MOSES EKPO: A QUINTESSENTIAL DIPLOMAT AND LEADER By Uwemedimoh Umanah In the words of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, a French diplomat and one of the greatest diplomats the world has ever had, merit, however inconsiderable should be sought for and be rewarded...methods are the master of masters. For Talleyrand, who also played pivotal roles in the successes of The French Revolution, the governments of Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonarpart, and Louis XVIII, for there to be excellence and quality service delivery in diplomatic service and statecraft, mediocrity should be relegated to the back seat in the socio- economic and political schemes. This philosophical thought underscores the emergenceMr. Moses Frank Ekpo as the Deputy Governorship candidate and running mate to Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the PDP gubernatorial standard bearer for Akwa Ibom State. Born into the royal family of Frank Ekpo Ukwak to a devout Christian parent, Deacon Frank Ekpo Ukwak of Obiodo Village and Madam Maggi Umoh Akpan of Uruk Uso Village, Abak Local Government Area, Mr. Moses Ekpo is from a humble background. His parent had considerably robust value for moralsfounded on Christian belief and this impacted roundly on the socialization of Moses Ekpo. He inculcated thesevalues in his immediate family such that his late wife, Martha and son, Moses Ekpo Jnr., and of course Francis who spared nothing at upholding these morals. It was this properly -situated background that prepared the foundation for his future exploits. A British trained Journalist, Chief Moses Ekpo is an embodiment of hard work, discipline, excellence, and cleanliness, who has never compromised his work ethics, integrity and loyalty to the state with any primordial sentiment. These qualities have defined his career as Information Attaché at Nigerian Embassy, Washington DC; Nigerias Deputy High Commissioner to Britain; Commissioner for Information in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States; Director General, Nigeria Copy Rights Commission; Member, Governing Council of Akwa Ibom State University; and later as Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, where he invested his wealth of statecraft towards the realization of organizational goals. It is instructive to note, in consonance with Platos avowal that, everyman should be accorded His due in the society: Mr. Moses Ekpos recommendation for an appointment as Federal Commissioner in the National Population Commission was predicated on loyalty, and team spirit which he has relentlessly shown to the government of Governor Godswill Akpabio from itinception. Little wonder why he was always the preferred spokesperson for the people of Abak vis-a-vis the Akpabio administration in most public fora in the state. Mr. Moses Ekpos sense of partnership in political life also explains his very cordial and peaceful relationship with major stakeholders of the ruling PDP in Abak, such as the member representing Abak in the State House of Assembly, the Local Government chairman and the Commissioner for Information and Communications, and this quality draws currency from his diplomatic practice. During his days in diplomatic service in London, Mr.Moses Ekpo exuded uncommon demeanor and qualities which were peculiar to only Anglo- American, French, German and Russian diplomats: flamboyant in dressing and speech, uncommon power of conviction and reason, rare intellectual versatility and unparalleled loyalty to the Nigerian state. If one describes Mr. Moses Ekpo as a socialite, its not at all hyperbolic in that he had cut this teeth on elites socialization during his diplomatic practice in London. It is instructive to note that Mr. Moses Ekpo finds time to attend funerals, birthdays, lunching and other public events, and these have become an integral part of his daily life. However, the difference between Mr. Ekpo and others in the top echelon of the society is that he is never discriminatory to people, irrespective of their class, thus making him a bridge between all the social strata in the society. It is therefore not surprising that Mr. Moses Ekpo has a community heart which reflects in the zeal and passion with which pilots community development initiatives. For instance, he single- handedly spearheaded the creation of Obiodo Village in Abak Local Government Area, and takes special interest in the empowerment of youthsthrough counseling, progressive ideas, and thesponsorship of brilliant youth through their education. Perhaps, another aspect of Mr. Moses Ekpos philosophy which deserves amplification here is, his mastery of the concept and practice of distributed leadership: Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens, people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” If this is juxtaposed against the qualities of a good leader:good communication, adaptability, confidence, respect, delegation, proactive-ness, loyalty, honesty, and accessibility, among others, then Mr. Moses Ekpo is a star that has been waiting to happen. It should be noted that the decades of the 80s - when Mr. Moses Ekpo served in London marked the glorious years of Anglo- Nigerian foreign relations., and this could not have been in isolation of a dedicated and consummate diplomatic team of which Mr. Moses Ekpo was part. Little surprising that when Akwa Ibom State was created in 1987, he was redeployed to serve as the pioneer commissioner for information. Mr. Ekpo, brought his leadership experience and quintessential diplomatic acumen to bear as Commissioner for Information, giving uneven credibility to the military government of Colonel Tunde Ogbeha, at the time the military governmentsneeded intellectual egg-heads to give credibility their illegal junta. The case was not different as Director General, Nigerian CopyRight Commission. There, Mr. Ekpo investeddiscipline, expertise and unbiased sense of judgment, thereby making copyright culprits know that it was no longer business as usual. He gave the Commission the legal strength it deserved, thus laying the foundation for a modern Copyright commission in line with international best practices. The state caucus of Peoples Democratic Partys choice ofMr. Moses Ekpo as running mate to its gubernatorialstandard bearer therefore, is well deserving. First, it shows gratitude to the people of Abak Local Government Area for their unflinching support to the leadership of the party in the state, and the government of Governor Godswill Akpabio which they have repeatedly and resoundingly proven in 2007 and 2011. Secondly, it is a reward for merit, which Mr. Moses Ekpo represents, as exemplified in his diplomatic and political leadership training and experience. Thirdly, It shows the resolve by the ruling party to blend the wisdom of elders which Mr.Ekpo stands for, with the vigor of youthfulness which Udom Emmanuel, clearly epitomizes. Above all, it isreward for loyalty, which is idiosyncratic of a good diplomat and statesman, who prices these social goodabove personal consideration. The Peoples Democratic Party should be assured that the candidature of Mr. Moses Ekpo will build a new bridge for peace, and re-uniting aggrieved party members in Abak. That is because, his clout and mien as a statesman and leader will be of immense electoral value to the PDP in the 2015 general elections, which the party will win landslide in the area. Congratulations, Chief Moses Ekpo! Uwemedimoh Umanah, a Media Strategist, Peace Expert, Newspaper Publisher and Public Affairs Analyst, writes in this piece from Uyo. 07086420084 __._,_.___ Posted by: Uwem Umanah Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1) SAY IT THE WAY IT IS, NO BLACKMAIL , NO NAMES CALLING SAY WHAT YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELF IN THE COURT OF LAW BUT SAY IT HARD NOTHING THE TRUTH AND NOT LIES VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 7 • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use . __,_._,___
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:09:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015