GOVERNOR UMO ENO & A FIFTH COLUMNIST’S UNFORTUNATE CALL FOR CHANGE
– Samuel Ayara
The reading public must have been taken aback as it woke to the laughable and lame mischief by a faceless entity titled “the Suffering and Smiling of Akwa Ibom People: A Call for Change” where the author clearly intended to misguide and misinform unsuspecting members of the public about achievements and strides of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno. This mischief in its worthless glory has elicited humour among meaningful members of the society, such that its author(s) would wish they aborted the mission.
The faceless writer opines that stakeholders, commissioners, and politicians who publicly praise Governor Umo Eno are secretly enduring pain because the Governor is not throwing money about. Would the State Chief Executive’s prudence and creative financial acumen not pass for plaudits, if the purveyors of the tissue of lies were not limited in knowledge of how governance works? One then would query why even critical opposition stakeholders, professionals and international figures have melted into same pot of praises for the Governor.
While the article is thought a handiwork of fifth columnists, the writer laboriously tried to trigger a comparison of how well Akwa Ibom leaders since return of democracy in 1999 to date performed. Quite unfortunate that we still have such atomistic elements whose defiance to sanity and rational thoughts would give expression to such senseless conversation at a time the people have come to behold the beauty of governance and its principles of continuity. Those seeking to fan the embers of discord had better been reminded that the Governor in a little above one year has more than anyone expected, expanded the table of governance to accommodate more people and opinions.
How the baby writer forgot the hundreds of youths employed in the Ibom Community Watch programme, the four hundred health workers employed to serve in the recently expanded and re-equipped medical facilities, as well as the one hundred health and safety officers, when he premised his concerns on the lack of employment opportunities in the state under Governor Eno, could trigger such hysterical humour that could bemuse even best of stand-up comedians.
Accusing a government that has not only maintained existing youth structures, but expanded same to accommodate more people, in addition to appointment of more than 30 youths as Aides on youth mobilization apart from hundreds of others appointed to other roles, is another claim that calls the baby writer’s motive to questioning, same with his claims on lack of inter-ministerial jobs at a time young people are already lining up for another phase of inter-ministerial jobs. He should be reminded to attempt minor checks on topics he has no information on, so that reproach of having his tail in between his legs would not become his reality.
The only thing he got right was the mention that the governor solely decides who gets what and when. This twice proves that Governor Umo Eno has taken on governance without any external influences. From that firm but responsive grasp of power, the Governor in deciding who gets what and when has rather than build tall walls expanded the tables to get valuable placements for the hitherto underserved, as evidenced in the stakeholders’ choice of projects in the different phases of the one project per Local Government Initiative.
Making a case for the media and how it is underfunded clearly gives out the author of that piece of thrash as a meddlesome interloper that deserves no pity, coming more than a year after the “Danjuma grant” he speculated as unpaid was upwardly reviewed by a hundred percent, including a geometric increase in the number of journalists appointed into various positions in government, for which the leadership and members of the Nigeria Union Journalists and other media organizations in the state constantly praise the Governor.
Was he referring to Akwa Ibom State when he mentioned it in the same sentence with “collapsed healthcare system and failing education sector with no teachers in primary and secondary schools?” the courage to think a state that is currently undertaking the boldest stride in expanding primary healthcare facilities and model schools in all 31 LGAs, like Mr. Ray Ekpu must really be the “courage to do nonsense”.
He perhaps has not seen a teacher in the last one year; else would have better understood what the state council of Nigeria Union of Teachers meant when they described the governor as Teachers-friendly. More shamefully at a time 39 rural Students are having the time and experience of their lives in faraway United Kingdom, as participants in the Educational Exchange Programme with the London Borough of Southwark.
The habitual beggar could not help reporting himself as still dwelling in a trade the administration had since replaced with a culture of dignity and hardwork. The line, “even the governor’s brother cannot assist with a mere 50,000 naira” without mentioning any of the Eno(s) he worked for and was not paid is alien to the Golden era’s culture of industry and productive engagement. This is even as the Governor has time and again assured people of the State that he is never going to reduce our collective patrimony to a family estate. One would then ask, when keeping sane, responsible and private profile, as a governor’s brother became an issue.
The untidy job notwithstanding, it is necessary that sane members of society are reminded that in one year, Governor Umo Eno has paid over 20 billion Naira in Gratuities and entitlement of civil servants, introduced the thirteenth month salary, paid salary awards at various times including those to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal and to mark the 2024 public service week, in addition to regular promotions. Happening in the same time the Governor freely donated 150 units of two bedroom flats in the recently inaugurated Grace Estate to junior civil servants is a valid testimony to the administration’s commitment to citizens’ welfare.
The business community would kick in disbelief that a government could be so mindful of the plights of entrepreneurs and yet termed insensitive. Governor Umo Eno, it would be recalled has in a little above one year approved 2 billion Naira as interest free loans to traders. This is aside training of 800 entrepreneurs who at the end of their training by Ibom-LED were empowered with 500,000 Naira each, while the governor promised to in four years scale up the number of beneficiaries to 5000. Vulnerable beneficiaries of the Free Food Programme of the Bulk Purchase Agency and Arise Compassionate Homes may never forgive the writer.
There are at the moment over 80 completed and ongoing road projects intended to economically open the state up on different flanks, including hitherto inaccessible areas. Beyond the stride in road infrastructure, Ibom Air under the current administration is making commendable strides in service delivery and asset expansion, to remain the darling of the nation’s airspace. From nowhere, the state is pushing to assume a lead role in maritime transportation and logistics. All of these have brought the people tremendous socioeconomic gains and prospects, Akwa Ibom for sure has become a bigger idea under the Eno administration.
Attempting to tarbrush a governor that has remained intentional about the development of the state, as evident in his commitment to ensuring parity in the spread of developmental projects and opportunities across the 31 Local Government Areas would pass for the height of disservice; the kind humanity may never forgive. Realizing this much may necessitate the need for the paid artist behind the poorly assembled tirade to reconsider the route he has chosen to travel on, as an overwhelming majority of the people had long left him and his kind in such misadventure.
Samuel Ayara writes from Ibong Otoro in Abak LGA
