THE STRENGTHENING FIBRES OF BEREAVEMENT: GOVERNOR ENO’S EXAMPLE

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THE STRENGTHENING FIBRES OF BEREAVEMENT: GOVERNOR ENO’S EXAMPLE

Samuel Ayara

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, energized the state’s ambition of remaining Nigeria’s cleanest, with the launch of newly acquired environmental management equipment. This stride in its plausible glory never missed the commendations of people from all walks of life who care about clean and sustainable environment; especially in this times when conversations about global warming and environmental sustainability have become most topical to human survival.

According to the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, Prince Akpan Ikim, this magnitude of acquisition was last attempted in 2012; years before the state started winning trophies for cleanliness. If Ikim’s judgment is considered patronizing, then one would wonder what currency Mr. Baba Owo, National Coordinator of Clean-Up Nigeria was bankrolled in. Owo was generous in his commendation on the state’s huge investment and renewed vigour to keep the state clean. He described the Governor as a leader with the right priorities and pledged Clean-Up Nigeria’s commitment to partner Akwa Ibom in policies that would make Akwa Ibom take the lead and become a model state on environmental issues that others can emulate.

The excitement for stakeholders in the environment cluster must have been palpable, coming at a time metropolitan waste management was becoming a matter of concern, with citizens calling for the return of the pristine environment that had, for six years, seen the state emerge tops on environmental ratings. The sordid and health threatening refuse piles on our streets are giving way to decent environment and cleaner air. The people can now breathe and not fret at high chances of going down with diseases as the Agency has been re-equipped and repositioned to manage the over 2800 tonnes of waste per day from the 211 dump points within Uyo Capital City.

Amid the thunderous ovations came a freezing cold from the epiphany that the Governor could still sustain the fire power of his mandate, considering the reality that it was only few hours away from the official opening of mourning house for the funeral events of his wife and First Lady of the state, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.

How strong can one man be? The woman he fondly called ‘Kemi’, rightly credited to have championed most of his wins, including the turnaround she stirred with the “Golden Boy” moniker which unarguably won his governorship ambition some spontaneous support, is no more. Yet in the grief of such heavy loss, he could still emphasize his administration’s resolve to not lower its commitment to governance and attendant deliverables. The governor in firing directives to the management of the agency on keeping their mandate, may have dazed his audience, including those online, to query what fabric of strength and composure he is cut from.

In providing answers to what manner of man Governor Eno is, the most precise would be the recollection that in the first week after the First Lady’s demise, the governor had promised during a broadcast to the state that governance would not suffer, despite his personal loss, when he proclaimed “we are perplexed, but not in despair”. Of the truth, the demise which was announced as “an unexpected sunset” is clearly an off- the-plan occurrence, but having the Governor fixate on delivering good governance may be her wish as she looks on from above. That is how dearly the departed First Lady loved Akwa Ibom State and her people.

This conjecture also finds validity in the expression of Obong Victor Attah’s oration at the “Night of Tributes” in honour of the departed First Lady held at International Worship Centre. Attah, former governor of the state had charged the Governor to look past the loss, but to count his blessing that his wife now watching from Heaven has increased his Corp of heavenly intercessors. Such strengthening line from a man who himself has weathered the cold from losing a spouse must have, for the governor and the bereaved family, offered a lot of comfort.

If such favour of an expansive intercessory corp could in anyway be doubted, then such pessimist must explain the rare strand of strength the Governor has continued to show in his leadership despite the loss; monumental enough to have broken others in similar situation. If the first lady was such a pillar of support as a mortal being, as chronicled in testimonies of her life and times, then one had better imagined her capabilities now that she has journeyed to immortality.

Masking the most searing of emotions with the courage to push the developmental trajectory of his ARISE Agenda, the governor who has since September 26, 2024 reclined to the patronage of dark shades to keep his emotions to himself has continued to show that there is no limit to what determination and resilience can achieve. If he had a gift and chance at Heaven, the first angel he would recognize, to tell tales of how the state has grown in leap and bounds, including his recent Doctoral Award would be his beloved Patience.

As each rite of passage succeeds the other, leading up to the November 29 final goodbye, it would have been etched on the rocks of history that a woman so determined, supportive and compassionate took the flight to heaven to energize delivery of the mandate she championed, and has since her departure strengthened the chord that binds us. All we owe Her Excellency is pray for the sweet repose of her soul, trusting that her memories would avail more and inspire our governor to do more.

In mourning the strides death in its cruelty has denied her from accomplishing, as well as the disappointment dealt our desire of wishing she lived longer so humanity could keep drawing from her kind and open hearted dispositions, may we not lose mind that angels do not die, but function better with transition. If the Governor has braved this sad loss to keep the machinery of state grinding, we can only reciprocate his resolve by yielding our support for the success of his ARISE Agenda; which “Eka Iberedem” Akwa Ibom in her lifetime championed and still upholds in the life after.

Samuel Ayara writes from Ibong Otoro in Abak LGA.

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