07/08/2024
GOVERNOR UMO ENO: BUILDING BRIDGES, DEVELOPING PEOPLE
By Edet Okpo
As Governor Umo Eno is making concerted efforts in building concrete bridges across ethnic, religious and political lines, one cannot forget the following statements Pastor Umo Eno made in a hurry:
"I hereby extend an olive branch and my hand of fellowship to all my brothers who contested with me to join hands in building the Akwa Ibom State where the symphonies of peace, development, unity and brotherhood would continue to ring louder and bind us all even deeper together.”
"I promise to run an all-inclusive government where no one would be punished or victimized on account of holding different political opinions. We are Akwa Ibomites first and foremost before our political labels. Political parties are vehicle to attain power; they cannot substitute the bond of unity and brotherhood we have all shared for centuries".
One year plus after, it is interesting and instructive to see how Governor Umo Eno is living the quoted memorable comments and the promises. He made the profound pronouncements to Akwa Ibom people in his victory speech following the announcement of results for the 2023 Governorship Election.
One can safely say, without any sentiments, that Governor Umo Eno is walking the talk. His clearly innovative strides in the last 13 months have not only been impressive but phenomenally commendable because the evidence is overwhelmingly clear.
Take for instance the promise to extend the olive branch and build metaphorical bridges across minds and mindsets in the political and apolitical domains. After Pastor Umo Eno's swearing-in on May 29, 2023, it didn't take long when he set up a reconciliation machinery to bring back and unite Akwa Ibom people who may have deranged by the fuzzy political winds of the preceded election. That initiative, from available record, was highly consequential. That perhaps explains why thousands from opposition parties had since returned to the Peoples Democratic Peoples’ fold because of one trusted shepherd. Today, it could be said with euphemism that opposition in the State almost gone even as some parties are completely dead while others are on intensive care unit.
Again, avoiding to play isolationist politics of selfish ends at the detriment of the masses, the governor effectively raised the antenna to the National Assembly and the Presidency. First, against what had been the norm in the past, he respectfully and diplomatically defied party lines by congratulating and celebrating the third-ranked citizen of Nigeria and the President of the 10th Senate, Senator( Dr.) Godswill Akpabio. Many may still find it difficult to understand the beauty of this amity that has not only gratified the immediate beneficiaries but is now affecting the whole State in terms of brotherhood, love, unity and common purpose. It is therefore no surprising that, by way of reprocity, President Bola Tinubu has found in Pastor Umo Eno a true patriot, nationalist and pacifist with a broad-mind to confide in and travel with on many occasions. Pastor Umo Eno cannot afford turning Akwa Ibom State into an island in the comity of sub-national entities. That, to me, is a paragon of leadership.
Determined to build human capacity and give Akwa Ibom Youth a huge sense of belonging, Governor Umo Eno also adopted an inclusive and participatory leadership template and set a record in the way he appointed his aides. As it stands presently, every ward in the State has a direct contact with the Government House and also receives updates on activities, programs and policies through a Personal Assistant to the Governor duly appointed from various wards across the State. This, no doubt has taken government to the grassroots and engendered a sense of belonging to all. One can boldly say without any equivocation that Pastor Umo Eno has ruralized governance in Akwa Ibom State. With the latest Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy more are to be expected.
Again, the governor has demonstrated purposeful and populist leadership aimed at giving succour and building people's confidence in government. This is with regards to the upsetting of backlog of pensions, gratuities, arrears , payment of workers’ entitlement and related matters that hitherto had left many in constant complaints and sorrow. Besides, workers salaries are promptly and steadily paid with surprised packages to boost morale and productivity. Today, it is all about testimonies and thanksgiving to God for having located a leader like Umo Eno in critical times like this.
Quite interestingly, Pastor Umo Eno has also given the fairest attention to the allocation of projects. The pattern is simple and inclusive. There must be at least one or two projects evenly spread across 31 Local Government Areas in the three senatorial districts of the State. He has followed it religiously, with contractors having been mobilized to sites. Some of the projects have been completed and commissioned while others are at their various stages of completion. This has been complemented with the Arise Agenda's Programme of building compassionate homes for the down-trodden and making avaialble N60,000 naira each month for the elderly across the State . How true the author and Educator, Stephen Convey, was: "What you do has far greater impact than what you say"!
Commendable too is the governor's determination to ensure gender equality in allocation of offices and opportunities. Now, it remains almost a law that, in the October 2024 local government election, all Vice Chairmanship position is a exclusively reserved to women; and at least six positions zoned to female chairmen across the 3 Senatorial District and at least 4 female councillors in each local government area. This panache for inclusiveness speaks volumes.
Hence, as Akwa Ibom people continue to study and tap from the utilitarian and altruistic leadership of this great Man with ecclesiastical responsibilities, they cannot but thank heavens that this is happening in their life times.
Edet Okpo, a renowned Media and Image Management Consultant writes from Uyo- Akwa Ibom State
