competing development with other states like Lagos, Ogun and Rivers, instead it opts to redirect the contest within and against those outside the PDP umbrella.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was an Ijebu man, but till today, he is collectively seen by the Egba, Ikale, Awori, Yewa and several other Yoruba sub-groups as the pride and the binding figure in the Southwestern political history.  His political affiliation with Action Group did not deny him the status of being a referred father and an oft referenced leader of the Yoruba politics. In this light, it would serve Akpabio better if he emulate Awolowo and look beyond being an Annang man and a PDP devotee to being a father of modern Akwa Ibom politics. As 2019 electioneering is around the corner, Senator Godswill Akpabio should look beyond ethnic and political divides and lend support to the cause that would make Akwa Ibom great again.

Yes! I am UbongAbasi Ise. For comment, please send SMS to 08189914609 | ubongabasiise@gmail.com

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