By Patrick Albert
The birth of Ibom Mandate Crusaders’ was like the proverbial mustard seed; small at the beginning,
but growing into a giant stature each day. With just an initial five
members, today, the group commands 93,000 members in Nigeria, South
Africa, and Atlanta Georgia, USA.
A moment to reflect on the giant
leap and give God the glory came on Friday, May 19, 2017 at the
investiture of patron’s award to well deserving indigenes of Akwa Ibom
State held at the Eseme Essien’s Place, Osongama Estate, off General
Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo
Setting the tone for the well-attended event,
the international President of the IMC, Mr Aniekan Ekwere, said the
group has “a vision of raising, assembling and nurturing a generation of
young and vibrant Akwa Ibomites anywhere in the world, with great and
determined minds concerned with the building and development of Akwa
Ibom State by pushing for, mobilizing and galvanizing support for good
leadership.”
A cue into its journey so far is interesting. Ibom
Mandate Crusaders also known as “shoe size 15 – 23,” is a
socio-political organization that was founded in July 2014. Its first
meeting was held on July 2, 2014 at 22 Akpan Etuk Street, Uyo. The house
of the international coordinator, Mr Aniekan Ekwere with five persons
in attendance.
These were Aniekan Ekwere, Samuel Essien, Mike Akpan,
Uduak Hanson, and Ekponudim Justin. It was in that meeting that Aniekan
Ekwere, who is the pathfinder of the group, discussed the vision of
distributing kerosene in Jerry cans to all the three senatorial
districts of Akwa Ibom State.
This was to be used as a tool to woo the
electorate to support the candidature of His Excellency, Mr Udom Gabriel
Emmanuel during the primaries and the general election of 2015.
The group, at the formative stage, agreed on the name, Ibom Mandate Crusaders during its second meeting on July 5, 2014 which was attended by seven persons. The group immediately approached the Bureau of Political and Legislative Affairs for registration.
It was unanimously agreed that the national coordinator (as was called then), Aniekan Ekwere should meet Rev. D. E. D. Akwatang at Q.I.C. Oron on Sunday, July 6, 2014 to share his vision of onward communication to Mr Udom Emmanuel.
A nod to this well thought-out initiative was given by Mr Emmanuel, and accordingly, Etido Inyang, an engineer, was appointed to oversee the affairs of the new group as patron. On July 13, 2014, IMC made its first publication on Peaceletters Newspapers (page six), congratulating Mr Udom Emmanuel on his 48th birthday.
On July 28, 2014, 10 ranking members of the group met with Mr Emmanuel in a breakfast meeting organized by Engr Etido Inyang at his country home in Ikot Ekpene. Emmanuel expressed appreciation to the group and shared words of encouragement to the group, which is sustaining the group till date.
Propelled by the vision and good leadership style, the membership strength of the group rose from 35 people to 8,725 people in one month.
This informed the relocation of his office from a private residence to a rented apartment to serve as its temporary secretariat along Edet Akpan Avenue, otherwise known as four Lane.
In a bid to have a global spread, the group extended her tentacles to Lagos and some states in South-West, Nigeria.
With the support of Mr Udo Ekwere, the chairman of the Board of Trustee, BOT, the group garnered over 5,200 Akwa Ibomites from this zone as members.
Today, Ibom Mandate Crusaders has spread across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State and the six geo-political zones of the nation with over 93,000 members, with two additional international chapters in Pretoria and Durban in South Africa and Atlanta, Georgia in the United State of America.
The membership is made up of grassroots politicians, artisans, students, professionals and the academia, who are united by the desire to have a united, progressive and prosperous Akwa Ibom State.
Without equivocation, IMC is a core group that supported Governor Emmanuel during the 2015 general election and still sustains the tempo by taking the activities of government to the grassroots for the people to be well informed.
This is the group that accompanied the governor to all the foundation laying, ground breaking, inspection and commissioning of projects to mark the Governor's one year in office across the state.
From September 2, 2016 to September 20, 2016 the group embarked on a state wide thank you visits to all the 31 local government areas to appreciate the people for voting and supporting the governor during the 2015 governorship elections and to further intimate them on the progress made by the administration of Governor Emmanuel.
