Dreams of Akwa Ibom: Echoes of my Heart

Dreams of Akwa Ibom: Echoes of my Heart

…Last criticism of the Umo Eno administration

…Detail account of my relationship with governor Umo Eno

…Yearning for courageous political appointees in Akwa Ibom State

By Aniekan Udofia

I have reasoned deeply the views held by many about my foray into the journey of speaking truth to power, especially in Akwa Ibom State. I have lost friends , being misunderstood by some , vilified by some, and labeled an enemy of the Umo Eno administration. Am I truly an enemy of the current administration in Akwa Ibom State? I would draw consolation from the greek inscription at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, “Know thyself,” popularized by Greek philosopher Socrates when he said, “Man know thyself” . “An unexamined life is not worth living.” In this piece, I would give a no holds barred account my stake in this administration.

In 2021 I had returned from the AKISAN Convention in Atlanta Georgia, USA where my wife and I had presented a proposal to attract $1m dollar investment in the Real Estate sector of Akwa Ibom State on a progressive capital addition beyond $1m. The Secretary to the State government of Akwa Ibom State, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, was impressed by our presentation and said he was going to initiate the process for the state government to drive its housing policy through us. A meeting was set up in the government house, and the then Commissioner for Lands Pastor Umo Eno was invited for us to make our presentation to the government. That was my first meeting with the current governor. Pastor Umo Eno requested a proposal to be submitted to that effect. In spite of the politics of succession that overshadowed the realisation of the move, Pastor Umo Eno assured me every time he saw me in public that we would do housing in the next administration.

I had procured a choice land in the heart of Uyo for a prominent son of Akwa Ibom State and wanted government documentation to be done as soon as possible. A meeting was set up with the then Commissioner for Lands Pastor Umo Eno for the necessary papers to be signed . The commissioner granted the request speedily. That was my second important meeting with Pastor Umo Eno.

In the build-up to the 2023 Governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno had been announced as the anointed choice of the sitting governor Mr Udom Emmanuel. Through my principal MP Onofiok Luke, I facilitated Pastor Umo Eno to inaugurate a private bold agriculture initiative in Oruk Anam Local Government Area that had a hatchery and massive poultry. Again, I met Pastor Umo Eno for the third time.

I was at the forefront of the governorship campaign of Onofiok Luke and was totally committed that I resisted every lure from key political figures to dump the camp of Onofiok Luke. On one occasion, a sitting commissioner said to me, “Aniekan, leave Onofiok alone and join our camp early so you can have a stake here.” And I responded, “Sir in all honesty can you trust an individual who is Media Aide to Onofiok and a key member of his campaign team to dump him and join you?. Sir I’ll rather sink or float with the Onofiok project than betray him.”

Umo Eno got the ticket of the party ahead of Onofiok Luke, who had withdrawn from the PDP primaries. There was a concrete move to fly the Labour Party ticket in Akwa Ibom State but right from the word go , Onofiok reiterated to us how he is a man of conviction who doesn’t want to be seen as jumping party. With the Labour Party ticket in the bag , the pressure mounted and an Onofiok Luke who wasn’t convinced to go against his traditional party the PDP, bowed to the call to support his kinsman, Umo Eno.

At an elaborate ceremony, Onofiok Luke handed over his structure to Umo Eno. While I was in the core planning committee for that ceremony, I walked away after it and didn’t want to be a core participant in the governorship campaign of the PDP.

The current Commissioner for Health Akwa Ibom State, Dr Ekems John, had brought together healthcare professionals under the umbrella, HEAL 4 Umo Eno , Healthcare Alliance for Umo Eno to endorse his governorship bid. Engr Uwem Okoko was the Chairman on the Occasion at a very colorful ceremony held at Vinpy Event Center. I offered to moderate the event as Master of Ceremonies for friend Dr Ekems at no cost. At that event Pastor Umo Eno, the wife the departed First Lady, Pastor Patient Umo Eno, the Deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi and very top government officials were present and I said bold, ” That revelation is a person experience between an individual with God and that no single individual should subject the entire state to his personal revelation with God. It is, therefore, very arguable for Mr Udom Emmanuel to tell Akwa Ibom State that God revealed Umo Eno to him as the next governor of the state. But what is unarguable is the divine nature in which Umo Eno had emerged as the choice of a successor. ” I went further to say, ” To many Umo Eno just happen on the scene, but I say to you that Umo Eno is the unsung hero.” I chronicled his work in Union Bank to Group General Manager, Norman Holdings, and his exploit as an entrepreneur as roles that had prepared him for the task.

