By Imoh Etimudo , PhD
In less than thirty days, I have read over thirty opinion articles and other media content vilifying the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel to book for alleged financial misappropriation and “corruption.” Others have also written to count the blessings of Akwa Ibom State under Mr Udom Emmanuel. Who is right? Who is wrong?
I love writing but I deliberately avoided being involved in that debate because a section of the purveyors gave it an ethnic colouration, which the present Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD has succeeded in decimating in Akwa Ibom State through his acts and disposition of love, unity and inclusiveness. Hence, Ibibio, Annang and Oro only exist for historical perspectives not relationships among the people.
However, I am subpoenaed by the Court of Conscience to say what I know from a distance of former Governor Udom, which can help the public pass an informed and objective judgment on him.
Almost ten years ago, precisely on 1st June, 20I5 reported to the Akwa Ibom State Government House Press Centre as a Government House correspondent for my erstwhile organization, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). My beat was to cover and report the activities of the governor of Akwa Ibom State who was then, Mr Udom Emmanuel. I did that with all amount of professionalism and dedication to duty. So, this article is a personal experience feature hence, my use of “I”.
The first assignment outside the office by then Governor Udom Emmanuel was a visit to the Anua Hospital, where after listening to him, I made my opinion on Mr Udom Emmanuel. I saw a man who was very uncomfortable with the decayed health facilities across the State, and could not hide it.
That visit to Anua, for reasons I may not reveal here, did not meet Udom Emmanuel’s expectations. That prompted him to tour medical facilities across the State, from Etinan to Ikono, Ikot Ekpene and other General Hospitals, rebuilding and equipping them, as well as building new ones for those who did not have. His expression at Etinan was shocking. He saw the theatre leaking from the roof, and asked the personnel whether the place was still active. When they told him that they just conducted operations that day, he exclaimed: “Did the person survive?” Mr Udom Emmanuel spent eight years to build and equip hospitals that will help his people to survive.
My next assignment with the then brand new governor was a visit to a failed portion of the Calabar – Itu Highway which caused serious difficulties for motorists. Mr Emmanuel made a statement that also stuck in my reporter’s head. He said: “This is a federal road but we must look beyond it as a federal road to fix it because when accidents occur here, it is our people that will be affected.” He did that at a stretch.
Mr Udom Emmanuel was very prompt and effective in emergency response. The gully erosion at Etim Usanga and environs confirm this. And very importantly, he changed the story of IBB road.
Before him, IBB road was impassible during rainy season, prompting the people to always name the flood after a sitting governor. Udom Emmanuel was the only governor who did not have the IBB Road flood named River Udom Emmanuel.
Mr Emmanuel was equally aggressive in infrastructure. He constructed a significant portion of the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene Road which was commenced by his predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio. It also appears mathematics has failed those who measure roads done by succeeding administrations. Otherwise, the Uyo to Etinan, Etinan to Ndon Eyo and the ten lane Ring Roads that traverse from Nung Oku Oron Road and Nwaniba Road, if added together can pose an unprecedented record prior to his administration.
He also gave hitherto forgotten local government areas like Obot Akara, Ini and Ibeno a sense of belonging by constructing roads to open up the areas. I was always at the flag off and the inauguration. I recall that he was visibly angry when he inspected the Eket – Ibeno Road which was in a very poor state, and awarded the road. He littered Akwa Ibom State with bridges that accompanied the roads he constructed, and crowned it all with the longest flyover on Olusegun Obasanjo Way (Abak Road).
Mr Emmanuel gave wings to Akwa Ibom State, as the only sub-national to own a viable airline, the Ibom Air. That vision till tomorrow, is a proud experiment that cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand, no matter who is in the laboratory. How many gave him a chance when he muted the idea? But he succeeded, and may have given Nigeria a workable model.
There is no gain saying the fact that his predecessors, Obong Victor Attah who dreamt the airport, and Senator Akpabio who built it must be proud of him for making the aviation sector achieve its full value chain in Akwa Ibom State.
Mr Emmanuel was a governor who experienced two recessions and a the novel COVID19 but Akwa Ibom State was still running in full capacity, salaries were paid and projects were ongoing despite the economic situation across the country.
The peace Akwa Ibom State is enjoying today was planted by Mr Udom Emmanuel. When he assumed office, some local government areas in Akwa Ibom State such as Ika and Ukanafun were no-go-areas. But the man of peace came with the wisdom and formula to restore peace in the areas and poured oil on troubled waters.
I also observed that most close persons to him, who were occupying sensitive political positions were not from his Ibibio tribe of the State. He rotated that office from Annang to Ibibio, as well as other sensitive positions in his administration. Udom Emmanuel was not tribalistic. He made the entire Akwa Ibom State his constituency.
That is why his praises should not be sung with ethnic tunes and keys. He deserves to be defended by all segments of the State because he ensured that there were no tribally senior and junior partners in the Akwa Ibom project.
However, to some people, Mr Udom Emmanuel committed a “sin”. His sin was that the industries he brought to the State all folded up shortly after he left office. That is not entirely an issue for Akwa Ibom State, the entire nation experienced folding up of industries owing to economic hardship that affected their production. Akwa Ibom State could not have been an exception.
We cannot also talk more about the industries that folded up than the effort of a man which made the industries operational in the first place. Most of the plans by Mr Udom Emmanuel for Akwa Ibom State were thwarted by the global economic meltdowns and high exchange rates because they were international transactions.
Mr Udom Emmanuel made impact in the area of youth empowerment. He entrusted young people with positions of higher authority including making most of them members of the State Executive Council, and that trend subsists till today.
I recall also that prior to the election of Mr Udom Emmanuel, he was hosted by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at Destiny International, Ewet Housing. His interaction with the clergy and Christian community there was a flagpole of a man with good heart and good intentions. Most times, it is better people are judged by their good intentions. He meant good for Akwa Ibom State.
The culmination of his good plans for Akwa Ibom State should be deduced from his role in the choice of his worthy successor, Pastor Umo Eno even in the face of blackmail and insults. He bore all because he was looking ahead for Akwa Ibom State where the future will glitter for the people.
Good enough, that future has been seen in the golden era of Governor Umo Eno, and the glitter permeates every nook and cranny of Akwa Ibom State courtesy of the golden governor.
But that is not the focus of this personal experience feature. The concern of this write up is that Senator Godswill Akpabio must be beloved on his opinion of Mr Udom Emmanuel. In the last days of Senator Akpabio, he was asked what he will love to be remembered for; he reportedly said he will love to be remembered as the governor who produced the best governor as successor. That prayer was answered in the emergence of Mr Udom Emmanuel as the governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2015 to 2023. This is the best time to believe Senator Akpabio on his prediction of Mr Udom Emmanuel.
Akwa Ibom people should not be distracted by the make-believe media trial by those who neither love the State nor the peace and multiplied grace flourishing in the State.
We should not reward our leaders with abuses and insults, and see their service to the State as sins, even when nobody is a saint including those who may serve us.
Imoh Etimudo, PhD writes from the rice farms of Itu Mbonuso.
