Date Published: 12/18/09

Senator Udoedeghe Must Stop This Ranting By Otuekong Emmanuel Ibiok

Political polemics is the name of the game. Often times the proponents do so without recourse to substance or reason but continue to propagate their rabid and disconcerting views even as such have unambiguous disconnect with logic and facts.

Political polemics is the name of the game. Often times the proponents do so without recourse to substance or reason but continue to propagate their rabid and disconcerting views even as such have unambiguous disconnect with logic and facts.

The above best explains the misleading conduct of Senator John Akpan Udoedeghe, a man providence has navigated through several political offices cutting across the three tiers of government but who has unwittingly decided to jettison all the accruable fine qualities of decent public conduct that his stints in those offices should bestow on him. He has continued to take to the old ways of pugnacity which has come to define his life, politics, activities and interactions. Of course, such disposition harbours strong tendency towards falsehood as evident in Senator John Akpan Udoedeghe’s views against Governor Akpabio disseminated through many media channels with the most recent in Compass of November 26, 2009.

My advent into this seeming fray rather than be construed as joining in arraying official arsenal against Senator Udoedeghe must be seen as a humble effort to provide a perspicacity for truth as well as set the records straight using the benefit of my strategic and critical position before Akpabio’s declaration for governorship, pre-nomination, post nomination, pre-election and post election. Those of us who are privileged to work closely with His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio know that given his breeding and cultivation, he would not permit any public officer in his administration or even encourage outsiders to take to the ignoble duty of castigating any person in the guise of defending him or government. He seems to always hold the view that posterity and his modest contribution would speak for him more eloquently than a barrage of voices. My duty here therefore is to bring public knowledge to some valid truths and thus dislodge the misinformation that has held sway over time and become a public burden. As Martin Luther (Jnr) noted: “the time is always right to do what is right”.

In recent past, the political space in our 22 year old state has been suffused with misleading claims and bitter recriminations of primitive hue with Senator John Udoedeghe as the arrowhead. He is rueing over his fantasized claim that he made Akpabio governor. And according to him, Akpabio has betrayed him and therefore must be bundled out of the seat of power come 2011. Showing a complete lack of modesty, he sees himself as the worthy replacement to a man who has come to re-define governance in this clime from what used to sound like folklore - free education, free medical treatment to critical segments of the society, infrastructural renaissance, re-engineered and well-motivated civil service, efficient transportation system, a reinvigorated agricultural sector, youth empowerment and employment, etc. It is this kind of people centered government that Senator John Udoedeghe undoubtedly driven by unaltruistic desires that have strong ties with ethnicity and parochialism is seeking with all his ill-will to replace. And since I hold avowal to the philosophy that a man who demonstrates neutrality in the face of the exigency of speaking the truth can not exonerate himself from culpability from the ruinous falsehood the era canvassed and witnessed. We therefore must speak-up.

The claim by Senator John Akpan Udoedeghe that he made Godswill Akpabio governor is both bogus and specious. It is curious where the Senator musters the courage from to hurl this fantasized claim into public space without regard to the sensibilities of people like my humble self.

Bishop Samuel Akpan, Mr Okpolokpon Ette, Elder Emmanuel Akpan, Barrister Ibanga Akpabio, Barrister Udomfang and Lovina Umoeffa who were there from day one know the real truth. Where was Senator John Udoedeghe in September, 2006 when Akpabio declared for governor at Ibom Hall ground? Where was he in 2003 when Governor Akpabio formed the original Akwa Ibom People’s Forum (AKPF) and employed it as the vehicle that would deliver him? Where was he during all the consultations and campaigns preceding the nomination? People were involved in all these processes. And yet the Senator is unconscionable enough to dare to reap credit where he never sowed and beyond the enormous and unmerited goodwill the governor has extended to him. And because some of us have very cultured background, we believe that people should have the good conscience to repay debts of gratitude and not to veer to the tangent of treachery at the slightest disagreement. We must learn the culture of disagreeing to agree.
Let me take the liberty of volunteering some salient and pertinent information to the unsuspecting members of the public who have been the butt of Senator John Udoedeghe’s misleading gibberish. I was the Campaign Manager for Chief Godswill Akpabio’s bid for governor. I worked closely with Bishop Samuel Akpan, Mr Okpolokpon, Elder Emmanuel Akpan, Barrister Udomfang, Barrister Ibanga Akpabio as Secretary, Emmanuel Akai, Nsikak Johnson, Udoibanga Esu, Obong Akpabio and Chief Michael Afangideh, Dr. Usen Ikpe, Chief Sylvester Akaiso and a host of others. I also worked closely with G31 for One. I state here without any fear of equivocation that Senator Udoedeghe was not part of us from that out-set. The Senator only joined Godswill Akpabio’s campaign team two days to nomination. He was bogusly christened officially as the campaign manager amongst other perks which he duly received. It was a horse-trading of exigency. I remained the campaign manager, field operations which involved the real campaign, mobilizing and strategizing.

