Date Published: 05/22/11

Godswill Akpabio and The Leadership Question by Aniekan Umanah

It was John  Quincy Adams(1769-1848) who once said that if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. To Adams, the sixth American President, effective leadership occurs when a leader possesses the ability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources in line with the expectations of his people.

In Nigeria, while other states of the federation are yearning and praying for visionary and inspirational leadership, Akwa Ibom people consider themselves blessed to have a leader with qualities that others desire in a leader. A leader whose vision for his people is unequalled; a leader whose developmental strides and interest in the welfare of the people he governs are legendary. A leader that commands the ability to spread development programmes evenly among all his people in line with the position of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe that a great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.

May 29, 2007 represents a day of great import, a day of crowning glory in the life of Akwa Ibom people. A day Chief Godswill Akpabio assumed office as the third democratically elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Exuding confidence in his ability to lead the State into a new era of progress, prosperity and unity, he in his inaugural address at the premises of Ibom Hall, implored all Akwa Ibom People to join hands with him in building the state of the future quote…..

Everyone is a living witness to the tact and maturity with which he has handled the affairs of governance in the state since assumption of office in May, 2007. The zeal he has put into the completion of projects initiated by his predecessor has paid off and has singled him out as selfless, unbiased, pragmatic and the pride of Akwa Ibom State. We have attested to his lofty policies, programmes and projects as the best for a people who overwhelmingly gave him the mandate to govern them for a second term during the April 26, 2011 Governorship elections.

Provision of infrastructure forms the key factor in the socio-economic and political life of any society. Since the inception of the Akpabio-led administration in May, 2007, road construction and rehabilitation have received priority attention. To ensure free flow of transport in the State, the Governor initiated “Operation Zero Pothole” in the State capital and other satellite towns in the State. This has paid off as many of the roads are constantly maintained.

Over 205 roads spanning 600km have been constructed across the length and breadth of the State.  For instance Eket – 49, Oron – 34, Ikot Abasi -18, Ikot Ekpene -26, Uyo -38, Abak 19, among others in Mkpat Enin, Etim Ekpo, Ibiono Ibom, Ika, Esit Eket, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium, Etinan and Mbo.

For an onlooker, September 23, 2009, could go simply as a day Akwa Ibom people celebrated the anniversary of the State creation, but it was a day that history was made as Akwa Ibom State under the leadership of Chief Godswill Akpabio received the first ever large bodied aircraft to land on Akwa Ibom soil, thereby opening the state to the outside world. It is pleasantly astonishing that an airport that was next to nothing in 2007 has played host to international flight operations with the airlifting of passengers direct from Uyo to the Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, and presently no fewer than three airlines ply the Akwa Ibom Airport everyday, a feat that is pleasantly astonishing for an airport that was inherited by Gov Akpabio two years earlier from the scratch.

The Independent Power Plant, the Free and Compulsory Education Policy, the Child Right Act, the concentric Fly-Over bridges in the state, the dualisation of a section of Calabar-Itu Federal Highway and over 205 other roads network across the state, free health-care programme, five new general hospitals and an ongoing specialist medical facility, sustainable human capital development programmes, rural water and electricity schemes, his resolute stand on Unity and Security and the commissioning of over 3000 rural-based projects, stand tall to the credit of a performance driven government led by Chief Godswill Akpabio.

It is therefore no gainsaying that our Governor has performed so creditably well that it has attracted commendations and prestigious awards from corporate bodies and individuals within and outside Nigeria. Several academic institutions have conferred the highest academic honours on him, first as a fellow of the Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure in Jigawa State, and doctoral degrees (Honoris causa) by the University of Uyo, University of Calabar, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and University of Nigeria, Nsukka while several national newspaper and magazines have honoured the Governor with Excellence Awards as the Most Outstanding Governor in Nigeria.

Among reasons listed by organizers of the awards for the honour on him were Governor Akpabio’s outstanding records in the massive and quality roads construction which they said is unparallel in the region, as well as investments in infrastructural developments. As a result of good governance, Chief Akpabio has also bagged many other distinguished Awards of Excellence including “the Nehemiah Award” of the African Church and various accolades from other churches. While conferring the award on him, the Uyo Diocese Bishop of the African Church described the Governor as leading a revolution for the transformation of Nigeria. He likened Chief Akpabio to the biblical Nehemiah who took it upon himself to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem within 52 days despite stiff opposition and criticism from within and without. The Bishop concluded that the transformation projects of Governor Akpabio were “unequalled”.

In the like manner, the Christian Community in Akwa Ibom State has also singled the Governor out as a “Miracle Worker”, who has come to redeem the people, bring light where there was darkness, justice where there was injustice, love where were was hatred, unity where there was disunity, abundance where there was scarcity, progress where there was stagnation and voice to the voiceless. And from the far away Niger Republic, the achievements of Governor Akpabio earned him another feather with his conferment with the highest meritorious award from the country.

It is generally accepted that one of the yardstick for measuring good governance is a universal yardstick of visible infrastructure which is strategic to eventual rapid and broad based attainment of the physical, social and economic bench-marks of growth in a sustainable manner.

The people of Akwa Ibom State salute the courage, ingenuity, vision, steadfastness and the will power of Governor Godswill Akpabio in his effort to liberate Akwa Ibom State and transform it from its traditional Civil Service status to a viable industrial, economical and physical developed land of promise in the ensuring years.

That is why they trooped out in their numbers to vote massively for the re-election of the man they brand as their promise keeper on April 26, 2011, during the governorship election in the State; and as soon as the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the result of the April 27, celebrations erupted simultaneously across the state.

Akwa Ibom women, children and elders lined up the major streets of Uyo, particularly flooding Wellington Bassey Way up to the governor’s lodge with palm fronds to celebrate the son of destiny’s triumphal entry into his well deserved second term as governor.

The celebration also defied class, age and gender because the victory was for all- the old and young, civil servants and farmers, men and women, and even those who had hitherto supported other political parties. They hummed and sang, and made merriment, reasoning that Akpabio’s emergence was a perfect blend of the will of God and the will of people.

The  came Tuesday May 17, 2011; a day Akwa Ibom people celebrated their leader in line with the view of Abraham Lincoln that No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.

Governor Akpabio, was as usual accompanied by his ever supportive wife, Ekaette, who many have described as the campaigner in chief and mobilizer extra-ordinaire during the build up to the general elections who single handedly mobilized women from all over the state to support and stand by on the path of truth, Together they led his deputy-elect, and 26 elected members of the House of Assembly to INEC. Thereafter, it was destination Ibom Hall ground were an even larger crowd of supporters thronged, to received and celebrate their hero.

It was John Maxwell who once said that, A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position, an obviously elated Governor Akpabio though short of breadth could not hold back his passion for enhance service delivery to his people. As the clock ticks towards the commencement of another lap of qualitative leadership under Governor Akpabio, and with his promise of massive industrialization fresh on everyone’s mind, the people are convinced that Akwa Ibom’s glory days is just beginning.

Mr. Umanah writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State