Umo Eno , his wife and members of his obviously impressed by my performance as the Master of Ceremonies for that event, requested that I join the core of his campaign team. On the same day in the late hours of the night , I received a call from Engr Okoko. In his words, “Aniekan, why are you sleeping?” I responded, “Boss, it’s after 1am.” And he said, ” Wake up ! You have won the heart of the incoming governor. When he king wants you , you are lucky. We just finished discussing your performance, and the governor wants you to join his team immediately. He said I should bring you to him. ” I responded, “Thank you, boss. Who am I not to accept the offer with all my heart.”

Days after, I was taken to Pastor Umo Eno, and he directed the Chief Protocol Otobong Edemidiong to draft me into his team. I thanked him for the offer and was set to assume work. But the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council, had appointed me, the Chairman of its political committee, to organize the Governorship debate for the state. I had informed my principal, Onofiok Luke that Umo Eno had offered me a job to join his campaign team and Luke gave me his full blessings and said, “When you go there , help the people from our camp to the best of your ability. ”

The dilemma of whether to abandon the governorship debate or join the core of the Umo Eno campaign team haunted me. Almost everyone I spoke to told me that the opportunity to work for the incoming governor at such close proximity was rare for contemporaries, and I shouldn’t think it twice. I sat with my mentor in the journalism profession Pastor Anietie Ukpe in his office, and he listened to my confusion without judging me and said, “What do you want to do?” I sat quiet for a while and said, “Sir, the task of birthing the next Akwa Ibom State is on my shoulders to deliver a world-class governorship debate for Akwa Ibom State. The time has chosen me for this responsibility, and I can not abandon it for personal gain. Posterity will judge me unfairly.” Pastor Ukpe, in his characteristics nature of wise approach to problems, told me to go and think it over and let him know where my conviction was.

I made up my mind to continue my role as Chairman of the governorship debate committee but with a total commitment never to compromise the debate. I was determined never to let any of the governorship candidates down by selling the debate. I resisted every financial inducement and attempted offer to compromise the debate. The story of the Akwa Ibom Governorship debate is a story for another day.

Days passed, but I had failed to resume work at the Umo Eno campaign office. A top politician in the named withheld said to me, ” Aniekan, they said you refused to resume work after the incoming governor had told you to do so. ” And I said, “Let me be through with the governorship debate, and I’ll gladly resume work. I can’t abandon this responsibility. ” He responded, ” Forget the governorship debate. Leave it for another person to do it. You are not the only person in the NUJ. Do you think Umo Eno would attend a debate that has been compromised?” I said, ” Under my watch , the debate would never be compromised.”

Days after the Governorship debate had been concluded, I received a gracious call from Pastor Umo Eno inviting me again to come and work with him. In his humble nature, he said, ” Aniekan, I have asked you to come and work with me, and I haven’t seen you.” And I said, “Your Excellency, I was only trying to execute the governorship debate.” Umo Eno said, ” The debate is over. Sorry I couldn’t attend. When can you see me? ” I responded, “Your Excellency, who am I to decide when you want me to see you. You only need to instruct me to see you whenever you desire.” Pastor Eno asked me to see him the same day in the campaign office.

I had been appointed the spokesperson of the Obidient Movement in Akwa Ibom State, and endorsements of governorship candidates by different groups was the norm in Akwa Ibom State. I sat in a private meeting with Pastor Eno, and he told me how much he admired my work and wanted me to join his team. As we discussed and I told him my reservation for the endorsements by different groups of the Obidient Movement and held that the group was too dynamic to have a single individual move its support to any candidate. I said as spokesperson of the movement I could not take money from him in the name that I wanted to rally support of the Obidient Movement for.

As I listened to the passion and plans Pastor Umo Eno had for Akwa Ibom State, I asked myself, “Can His Excellency tolerate my kind in his government? Can His Excellency tolerate my boldness when I walk up to him and say, “Your Excellency, this shouldn’t be done in this manner.” Can His Excellency stand it, When I say, ” I can’t do it because that is not how should be done.” Can His Excellency stand my critical and constructive view on his actions? These and many more questions crossed my mind. At the moment, I wanted to speak out my concerns. The current SSG Enobong Uwah came into the office, and I decided to be quiet and listened to Pastor Eno. I gave him my committee that I would be honored to work for him.

