Who Will Vote For Nsima Ekere?
By UbongAbasi Ise
“Everything on the earth has a
purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission” – Indian
Proverbs
Vote buying and general
monetization of the electoral processes could make the outcome of elections
quite unpredictable. Since money for
vote has become the rave of the contemporary elections in our clime, we now
have candidates being elected not on the basis of their political parties’
ideologies or their individual antecedent track-records. Besides the blind
cravings for cash, fanatic political party following has also contributed in no
small measures in inebriating the electorates away from choices that could have
been apt in line with the shifting socio-political trend, collective societal needs
and aspirations. However, as the incumbent Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr.
Udom Emmanuel is seeking reelection on the platform of the People Democratic
Party, PDP, against Obong Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress, APC, there
are bound to be clashes of reactionary and progressive forces. Yes, the
beneficiaries of the incumbent state government and the reactionaries will be
all out to vote for the continuation and sustenance of the status quo, but
there are those that will vote for paradigm shift, those whose beliefs are
aggregated in one goal of systemic change that will better their lots, and
reset the method of governance in the state. To be more specific, the question
is: who are those that will be voting for Obong Nsima Ekere on March 9 with the
hope to establish a progressive government in the state?
The first are
the Civil servants. Governor Udom Emmnuel seems to be a nemesis of civil
servants in Akwa Ibom State. Under the incumbent governor, civil servants have many
tales to tell in matters of promotion, promotion arrears, loan/grants, illegal
deductions etc. They may be teaming up to change the narrative by voting Nsima
Ekere as their governor, who promises to pay them all arrears of entitlements, including
minimum wage. Also, retired Civil Servants are dying in good number due to lack
of money to pay bills. Governor Udom Emmanuel is apparently not sincere in
paying gratuity to retired civil servants. Pensioners have gotten enough
reasons to repay him with the same coin by voting him out this Saturday. They feel
Obong Nsima Ekere is more humane with eagerness to take care of the elderly.
Second set of
voters are the professionals. They are likely to back Obong Nsima Ekere because
virtually all professions activities in Akwa Ibom State today have slumped on
the arrival of Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2015. Most professional firms have
closed shops because there is no patronage from the state government. In the
days of Obong Attah and Godswill Akpabio, these firms boomed with consultancy.
Now Ephraim Inyang-eyen, Commissioner for Works, appears to be the
sole-consultant for all government construction works. All professionals will go
for Obong Nsima Ekere because he understands the workings of local economy.
The third are
the Akwa Ibom students. They are not faring any better under Mr. Emmanuel’s
administration: no payment of bursary or scholarship for almost four years now.
Therefore to them, Obong Nsima Ekere automatically becomes the cusp that will end
the past and open a fresh era in students’ welfare and enablement. Ekere, as an
outstanding entrepreneur, knows very well that investment in human capital is
the bed-rock for development, hence his desire to pay all Akwa Ibom students in
the tertiary institutions N25,000 yearly to supplement cost of their education.
Another set
of electorates that would go for Ekere are business freaks. Ekere said his
government will be setting aside N20 billion for transformational entrepreneurs
(TEs) to help the self-employed in Akwa Ibom State to improve their business
and restrengthen the state’s economy. Udom Emmanuel lacks that empathic consideration
for the students and the youths except to hire and mobilize them recently as
thugs on land (vote defenders) and attackers on internet (social media influencers).
Most sound-minded youths know this and describe his action as exploitative.
Mr. Udom
Emmanuel, being the governor of Akwa Ibom State, is acting like a bank agent who
seeks to earn through commission with feeble capacity to bring about wealth
creation and job opportunities. The business community in Akwa Ibom State will
be better off with Obong Nsima Ekere owing to viable initiative, his capacity
for wealth creation and resourcefulness in human development. Of course Mr.
Ekere is a well-known employer of labour, welfarist and an entrepreneur of
note. A vote against Udom Emmanuel is a
resistance against a commission agent of Zenith Bank fame. The business-minded
will see the vote against the incumbent governor as fight to reclaim the state
and its finances from external predators.
Beneficiaries
and lovers of APC-led federal government’s Social Investment Programme will go out on
Saturday to vote out Mr. Udom Emmanuel because he is one reason federal
government social investment programmes like N-Power, School Feeding Programme,
and Trader Moni, Market Moni are not working optimally in Akwa Ibom State.
People in the state will like to benefit from the social investment programmes
of the federal government. With Udom Emmanuel continued stay in power beyond
this year, it means blocking of the majority of Akwa Ibomites from benefiting
from the federal government programme immensely. The state needs to benefit
fully from the social protection packages, hence the choice of Obong Nsima
Ekere.
Lovers of
grassroot development will have Nsima Ekere in mind as they are going out to
their polling units. Today, roads in the rural areas in the State are in
deplorable conditions because of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s continued operation
of joint account with local government councils. Funds meant for local
government are grossly mismanaged. To change all that and restore the pride of
all local councils in Akwa Ibom State, and to encourage all round development
in villages, vanguards for rural development will go for Obong Nsima Ekere,
because as Governor, he will respect and restore financial autonomy of local
government in Akwa Ibim State. This is one expectation that will attract massive
vote to Obong Nsima Ekere on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
Those that
would want Akwa Ibom State to be strategically positioned in the national
politics will opt for Nsima Ekere. Our son, Senator Udoma Udoma, Minister of Budget
and Economic Planning, had recently charged the people in the state to vote
Obong Nsima Ekere so as to link up Akwa Ibom with the federal government for
the purpose of attracting democratic dividends. According to him, the state
stands a chance of getting back a rejuvenated ALSCON t, including construction
of a bridge linking Oron with Calabar; rail way from Lagos to Calabar; Ibom
Deap Sea Port, and plethora of benefits from the numerous social investment
programme, particularly, compulsory cash transfer to the vulnerable, the
poorest of the poor in our midst.
Again,
commercialization of votes and blazen rigging can alter the outcome of the real
electoral activities. It is time to vote for conscience and the freedom of our dear
state from the filth hands of the corrupt.
Yes! I am UbongAbasi Ise. For comment, please send your SMS to
08189914609 | ubongabasiise@gmail.com
©The Sensor Newspaper #AkwaIbomDecides2019
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