On November 4 and December 7, 2017, the group flagged off operation catch them young programme in
Schools in Etinan and Ikono respectively, as part of the activities to take the government closer to the people.
Today, Ibom Mandate Crusaders (Shoe size 15-23) is leading the crusade for the re-election of Mr Emmanuel for a second term come 2019, in view of his superlative performance so far.
Again Mr Ekwere added, “While we will remain committed to the assignment of supporting government and sensitizing the people of Akwa Ibom State to do same, we look forward to partnering men of good will as we continue to work with and for Governor Udom Emmanuel. That is why we have organized this epoch making event today.
We therefore wish to solicit that you join us in the crusade to have our governor consolidate and to further take the state to a higher plain.
“For us, the mandate of His Excellency remains until the time his feet-becomes larger than the shoe size in 2023.
For this to happen, we have a lot of work to do. But because of the enormity of the work ahead, we have, for the first time agreed to invite a selected few, whose ideologies and vision are not at variance with ours.”
He said the patrons so selected were men and women of integrity, who will support the organisation in its promotion of Governor Udom's concerted effort in the development of Akwa Ibom State. “There can therefore be no better partners to work with than yourselves.
It was in this purposeful consideration that Ibom Mandate Crusaders in its pain staking verification identified you and has decided to bestow you with honour worthy of your efforts and contributions,” he quipped.
In his speech at the colourful event, Mr Etido Inyang, an engineer, and chairman of the board of Ibom Power Company, Ikot Abasi, stated that “Historically, the destiny of a people and the society at large remains unrealized and a mirage until selected and dedicated folks resolve to avail themselves as volunteers and agents through which the said course is pursued and actualized to the benefit of all.”
Engr Inyang went on, “Empirically proven, this, in all situations are championed by individuals whose mind-set are resolute not to watch things happen or wonder what is happening but poised to be channels of attitudinal revolution who make things happen by aborting the usual and rewriting history.
“In Akwa Ibom State, we are blessed with these crop of individuals who are committed to the total development of the State through effective, efficient and people centred leadership as epitomized by His Excellency, Mr Udom Emmanuel. In harnessing their potentials and synergizing their goals, the group came under an umbrella called Ibom Mandate Crusaders (IMC) to pursue their common course which is the building and development of Akwa Ibom State.”
Speaking on the development of Akwa Ibom, he said we are on “industrialization stage which is presently being driven strategically by Mr Udom Emmanuel. Within the past two years in the saddle, our beacon of hope and master strategist, Mr Emmanuel has invested tremendous time and resources towards positioning our dear state as the industrial hub of Africa and without mincing words, a lot has been achieved in this aspect.
“The pencil industry, toothpick industry, syringe factory, paints industry, the hatchery, coconut plantation, industrial hubs, development of power infrastructure, developments of roads networks across the state, agricultural renaissance, etc to mention but a few are testimonies to his strategic revolution of the State.”
A former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, who chaired the occasion, commended the group for its vision and for its steadfastness in pursuing its goals and objectives towards the stability and development of the State.
Nkanga emphasized that vision and togetherness sustain a society, nothing that for Akwa Ibom to grow rapidly, we must team up as being done by Ibom Mandate Crusaders.
The new patrons are Barr Onofiok Luke, Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Dr (Mrs) Akon Eyakenyi, chairman, Governing Council of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Ikot Ekpene, Mr Udem Ufot, an advertising magnet and Mr Okon Okon, chairman, State Board of Internal Revenue.
Others are Mr Udom Ekpoudom, a retired deputy Inspector General of Police, Elder Ben Udobia, political leader of Esit Eket, Mr Unyime Idem, a business magnet, Rev.D. E. D. Akwatang, clergyman and senior special assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel and Mr Linus Nkan, commissioner for Finance.
In her response on behalf of the patrons, Dr Eyakenyi thanked the group for deeming them fit for the award and assured that she and others will partner them to ensure the continued realisation of their vision and commitment for the re-election of Governor Emmanuel.
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