Ubong-Abasi Francis
I would like to open this piece by making a fair attempt to recollect the remarks by the representative of the National Council for Women Society (NCWF), while giving a goodwill message at the Season Two of Akwa Ibom State Government Inter-ministerial Briefing, last Friday. The woman, whose name I cannot remember, said that with the benefits of the two editions, Akwa Ibom people are now wishing for the third and fourth editions of the briefing because such a unifying and enlightening event has never been held before in the history of the state. There is absolutely no debate over the fact that the briefing has been a major distinction between the Udom Emmanuel’s administration and other administrations.
Like the NCWF reps, it is the considered opinion of majority of Akwa Ibom people that the inter-ministerial briefing has not only closed the gap between them and the government, but has also provided opportunities for them to harmonise their verdict on the performance of the government. This novel initiative by the Ministry of Information and Strategy, is a good pointer to both the seen and unseen efforts of the government in fostering citizens’ participation. Countless times, Mr Udom Emmanuel has emphasised that the people are at the centre of his administration’s policy and he has kept to his words though the numerous people-centred projects and programmes. Having done his part and considering that he has less than a month left in office, it was the turn of the people to give their honest feedback on the governror’s efforts. The inter-ministerial briefing was therefoe imperative in both timing and purpose.
As noted by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong, it is not enough for the government to be working, but it is important for the government to ensure that it is working to meet specific needs and general expectations of the people. Merely showing the intention of genuinely serving the people distinguishes Mr Udom Emmanuel and his administration from other Nigerian governors. The courage to convene the people across all economic sectors, political backgrounds and social status to openly dialogue on the performance of the government is a new level of transparency and accountability as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. This is why I believe that enough credit has not been given to the Akwa Ibom governor.
With the loud ovation trailing the inter-ministerial briefing, I foresee Udom Emmanuel taking the wind out of his contemporaries’ sails and thereby leaving a big shoe for his successor and other serving Nigerian governors to wear. First, it is possible that Akwa Ibom people may still be basking in the euphoria of celebrating Governor Emmanuel’s superlative eight years so much that the ecstasy of having new administration may be dwarfed. Secondly, I’d like to believe that there are millions of citizens in other states who are envious of what is happening in Akwa Ibom State and will be hoping that their own leaders replicate the same in their states. I have repeatedly said that meeting the expectations of the Nigerian masses as a leader is not rocket science and I now have my proof in Udom Emmanuel and Akwa Ibom people.
Whatever measure(s) that the Akwa Ibom governor has employed to make his Commissioners, Board Chairmen, and other Heads of Parastatals, see themselves as public servants in its true meaning, and therefore answerable to members of the public, should, as a matter of fact, be adopted as mandatory skill by every leader in Nigeria. Listening to the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan; Commissioner for Transportation, Chief Uno Uno; Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Engr Camilus Umoh, and others, patiently and respectfully engage the audience during the inter-ministerial briefing, I wondered if Akwa Ibom was existing in another planet because in Nigeria, arrogance and pride are a norm among public office holders.
For the sake of posterity, it must be emphatically stated that Mr Emmanuel was the one governor who did not cajole his people into becoming mere chanters of “power to the people” but actually handed power to the people through open, transparent, and accountable leadership. It is not out of place to predict that should the incoming administration of the state sustains the trend and tempo of the current administration, in no distant future, Akwa Ibom will be generally regarded as a first world society in a third world country. The indices are good. As revealed during the inter-ministerial briefing, some of the Ministeries and Agencies have well-planned roadmap for holistic development that if carefully implemented to the latter, Akwa Ibom will be in a class of his own.
In his presentation, Prince Ikim, chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), disclosed that the state is planning to go into renewable energy as part of its waste management strategies. On his part, the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim, revealed that in no time, every part of the state will be enjoying 24 hours power supply. The chairman of Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS), Mr Okon Okon revealed how Governor Udom took over the state with internally generated revenue of 15.4 billion and 15.7 billion naira for 2013 and 2014 respectively, but grew the state IGR from 16 billion naira in 2017 to 34.8 billion naira in 2022. Without the inter-ministerial briefing, there is hardly any chance that these impressive plans and statistics would come to the knowledge of Akwa Ibom people.
In his eight years, Governor Emmanuel did not only build a solid foundation but has redesigned, restructured, and repositioned Akwa Ibom for the future. It is now left for the next administration and subsequent ones to build on the Udom Emmanuel’s template if the state must sustain this mark of distinction.