Of course, the ineffectuality of Senator Udoedeghe as campaign manager could be indexed from the very few meetings the campaign organization held.

The above are the facts which preceded the emergence of Chief Godswill Akpabio as the governor of Akwa Ibom State and which in every material particular must be admitted to be divine. The claim by the likes of Senator Udoedeghe to have made Akpabio is offensive to both the scripture and public sensibilities. At least, God has averred in the Holy book that He will never share His glory with anybody. The Senator is thus taking an antiscriptural position by this specious claim which seems to make God his messenger. Fifty-eight aspirants debuted for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket some titans and gladiators. But Chief Godswill Akpabio, a virtual minion and upstart amongst most of them trounced them as the Biblical David did Goliath and subsequently the Philistines. And yet, somebody is deliberately ignoring the hand of God in that enterprise just to satisfy a misguided egocentric voyage that has futility as its destination.

Besides the spiritual perspective adduced above is also the injury done to public sensibilities by this hurtful claim. Democracy is a game of number. The joy of the electorate is the fulfillment that sequels either voting for or against. The claim by one individual often using the first person pronoun to discountenance the electorate from the outcome is to say the least misleading. And when the claim comes from a man of high standing like a one time Senator and former Minister, the public is wont to see the voting process as a hollow ritual that has no relationship with election outcome. What this promotes is apathy in the polity, electoral heist, do or die syndrome, corruption of the electoral processes and invariably enthronement of mediocrity in government.

The above would certainly not promote our collective good. And any politician who seeks to leave a legacy must not engage in actions that would regress democracy. The Senator’s current posturing - the fanning of the embers of ethnic discord, the creation of unneeded tension in the polity, engaging in unguarded vituperations against functionaries of government and elders of the party are actions that are inimical to democratic development and could precipitate arrested development.

Those who have been involved in leadership studies and training would affirm that a leader must have amongst other things the following attributes to wit: vision, discipline, wisdom, courage, humility, people skill, inspirational power, tact and diplomacy. All of these coalesce into an action plan which delivers a leader that can raise the bar of good leadership. It reduces anti-people’s tendencies in those who strive to provide leaderships and conditions them to make the people the central measure of value. His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio in this direction has made more concerted efforts than most leaders in this clime by running an administration that is people-centered in all ramifications. His government is therefore the encapsulation of all the fine attributes that are salient to good governance. Akwa Ibom people must consider themselves blessed to have this modern day avatar of good governance.

This is why we must not lose sleep with the Stone Age brand of Senator John Udoedeghe’s politics which known tools is blackmail. We must continue to support the God fearing government of Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio for its pragmatic and redemptive approach to governance for it possesses the will to lift us from the hitherto desolate path of despair to the sunlit path of hope that we are savouring now. We must not allow selfish politicians of the do or die hue to reduce our faith in a system that is already working for our collective good.

It is pertinent to make a cursory reference to a poignant comment made by Senator John Udoedeghe and 1 quote: “I have said it earlier that PDP will not be my Egypt neither will it be the Egypt of the Akwa Ibom people. The PDP has a choice and we also have a choice”. If such comment does not connote anti-party sentiments, 1 don’t know what should. The Senator is already beginning to contemplate the Lucifer’s complex who stated his determined will not to remain in the dark pit alone. It is a dangerous complex. Unfortunately he is alone. The people of Akwa Ibom had on October, 10 at Asan Ibibio taken a collective bold step that would pulverize his politics of ethnicity and bigotry. My brother Senator, turn away from that road to Damascus and join a government that is ready, willing and able to rebuild Akwa Ibom State.

Otuekong lbiok is Special Assistant to the Governor on Petroleum Matters/Chancellor, ADV.