Why did I express have these concerns. I was just coming from working as media aide to Onofiok Luke in the National Assembly and I knew how many times I had disagreed with my principal about how the job should be done that sometimes it took the intervention of my predecessor, Kufre Okon, the former chairman, Amos Etuk or the former commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong. There were times Onofiok would be absolutely mad at me over the angle of my story, but I’ll insist that it was the right thing to do. On occasion, I asked my colleague Toyo Jimmy, a lawyer, if I could write a brief for him or Onofiok to take to court and wondered why they wanted me to practice my profession on their template But Onofiok, a lover of talent and intellect, would tolerate me and keep me as his .Media Aide and trusted me on the job irrespective of my perceived stubbornness as he would sometimes call it.

This was the trait I was preparing to take to the government house, and it scared me if my new boss would be able to tolerate me. But I was willing to take the chance.

As days to the inauguration of Pastor Umo Eno drew near, my zeal to remain in the country dwindled. I told close friends that I feel like I have given all to this country, and I wanted a new challenge outside the shores of Nigeria.

After the inauguration of Pastor Umo Eno as governor , I began to churn out articles in praise of the leadership style of Pastor Umo Eno. My articles on Umo Eno were coming back to back. I became a subject of discussion in some WhatsApp groups that I was seeking appointments by the government. Some ridiculed me how I have become pitiful in my search for appointment. Some of the screenshots I saw, I told the individual who sent it to me that ironically, I had access to Pastor Umo Eno more than a lot of them and I had no point to prove to them. At this time, I had secured a visa for my family and I to relocate from the country, and I was wondering how on earth I was the desperado seeking appointment. Meanwhile, my principal Onofiok commended me for the good articles on Pastor Umo Eno and joked that I wasn’t writing like that for him as media aide.

As I watched policies of the Umo Eno administration, I became worried about some of it. As someone who has had a close meeting with the governor, I refrained from commenting, but my journalistic instincts soon took the better of me, and I found myself critical of some policies of the administration. The band that labeled me desperate for appointment switched to labeling me an opposition to the government and enemy of Pastor Umo Eno. Videos of my commentaries and articles have been shared from one group to another . Some friends in government have chosen to distance themselves from the perceived enemy of the government.

My greatest fear of working for the Umo Eno administration has been seen in full-blown manifest. Political appointees who have failed in the courage to tell the governor Umo Eno the truth. Political appointees who have become a band of praise singers who will at every time tell the governor that he is the best thing to happen to Akwa Ibom state after sliced bread. An assemblage of political appointees who would freeze at the sight of the governor and concur to everything governor Umo Eno says. Advisers who rather than advise Pastor Umo Eno on policies rely on directives from the governor to act. Commissioners who can not face the governor with a blueprint for their ministries for fear. Aides who can not define their offices not to think of put forward their ideas to the governor. Political appointees who can never dare to give contrary opinions to what the governor has said.

Political appointees in their cowardice are almost creating a cult hero and emperor in Akwa Ibom State. Governance has been overtaken by sycophants and men and women of eye service. The fear of the governor has become the beginning of wisdom. Some of them in their closest murmur amongst themselves that, “Ette is not doing well.” But at the nearest public will extol governor Umo Eno. Even their high offices aren’t enough to give them the courage to speak to the governor. Elected political office holders have become worse than even appointees in the public declaration of loyalty to the governor and refusal to put forward any contrary view. Akwa Ibom has become the theatre of “table manners.” You don’t talk while you are eating. Every other person not on the table should go to hell because to play opposition is not easy.

What Akwa Ibom State requires now more than ever are courageous political appointees who can speak to the governor when necessary. Advisers who can question the governor and proffer their own solutions to tackling the challenges in the state. Aides who can stand their ground to do their jobs, not according to the governor’s dictate. Commissioners who can sit in an Executive Council meeting and say to the governor, “I think differently Your Excellency on this policy.

Governor Umo Eno must become a listening leader of his appointees and not talk down on contrary views or threaten with sack. The office of the governor is too enormous for any one man to know all. The current system has not delivered maximum good for the governor. Governor Umo Eno must deliberately seek to tolerate constructive criticism from his team. Yes, sir, men and women should be far away from the governor. They constitute greater danger than the voices of opposition outside the government.

You can not be inside the government and rely on opposition for things to be done for you. In secret, you laud opposition onslaught on the governor and say it is the only way governor would bring out money. You sit within the government quiet in before the governor and expect my kind to continuously be critical of the governor to your benefits.

I have chosen your path today. Just like you want to be good and loyal in the face of the governor and maintain your position and relationship, I took would respect the relationship I have with the governor. I have chosen this day to stop my commentaries on government policies and actions in the state. The attack dogs can swing into action. But in the end, posterity will judge us all the role we have played in the Akwa Ibom we would leave for our children.