NationalMirror Akwa Ibom 2015: Issues over Umana’s sack by SAMUEL OLUWALANA on Aug 11, 2013 | Posted under: Politics Akpabio Akwa Ibom politics is full of mind-boggling dramas. It has defied all sorts of political permutations and has largely been unpredictable since the past two years. As it is, no one could boldly predict where the current political waves in the state will lead to, given the unpredictable nature of the terrain and that of the major actors . The complications as indicated in the scripts are all about 2015 which everyone in the oil rich state has been looking forward to with high expectations. The incumbent state governor, Godswill Obot Akpabio is the reason politics in Akwa Ibom politics has suddenly turn boisterous, even though interesting. Akpabio rides on the crest of his achievements to hold the political structure firmly in his grip. The governor is outspoken, agile and very active. His oratory prowess is like a charm with which he has mesmerized and hooked his followers. He flaunts his achievements quite often with deliberate zest as a ploy to convince traducers that he is measuring up to expectations as the state governor and that he is not only in charge of the Government House but that he is also fully in charge. Undoubtedly, the Akwa Ibom state governor can count on many things as marks of his stewardship. He started with free education, and then the building of infrastructures. Under his leadership, Uyo, the state capital has undergone complete rapid transformation. The government had built underground drainage systems, an electronic library, a brand new four-star hotel, a new Government House and Offices, good roads that run round the city of Uyo and many more. If one thing is going well for Akpabio, that should be his generosity. Those who know him well describe him as a drop of sugar that attracts hordes of ants. With Akpabio in the saddle, Akwa Ibom is a place of necessity for local tourists and to some extent, foreign ones. He has succeeded in making Uyo, a center of attraction for Nigerians from all walks of life. Federal Government officials, Senators and House of Representatives Committees and groups take turn to hold conferences in Uyo while religious organizations and others adopts take the fastest growing Nigerian City as a place to be. From the above, it is understandable why the succession battle in Akwa Ibom has been intense. The list of those aspiring to replace Akpabio at the Hill Top Mansion in 2015 are growing by the day. Each of the senatorial districts in the past few months have been engaged in emotive struggles to claim rights to present a candidate. From this, zoning suddenly became a burning issue. Yet, the state governor has never been seen to be helping matter in this regards. Most recently, the government of Akwa Ibom caused an upset to all expectations on the governorship race in the state by easing out its Secretary, SSG, Umana Okon Umana, from the state cabinet. Umana’s resignation took many in the state by surprise. If anything, Umana’s closeness to Akpabio was considered as a strong reason all eyes were on him as a governorship hopeful. That he was edged out with a high measure of ignominy by the government he struggled hard to sustain and aided, to many political pundits, meant that something was amiss about politics in the state. Going by reports, while Umana was to be sacked, armed security operatives ensured that his exit must evoke some pity. He suddenly had no access to the office he had occupied as SSG for more than two years under the government of Akpabio. The turn of events thus forced independent observers to conclude that the centre could no longer hold between Akpabio and Umana. It was possible then, that Umana had stepped on toes. Many reasons, both official and unofficial, were adduced to the manner Umana fell out from power equation in Akwa Ibom State. According to reports pieced together from different sides of the political divide in Uyo, Umana probably lost out of favour owing to the inability of Akpabio spin doctor to obtain words from him on his possible loyalty to the governor, if he ever got power in 2015. Umana was alleged by sources in close quarters to have boasted of not compromising his integrity and hence, said that he had never and would never swear to an oath to get the governorship slot in 2015. Akwa Ibom, like many other states of the federation, has political godfathers and power mongers. Umana’s failure to realise that his position on oath-taking as suggested to him would get back to his friend, seemed to have created the initial problem. He also seemed to have failed to realise that no godfather should be trusted with issues of power. He appeared to have been set up and now boxed into a corner by certain forces in the state which seemed bent on dousing the raging fire of his rising profile as the premium contender in the race for the governorship of Akwa Ibom in 2015. It had been reported also that Akpabio was advised on several occasions to be wary of his SSG on power issues, based on untested possibility that his loyalty to him could not be ascertained; the former SSG being a man known with independent mind. From indications now, Umana is now left to his fate having been completely detached from politics around Akpabio. Since Umana exited the Government House in Uyo, the struggle for power in Akwa Ibom ahead of 2015 has now become an all-comers affair. The keen struggle, in the first instance, had been quoted as reason some political godfathers felt the former SSG should be kicked out of the race so early. Yet, many felt that the omission of Umana was his failure to also struggle with co-aspirants to get favour from the power blocks in the state, the belief being that he probably took things for granted. The incumbent governor was, perhaps, another reason he left the arena of power too early. Umana, from his body language, appeared to have been contented with his closeness with Akpabio, perhaps believing that an unflagging loyalty to the governor could fetch him the needed favour at the nick of time. Indication that Umana had been under serious watch by his enemies within the Akpabio government first came to the open the moment his name appeared on the list of nominees for the position of Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). He had hardly been given time to grapple with that situation, when the media went to town with stories that he had withdrawn from the governorship race. Some Umana’s aides also told Sunday Mirror that the former SSG did not take any such decision. To douse misgivings about his governorship ambition, Umana Okon Umana denied these reports vehemently and also affirmed his interest in the governorship race. Then the burble burst. Less than two days after his interest in the Akwa Ibom governorship race got headline attention, some reports followed that he had been asked to resign. Then certain unpleasant events began to unfold very rapidly around him and before he could fathom what was happening, he had been thrown out of office and flat on his back, to the consternation of political watchers who were aware of his affinity with the governor. At the moment, more aspirants have started jostling for the 2015 governorship election, although none could ascertain his chances of getting the seat. The authority to that effect has to flow directly from the state governor. Prominent among the governorship hopefuls who are looking up to Akpabio for endorsement are the new SSG, Mr Udom Emmanuel; Mr Bassey Albert Akpan, the Commissioner for Finance; Mr. Efiong Abia, Commissioner for Rural Development; Mr Ekpeyong Ntekim, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General and Mr. Adasi Obolom Commissioner for Local Governments; Others include Dan Effiong, Chief Assam Assam, former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice; Senator Udo Udoma, Sam Akpan, Senator Helen Esuene, Nsima Ekere, former Deputy Governor and many more. However, Umana is yet to tell the world whether or not he has relinquished his governorship ambition as his opponents would want him to do. But in the event of his resolve to go ahead with his aspiration, he would need to seek support from Akwa Ibom people, that is ,the voters at the grassroots, and the general electorate, rather than looking for favour from the circles of those who seem not Umana comfortable with his principled stance on politics.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 20:55:56 +0000
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