THE FOOTSTEPS OF GOVERNOR GODSWILL AKPABIO BY ENO IKPE 08023560727 sentinelres2@gmail By its dictionary definition, the word ‘tribalism’ is more appropriate to the Nigerian context than the word “ethnicism”, a mere euphemism. How “ethnicism” came into preferential usage to the word “tribalism” is the handy manipulations of latter-day pseudo nationalists. Still “tribalism” is more convenient for our common usage. Let me now domesticate this piece in Akwa Ibom State. While in words and pretensions Gov Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State wears the toga of being detribalized, or has it forced on him by his cronies and sycophants, his actions and focus of development in the state beyond those that should inevitably be done in the state capital, portray him as a tribal demagogue. I shall progress from the known to the unknown, but first, let me commend Gov Akpabio for being charismatic. There is no doubt about that. This part of the world yearns for splashy leaders, not ones that are dour and colourless. Governor Godswill Akpabio, as was said of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of America who left the famous (and in some respects infamous) quote: “It is not the critic who counts …” can in some respects be spoken of as was spoken of Roosevelt, that he was a colossal egoist, and his self-confidence merged with self-righteousness … Roosevelt rapidly developed into a master politician with an idolatrous personal following … had an enormous popular appeal, partly because the common people saw in him a fiery champion. A magnificent showman, he was always front page copy… above all, Roosevelt was a direct actionist. …He believed that the President should lead, and although he made mistakes, he kept things noisily moving generally forward”. Pray, can there he a better character portraiture of Gov. Godwill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State than this? The carnival stops here and if you have read up to this point, do not stop reading until you have read the conclusion. Yes, Governor Akpabio has charisma. Unfortunately, this trait is gradually degenerating into narcissism, defined as “self-love; excessive admiration of or fascination with oneself.” Gov Akpabio lacks what someone calls political correctness, which is the principle of avoiding language and acts that may offend particular groups of people, especially in a pluralistic polity such as Akwa Ibom State. Indeed the fission of charisma has also produced in him aggressive egotism and self- righteousness which have served as veneer that conceal the real Godswill Akpabio. In obvious allusion to the recent reception for his predecessor and mentor, Arc (Obong) Victor Attah, he is quoted to have said most derisively: ‘when I leave as governor, and you want to receive me, please let it be the whole of Akwa Ibom State. Do not sectionalize it. Today I am governor of all. When I leave do not make me a local champion”. He may not now know how many people of Akwa Ibom State have been severely infuriated by this sarcasm. Some governor of all! In inter-ethic relations as governor, he is a disciple of Niccolo Machiavelli; who had advised “The Prince Who Aspires to Govern” to “preach unity as much as possible, but cause as much disunity as possible among the people, so that the people war against themselves and not with the prince” In this respect, let me start with the known to the unknown, confining myself to only the visible, tangible and incontrovertible, perhaps because provable. A very handy module is sponsorship for appointments to federal boards, parastatals and agencies, which has been in the common domain for some time now. Hon Commissioner, National Population Commission – Moses Ekpo (Annang) from Abak Urban; Hon. Commissioner, Federal Civil Service Commission – Simon Etim (Annang) Essien Udim; who had been moved from the position of Chairman, State Assembly Service Commission; Hon Commissioner , Federal Character Commission – Barr. Mathew Ukpong (Annang) Essien Udim; Legal Secretary, Federal Capital Territory – Barr Ima Okpongette (Annang) Etim Ekpo; Hon Commissioner, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Barr Michael Ebong (Annang) Essien Udim; Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs Mfon Akpan (Annang) Abak; Hon. Commissioner Federal Revenue and Mobilization Commission, Senator Ibok Essien (Annang) Ikot Ekpene . In strict fairness to Governor Akpabio, in the cases of appointments in Federal agencies such as Legal Secretary, Federal Capital Territory and Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service, it is not known whether these were purely political appointments through sponsorship, or people rising through the ranks of the services. All the same these have totaled up to the number eight in federal appointments by a single ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State, and from the ethnic stock of the governor. The onus lies with the image makers of the Governor, ever jauntily disposed to defend even the indefensible, to put the State and the nation to light, especially for the benefit of ‘traducers’. Locally, if the three employment agencies in the State to wit, Civil Service Commission, Assembly Service commission and until not long ago the Local Government Service Commission; are headed by people of the governor’s ethnic stock, would any man fault any allegation that the public service of Akwa Ibom State has since been awash with staff of this same ethnic stock? Add to these the “innocuous apolitical” Head of Service. I had once said that I know the number of my village people who were recruited for work in Fernando Po (Panya) now Equatorial Guinea, when a man of the village headed the Anglo Spanish Employment Agency. Is sponsorships into the federal boards, parastatals and agencies and lopsided recruitment into the State services inadvertent or deliberate, ultimately targeted at ethnic equalization or over-balancing both in the State and at the centre? In the area of projects, would it be correct to suspect that the ungodly haste with which the original concept of an Akwa Ibom State University of Technology was altered to another conventional University had as a secret agenda the siting of a major campus of the deformity University in the governor’s homeland? Recently there has been a decision to site a federal Polytechnic as the crow flies from the locus of the State Polytechnic. We have since learnt to endure the feeling of the siting in the governors home the Mobile Police State headquarters, the Police Secondary School, the former which should have appropriately been sited within the State capital or its immediate vicinity. Finally, unknown to many, there has been a spirited effort to replicate the State Capital in Ikot Ekpene, complete with a plaza that had been crafted to make the one built by Victor Attah in Uyo a miniature, the latter having since been emaciated in an exercise that was tagged renovation. Work is nearing completion on a hotel calibrated as four stars. Some day what I call the footsteps of Governor Godwill Akpabio will be fully documented by those who will do so from a position of intimate knowledge. There are other salient areas that cannot even be scratched in this short essay. Finally, those who find nothing wrong in Governor Akpabio’s frenetic struggle to anoint a successor, add to the mantra of justice, equity and fair play, the need for one who will follow the footsteps of Governor Akpabio, who has used the chicanery of Eket Senatorial District. The million dollar question is: footsteps in which direction?
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 21:35:59 +0000
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