Akwa Ibom News Online Commentary

To Mrs. Grace Effiong, 43, Chief Godswill Akpabio was sworn-in as Governor of Akwa Ibom State for 2011 through 2015 on September 20, 2010. She was wrong. That colourful political festival at Ibom Hall grounds was rather Akpabio’s formal declaration to run for the election under the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party. And the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Umana Umana said if he did not agree to run, there would have been riots all over the state.

At every opportunity Akwa Ibom people had to speak in different occasions, they always call for the Governor to recontest. “This call was taken up by the Ibibios, the Annangs did the same, the Oros also made their call clear, and the Eket people were not left out,” the Governor confessed while addressing a multitude of his supporters stating his plans to stay put in the cockpit of the Akwa Ibom flight till 2015. There was no way the cup would have pass over him because it was the will of the people. He had to oblige because, according to Thomas Jefferson, the will of the people is more powerful than a standing army, yet the will of the people is the will of God.

So, as early as 6 a.m. on that day, a plethora of people had started thronging in to the venue just to rush and place their banners at the strategic positions to catch the Governor’s attention, or those of his close allies. But in the end, the banners were swallowed up by the population attending the September august event.

Groups after groups, in different uniforms and songs, joined by the heavenly support of not raining throughout the day, they all said one thing: Give us Godswill.

And at about 3.45 pm, their Godswill arrived, in company of his “Mother Theresa of our time” wife, Unoma, and the whole venue went gaga, abandoning their seats and canopies. Their hero had come. And they practically escorted his crawling vehicle to the point security operatives could no longer compromise. Then Akpabio took few heroic steps to his seat preceded by some emphatic communion.

The venue, which had already been littered with different versions of Akpabio’s posters, took a different shape for one man. And the man smited all through. He looked at the number of people coming out for just one event, and must have soliloquized, “This is like a revolution” in the words of President Goodluck Jonathan. Because with the number of people who packed themselves into the venue, even if a pin fell form your hand, it won’t reach the ground.

If those who had earlier cleared grasses in some parts of the venue knew how it would be, then there would have been no need ‘wasting’ their energy, time and resources. After all, the sections the grasses where not cleared, turned out to be grassless because, like in a pasture, human feet had grazed across in search of space, going even into some no-go-areas of Ibom Hall.

And the ones to be most pitied were security operatives. They had had more than a hectic day controlling an uncontrollable crowd who were causing pleasant problems. They could not apply ‘force’ because that would have meant depriving them of the opportunity to ‘dine’ with their messiah who has, with his messianic zeal, re-written the story of their state, littering everywhere with arresting infrastructure. So, for the first time in my life, I saw mobile policeman begged a poor man to ‘at least shift a little.’

From across the whole state, they came in legions, including children, the young, the old, and women – some pregnant, some nursing mothers. Probably, as a way of showing gratitude to their inventor of free medical care and free and compulsory education. They all waved at him. And as if he knew such people were around, he, too scattered his waves – to no particular direction. It was a king’s day.

Indeed, international music artiste D’banj called him Igwe while entertaining the audience. Other musicians like Mr. Xto and Aity Dennis also performed. Akpabio, a music maestro and dancer himself, could not hide his feelings when one of the artistes sang “Yak iki kom anyanga owo kini idorenyin okurede.” He almost won his wife in that “competition” but for the intervention of political top shots who danced themselves into the Akpabio’s territory and clustered the young man.

And time was later to come for the man of the moment, the toast of the season, Chief Godswill Akpabio to mount the lectern to stand before you, my dear compatriots and the Lord seek re-election in 2011. “Akpabio used 20 words to say what the whole Akwa Ibom met on September 20.

He garnished his speech with intermittent political songs he has personally been composing these days. Bt he spoke in a way that showed the hallowed assembly that the man understood the mission of his vision for the people of Akwa Ibom State.

He retrospectively looked at his administration and the prospects till 2015 promising to “embark upon the industrialization of Akwa Ibom State through the establishment of one industry per local government in the state using the public/private partnership (PPP) model having laid the foundation for the industrial development of the state through the provision of an enabling infrastructure.”

Governor Akpabio among other things, also promised an Olympic-size stadium in Uyo, Ibom Industrial City with an industrial mix of oil and gas-based support services, strategically position the Ibom International operations etc, assuring that “those who know me, are aware I don’t toy with my promises.”

But before Akpabio mounted the podium for his intent, different people had climbed to affirm him as their beloveth son, in whom they are pleased with. First to do that was Senator Anietie Okon, the Chairman on the occasion, who said Akpabio was PDP’s sole candidate for the 2011 gubernatorial election in the state. The 13 members of the national assembly from Akwa Ibom led by their leader, Senator Effiong Bob, said the Governor was performing, there was no need to have any Abuja front because they want the state to go front.

Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Anetie Etuk said 26 of then cannot be wrong in their lavishing the Governor’s report card with excellent grades.

On their part, youths and students, through the President of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANs, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said they presented Akpabio as a gift to Akwa Ibom, and were happy he did not fail them. Those who could not climb the podium, spoke to pressmen about their strong support to their man – Governor Akpabio.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and urban Renewal, Chief Nduese Essien, Barr. Assam Assam, politicians, royal fathers, religious leaders spoke on the occasion which was richly attended.

Governor Akpabio appointed Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga as the Director General of his campaign organization and said, “these days are our planting season, not as harvest time. Let us believe that in the second term, the fruits will ripen and the harvest will begin. I mean greater empowerment for our people.” He reminisced that after the death of his father shortly after he (Akpabio) was born, his petty trader mother seldom had enough to meet their needs, which made him waste a year before starting secondary school.

The Governor “used to sneak into a nearby secondary school until the day I was chased out by the security men and I fell in the shrubs and hurt my leg. The scar is still there on my leg and it is a daily remind that no one should have to face what I faced as a child.”

So, with a scar of destiny on his leg, Akpabio knocked again on the door of destiny to re-contest for the Governorship position of the state. He says Godswill should be done in the state again. That indeed, is the Will of the people. And the journey through, shall be as smooth as silk.

Mr. Etimudo, a journalist writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

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