Many of us aren't surprised at the turn of events between Senator Godswill Akpabio and his godson, Governor Udom Emmanuel. The only surprising thing is that there are still people in this State who see Senator Akpabio as a great leader, and in fact the best thing that ever happened to Akwa Ibom State.
Sincerely, I'm neither excited nor interested in their seeming squabbles. Akpabio and Udom will most likely always sort themselves out at least till 2019 because they need each other to survive politically. Senator Akpabio needs Governor Emmanuel's protection from public and legal scrutiny of his eight years administration (So far, he has enjoyed that generously) and the Governor considers Senator Akpabio indispensable to the success of his re-election bid. Every discerning Akwa Ibomite knows they are merely tolerating each other as their relationship has degenerated to the level of a mere marriage of convenience.
I have read the press release by Senator Akpabio's media aide, Mr Anietie Ekong in which he criticised Mr Aniekeme Finbarr's effrontery to controvert a statement made by his Principal to the effect that "All is not well in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. As far as I'm concerned, Mr Finbarr did nothing wrong.
A few days after Senator Akpabio's criticism of his successor, he curiously led a delegation of PDP elders of his Senatorial District to Government House, Uyo where they endorsed the Governor for a second term in office. It was reported that the elders were satisfied with the Governor's explanation on his efforts in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. So, the endorsement was another way of saying "All is well in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District".
What sin has Mr Finbarr committed by stating publicly in writing, the same facts the Governor obviously stated privately in speech to earn the applause and endorsement of the visiting elders? Is it an insult because it's someone other than the Governor who wrote it? Or is the problem in the fact that more people than the privileged elders are now also aware of the same facts which so impressed the elders that they had to reciprocate by endorsing the Governor for re-election?
It's becoming countless the number of times Senator Akpabio has endorsed the Governor for re-election so far . He must either be trying to prove something or communicating something. The only problem is that his body language and private discussions do not agree with these multiple public endorsements.
From the facts reeled out by Mr Finbarr, Ikot Ekpene doesn't seem to fare badly in the scheme of things. If not for anything, they still have the Deputy Governor and Secretary to the State Government as well as several other appointees of government after holding sway as Governor for eight years.
Forget about the discreet use of Senatorial District in his complaints. Senator Akpabio was in all honesty talking about the Annang speaking part of the zone. Otherwise, what percentage of his gubernatorial magic in that district benefitted Ikono and Ini Local Government Areas?
Perhaps our Oro leaders in PDP have to explain to us why the SSG is an Annang man when they used the post to campaign and earn votes in Oro in 2015. Which high ranking member of PDP can also tell the Governor that it has never been well with Oro since 1999, especially from 2007 till date? Theirs is to offer support on a platter without asking for anything in return.
Senator Godswill Akpabio lacks the right to speak only about the purported marginalization of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for two reasons :
1. He doesn't need to be reminded that he imposed the Governor on the entire State not only Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. Mr Udom Emmanuel was relatively unknown in the state in 2014/2015. The then Governor Akpabio was his Chief Campaigner and main financier. He spoke more than candidate Udom Emmanuel in the campaign rallies and made all the juicy promises to the entire state on his behalf.He literally asked to be held responsible if his candidate failed. Why then is he only concerned with the plight of only a 1/3 of the State under his product? Or is he implying that all is well with others?
2. Assuming it's true that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District is not "fairly" treated by Governor Udom Emmanuel, it's simply a continuation of the policy of ethnic advantage, parochialism and lopsidedness introduced into the state administration by Governor Akpabio.
Several times during his reign,I argued with friends who were fond of praising Akpabio for "teaching" others how to be a Governor by using everyone's money to concentrate development in his village. Does it make sense that he's now complaining when another person is perpetuating his legacy? Akpabio erroneously thought that eight years was enough to transform his section of the state forever. Those who joined him in championing the ignoble "this is our chance " style of governance should bow their faces in eternal shame.
How could Senator Godswill Akpabio of all people query the percentage of budgetary allocation to any section of the State? Was such measurement employed during his administration? If yes, how much of his much bragged about 70% budgetary allocation to capital expenditure was allocated to Eket Senatorial District which produced the trillions of naira he used to develop Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and lavishly donated nationwide to gain national prominence?
This is why I love Obong Victor Attah. If he was the one complaining the way Chief Akpabio did in Abak, he would demonstrate how and why he did it in his administration to give moral force to his argument.
By the time Akpabio left office in 2015, Oro Nation was a complete eyesore. It was so bad that the most important road in Oron town which connects the market, beach, all the banks and more than 60% of shops in the town had been divided into two by erosion and abandoned by government while roads were being constructed to farmlands and streams in his part of the state. The Uyo-Oron Road was the only road in its class which government refused to dualize, despite the fact that it's one of the busiest and most economically viable in the state.
The truth is that not much has changed in that part of the state under the present administration. For almost three years, government hasn't been able to work on up to one kilometer of Uyo-Oron Road which was awarded since 2015 in obvious anticipation of a governorship election re-run.
Just as Akpabio's era unduly favoured Ukana Ikot Ntuen at the expense of other parts of the state, the present administration has so far bettered that record in its undue concentration of development and appointments on Awa Imam. This is the worst thing Akpabio did to our State. It will take divine intervention for this ugly trend to be reversed as every Governor will be judged by his kinsmen using the standard set by Akpabio. When will every village and/or Local Government Area produce a Governor to enjoy a turnaround by the state government?
For eight good years of revenue windfall and 70% budgetary allocations on capital expenditure, the Akpabio administration never did a single kilometer of road in most of the Local Government Areas of the state. For instance, in Oron Federal Constituency consisting five Local Government Areas, only Oron Local Government Area benefitted from a few road construction projects which were awarded to members of the Governor's family. That was why it took about eight years for construction work on short roads on easy terrains to be completed.
Only the gullible doesn't know that Ibaka Deep Seaport would have been completed and inaugurated with fanfare if it was sited anywhere near Ukana or Ikot Ekpene.
Unfortunately, the seed of ethnic consideration in appointments and allocation of projects planted in the state by Senator Akpabio has only started germinating. It's yet to fully bear fruits and he's already complaining.
Even the state capital was curiously developed towards Annangland. Till today, no town planner has convinced me on why all the flyovers in Uyo were built on roads leading to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. Even the airport road which is strategically the foremost gateway into the state capital with its high volume of vehicular traffic, especially between Shelter Afrique and four lanes was never found worthy of a flyover.
There are lessons to learn from Akpabio's experience and lamentation. You can't violate the principles of natural justice and get away with it. You must be made to account for your actions. The first and most important person to learn this lesson is his foremost protege and direct successor, Governor Udom Emmanuel. Fairness is what God demands. If you spend almost a quarter of a state budget in just one Local Government Area, simply because you are from there, you will receive the verdict of posterity and possibly explain the reasons to God.
No man, no matter how powerful can successfully play God. Everyone is merely enjoying divine benevolence.
Senator Godswill Akpabio is in a serious political dilemma ahead of 2019. He doesn't know whether to jettison his godson or stick with him. Both men are painfully tolerating each other. Of course, certain details of their complaints against each other are in the public domain because both of them confide in people. That's why their public display of affection and cordiality means absolutely nothing to the average Akwa Ibom person who can see through the facade.
Whether or not Senator Akpabio decides to support the Governor's re-election bid, and whether he wins or loses, Governor Udom Emmanuel is bidding time to finally declare his freedom from his godfather. I can bet that the last hasn't been heard about the Akpabio /Udom relationship.
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