DOM ‘LOAN’ EMMANUEL: IN MY HELPLESSNESS I LANGUISH

U
By Torobong Ekpo
Out of ten letters sent to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, by Governor Udom Emmanuel, six are request for loan. Today, I watched with dismay as the Clerk of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Mandu Umoren, read two letters. The first letter requested for approval for a loan to pay for Akwa Savings. The second letter requested for yet another approval to get N1.9 billion to pay as counterpart funding in the Universal Basic Education Trust Fund. While the Clerk was reading the letters, I asked myself whetter the State Governor has changed his name from Udom Gabriel Emmanuel to Udom “LOAN” Emmanuel?
So after eight years of receiving huge sum of Federal Government allocation, combined with the siphoning of Oil Spill cash which would have catered for the construction of Eket-Ibeno road, Akwa Ibom State government is now embarking on voyage to Lilliput? I can see why the self-acclaimed Great Teacher insisted on a financial expert as his successor. I can now see why Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has not been able to complete the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, which was awarded by Godswill Akpabio while serving as the governor.
It is said that, the inability of the state government to complete the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, is a sign to show that, Akwa Ibom State governors don’t always construct and complete the route to their place while in government. It will be recalled that, Obong Victor Attah neglected Uyo-Aka Nung Udoe Road, today, Akpabio despite ‘constructing’ Use Ikot Amama in his surreal world, has also abandoned the entrance to the cradle of the proposed capital of Itai State.
Some people claim that, it is a curse placed on governors of Akwa Ibom State extraction; anyway, I won’t join issues with proponents of this theory, because nothing will be more shameful than for the route that lead to the domain of Annang people to be left in the dark. I thank God, Etinan-Onna and Etinan-Eket Roads are being constructed night and day. This go a long way to show that, UGE is bent on breaking the jinx. Indeed, he is Mr. Right.
I sometimes pity Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, because his continuous keeping mute on the financial standing of the Akwa Ibom State Government may jeopardize his blueprint for the state. As an Ibibio man, I wish I can give him safe landing, because, he may not understand what he will pass through in the near future, if he continues with this uncalled for loyalty.
Already, it is alleged that, the ‘Abuja’ front, wants to ensure that, someone go for a second term, so as to hand-over 2019 party ticket to a certain politician from Esit Eket Local Government Area. If the rumour has iota of truth, it therefore mean that, after UGE might have suffered erasing the huge debt and tried to build the economy, the same political vampires will thwart his second term ambition. What a sad prediction!
Never in the history of Akwa Ibom State have I seen a serving senator controlling the structure of the party, when the governor is the leader. Even in other states of the Federation, I doubt, if such could be the case. I pity Udom Emmanuel, because his continuous drawing of battle line with thinkers from Ibibio enclave will continuously make him appear to be in a spell.
It is time for the governor to put things in right perspective. Initially, I thought, he was too stingy, but a clearer picture of the State Chief Executive shows that, it is as a result of the financial conditions he met on ground. These loans requested, are Chicken Change to the Akpabio empires and co. How do you rule a state, where some of your commissioners and a certain House of Assembly member are far richer than the state?
Come on, Udom, don’t make it look as if we are insulting your office. Be a man, and stop handing over yourself for someone to sex you with pant. If the governor cannot put his structure in the forthcoming PDP Congress, then he should consider his second term as NDAP UTOEYIN.
I have watched as he absorbed greater percent of Akpabio core loyalists in his State Exco. I wonder, if he thinks that, any man can judiciously serve two masters. It is time for the governor to call himself to order, even if it means defecting to APGA, at least for the sake of freedom.
That Akpabio brought him to government doesn’t mean, he should follow the ex-governor as a blind man. It was God who made him the number 1 man, not Akpabio, thus, he should rather worship the creator, not Akpabio.
I have heard so many things about this government, I have heard how a private business man, still detect for the governor, simply because he is branded, “Leader of the Boys”. I have heard how superior voice stopped the governor from appointing his brother, Hon. Ephraim Inyang as either his Chief of Staff or Secretary to the State Government. I have heard several issues, sometimes, appears like lies, but I know, truths are embedded in them.
A man who is not in charge of his family, cannot control the excesses of his wife and children, likewise a governor, who is not in charge of his government, he can never control the excesses of his commissioners, aides and subjects. As it stance, aside from Hon. Ephraim Inyang, Hon. Ufot Ebong, Hon. Akan Okon, Hon. Emmanuel Onwoidikot, Hon. Nathan Ekaette and very few others, show me any commissioner, whose total loyalty is to Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, even his deputy is loyal to Akpabio.
In the state House of Assembly, aside from Hon. Emmanuel Bassey, show me any assembly man from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, whose loyalty is strictly for Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. Even majority of his aides were chosen for him. These are wrong signs for him. Frankly speaking, I am not instigating fight between Udom Emmanuel and the ex-governor, I think, he should take charge of his government, nothing more, nothing less.
Even if he wants to employ faceless people to work for him, then, he should not waste time in doing that. The act of collecting loan on monthly basis shows that, there is no money left in the government. He inherited millions of naira as debt which he transferred to Federal Government bond. Today, even his aides do not have sense of belonging, because there is no official car for them.
If within the eight years of Akpabio’s administration, a greater cash and energy were channeled into industrialization, by now, we would have built human capital development. There was no need donating millions of Naira to University of Calabar for just awarding him Honorary Doctorate Degree. There was no intelligent doling out 5Thousand naira each to about 1million people for just winning John James Udoedehe in court. Those wasted cash would have constructed a befitting tooth pick industry and a tissue paper company.
Akpabio gave the Federal Government impression, that, all was too well with the state, such that, he didn’t bother using his relationship with Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to bring federal government presence to our state. He made us look comfortable in the eyes of outsiders, where as we were/are poor as church rat.
Today, we are the people borrowing money on monthly basis, yet he still wants to hold full grip of the party so as to control who becomes the next governor of the state.
“…In my helpless I languish, man has seized to be man, man has become beast, man has become prey” Oswald Mbuyiseni.
Judging from the quotation Udom Emmanuel now serves as a prey waiting for a beast in Abuja to be devoured in the forth coming PDP congress as well as collection of loans…Indeed, our Supreme Court cum Ukana governor, is suffering and smiling.