3 August 2007
opinion
Uyo — Within a period of 40 days, Mr. Godswill Obot Akpabio, as governor of Akwa Ibom State, has no doubt proven that his claim to developmental and responsive leadership spirit was not a ruse.
In fact, there is a general agreement within the state that so far, the governor has lived up to his electioneering promises of forming an all-embracing government, based on people oriented policies. True to his words, he has given the youths of the state the opportunity to contribute to societal development. The words of erudite literary guru Prof Wole Soyinka describing this generation as a wasted one, has not come to pass in Akwa Ibom State under Akpabio.
A scrutiny of the different appointments made by Akpabio reflect the accommodation of the multi ethnic composition of the state. Every ethnic, gender and interest group in the State has so far been accommodated in Akpabio's administration. Akpabio's administration is the first in the history of the state to appoint a female Head of Service. Unlike the past when governors in the state appoint Secretary to the State Government from their ethnic group, he appointed a seasoned civil servant son of Ibibio land as the SSG. Akpabio has once again shown that he is not one that will allow tradition to blind his determination to provide the best for the people of the state.
The manner Akpabio handled the ugly issue of fuel price hike in the state is highly commendable and is a of what the people of the State should expect. Like every other state in the country, the independent petroleum marketers in the state had refused to dispense the products at the government approved price and the people of the state were made to go through unnecessary hardship. The enigmatic governor had to visit the Port Harcourt-based Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on a fact finding mission and struck a bargain with the management of the company.
His prompt response to the plight of his people led to increased allocation to the state by 10 extra trucks.
Indeed, Akpabio deserves commendation for that prompt response. That goes to show that Akwa Ibom has a round peg in the right place. Akpabio is a sensitive and responsive chief executive. Reports said from Port Harcourt, he returned to the state and summoned an emergency meeting with the Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN), in the state.
There, he reportedly read for the oil czars the riot act and ordered them to reopen their gas stations which they had shut down to protest the threat by commercial bike operators to deal with them for arbitrarily increasing the price of petroleum products. He also ordered them to revert to the government approved price immediately. Today, the people of the state have been freed from the yoke of greedy and self centered petroleum marketers, courtesy of a pragmatic governor who will not allow idealistic arguments put him down. Already, a task force has been set up to monitor compliance. Today, it can be rightly said that Akwa Ibom people have not regretted the votes they cast for Akpabio, their choice has proven that merit at all times will always reign over mediocrity.
Considerate, humane, demure, humble and chivalrous, those aptly describe Akpabio, the man at the helm of affairs in the oil rich state of Akwa Ibom State. An encounter with the University of Calabar trained lawyer and telecommunication expert is a life changing experience. The humility that radiates from the person of this illustrious scion of the Akpabio dynasty is not borne out of timidity nor is it for grandstanding, but it is the humility of courage that pertinently illustrate the divine injunction, "Let not the one who puts on his armour boast like the one who takes it off'.
From his days as a General Prefect of Federal Government College, Port Harcourt through his sojourn at the University of Calabar where he held forth as the Speaker of the Students Union Parliament, Akpabio has not only exhibited the intrinsic leadership qualities that has made him stand out in the midst of multitude, but has always led by example putting the interest of the people he represented above his. His days as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EMIS, a Lagos based Telecommunication Company was characterized by positive reforms and the respect for the interest of both the employees and employers. That of the over 48 aspirants for the gubernatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, Akpabio emerged tops, dusting money bags and politicians who had held the State to ransom for over 20yrs is a testimony to the fact that power only comes from God and no man can arrogate such responsibility to himself. His emergence as Governor of Akwa Ibom State is an answer to the collective prayers of the people of the State for a positive and generational change.
Akpabio's victory at the April poll illustrates the biblical dictum that "whatever one sows, so shall he reap".
Testimonies abound that Akpabio approached every assignment that came his way with absolute integrity, justice, tranparancy and fairness. During his tenure as Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, he evolved a political system that enabled the government at the local level affect the lives of the people they represented. It is to the credit Akpabio that various people oriented projects such as schools, construction of classroom blocks, construction of bore holes, rural electrification and human empowerment were executed at the local government level.
He ensured that security at the local government level was given the deserved priority and supported the police effort in combating crime by donating patrol vehicles to all the 31 local government areas of the State in partnership with their then heads of councils.
Within the period Akpabio took over the mantle of leadership at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs till when he was deployed, he was able to settle the payment of severance gratuity, salaries, and other allowances of former political office holders at the local government level. The debt which was to the tune of over a billion naira was quietly paid the beneficiaries who had lost hope of getting such money.
It is on record that as at the time he assumed office as Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Akpabio met a traditional institution system that was in a state of shamble as he inherited over 282 court cases. It is to his credit that these contentions were settled out of court amicably.
Akpabio's efforts at revitalizing the state's traditional institution was highly commended by President Obasanjo in 2004 and the ever frank former president recommended the state as a model for other states to emulate. Akpabio ensured that traditional rulers at all levels were adequately remunerated and funds were provided for Paramount Rulers across the State to rehabilitate their palaces.
Akpabio took his Midas touch to the State Ministry of Lands and Housing where he was sent on a rescue mission by the erstwhile governor, Obong Victor Attah. As commissioner he worked assiduously to ensure that the appendix of the State secretariat which had been under construction for a long time the possibility of its being completed before was not only completed but ready for commissioning before the visit.
The wide support Akpabio enjoyed before and after the PDP primaries through the April election laid credence to the fact that his effort at providing selfless and transparent service to the people of Akwa Ibom State had not gone unnoticed. His overwhelming victory at the poll can be attributed to his detribalized nature in and out of office, sincerity of purpose and a total determination to impact his world. During his gubernatorial campaign, Akpabio was at home with every ethnic composition in the state. The people of Ibibio, Eket, Oron, Andoni and the rest saw him as a part of their own and pledged their support to his candidacy. Today, they can never regret their action!
Ananam wrote in from Uyo.
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