*Francis wrote from Uyo
Inter-Ministerial Briefing: A Mark of Distinction for Udom Emmanuel
Ubong-Abasi Francis
I would like to open this piece by making a fair attempt to recollect the remarks by the representative of the National Council for Women Society (NCWF), while giving a goodwill message at the Season Two of Akwa Ibom State Government Inter-ministerial Briefing, last Friday. The woman, whose name I cannot remember, said that with the benefits of the two editions, Akwa Ibom people are now wishing for the third and fourth editions of the briefing because such a unifying and enlightening event has never been held before in the history of the state. There is absolutely no debate over the fact that the briefing has been a major distinction between the Udom Emmanuel’s administration and other administrations.
Like the NCWF reps, it is the considered opinion of majority of Akwa Ibom people that the inter-ministerial briefing has not only closed the gap between them and the government, but has also provided opportunities for them to harmonise their verdict on the performance of the government. This novel initiative by the Ministry of Information and Strategy, is a good pointer to both the seen and unseen efforts of the government in fostering citizens’ participation. Countless times, Mr Udom Emmanuel has emphasised that the people are at the centre of his administration’s policy and he has kept to his words though the numerous people-centred projects and programmes. Having done his part and considering that he has less than a month left in office, it was the turn of the people to give their honest feedback on the governror’s efforts. The inter-ministerial briefing was therefoe imperative in both timing and purpose.
As noted by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong, it is not enough for the government to be working, but it is important for the government to ensure that it is working to meet specific needs and general expectations of the people. Merely showing the intention of genuinely serving the people distinguishes Mr Udom Emmanuel and his administration from other Nigerian governors. The courage to convene the people across all economic sectors, political backgrounds and social status to openly dialogue on the performance of the government is a new level of transparency and accountability as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. This is why I believe that enough credit has not been given to the Akwa Ibom governor.
With the loud ovation trailing the inter-ministerial briefing, I foresee Udom Emmanuel taking the wind out of his contemporaries’ sails and thereby leaving a big shoe for his successor and other serving Nigerian governors to wear. First, it is possible that Akwa Ibom people may still be basking in the euphoria of celebrating Governor Emmanuel’s superlative eight years so much that the ecstasy of having new administration may be dwarfed. Secondly, I’d like to believe that there are millions of citizens in other states who are envious of what is happening in Akwa Ibom State and will be hoping that their own leaders replicate the same in their states. I have repeatedly said that meeting the expectations of the Nigerian masses as a leader is not rocket science and I now have my proof in Udom Emmanuel and Akwa Ibom people.
Whatever measure(s) that the Akwa Ibom governor has employed to make his Commissioners, Board Chairmen, and other Heads of Parastatals, see themselves as public servants in its true meaning, and therefore answerable to members of the public, should, as a matter of fact, be adopted as mandatory skill by every leader in Nigeria. Listening to the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan; Commissioner for Transportation, Chief Uno Uno; Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Engr Camilus Umoh, and others, patiently and respectfully engage the audience during the inter-ministerial briefing, I wondered if Akwa Ibom was existing in another planet because in Nigeria, arrogance and pride are a norm among public office holders.
For the sake of posterity, it must be emphatically stated that Mr Emmanuel was the one governor who did not cajole his people into becoming mere chanters of “power to the people” but actually handed power to the people through open, transparent, and accountable leadership. It is not out of place to predict that should the incoming administration of the state sustains the trend and tempo of the current administration, in no distant future, Akwa Ibom will be generally regarded as a first world society in a third world country. The indices are good. As revealed during the inter-ministerial briefing, some of the Ministeries and Agencies have well-planned roadmap for holistic development that if carefully implemented to the latter, Akwa Ibom will be in a class of his own.
In his presentation, Prince Ikim, chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), disclosed that the state is planning to go into renewable energy as part of its waste management strategies. On his part, the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim, revealed that in no time, every part of the state will be enjoying 24 hours power supply. The chairman of Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS), Mr Okon Okon revealed how Governor Udom took over the state with internally generated revenue of 15.4 billion and 15.7 billion naira for 2013 and 2014 respectively, but grew the state IGR from 16 billion naira in 2017 to 34.8 billion naira in 2022. Without the inter-ministerial briefing, there is hardly any chance that these impressive plans and statistics would come to the knowledge of Akwa Ibom people.
In his eight years, Governor Emmanuel did not only build a solid foundation but has redesigned, restructured, and repositioned Akwa Ibom for the future. It is now left for the next administration and subsequent ones to build on the Udom Emmanuel’s template if the state must sustain this mark of distinction.
*Francis wrote from Uyo
