06/08/2026
KNOWING IME OKON PART 2
.. Serving - The Passion of a True Leader
By Enwono-Abasi Elisha
If you visit him and he serves you like a waiter in a five-star hotel, do not mistake it for a political performance. It is not. It is an innate quality that has defined his personality long before he ventured into politics, and neither office nor status has taken it away. It is a familiar gesture, not only to family and friends but also to complete strangers.
Ambition and leadership merely provide a platform for such rare qualities to become more visible. They do not create them.
So, if you find him standing with a bottle of drink in one hand and a plate of pepper soup in the other, do not be embarrassed or assume it is for public display. It is simply who he is.
Ime Okon is often uncomfortable sitting down to eat while others are yet to be served. That is his nature.
Many may imitate such gestures to create political impressions, but there are leaders who are genuinely born to serve.
Perhaps that is why his personal interventions to ease the burdens of constituents come so naturally.
Take the case of Lemmy Hilda Archibong, a Guidance and Counselling student at the University of Uyo. Faced with overwhelming hardship after losing both her parents and a brother, her dream of completing her education appeared to be slipping away. Hope was fading.
When Ime Okon learned about her situation, he could not remain indifferent. True to his nature, he acted without delay. He immediately directed that an educational support package be put in place to sustain her throughout her university education.
Then there is Giver Utibe Effiong, a student of Electrical Engineering at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, whose modest apartment was destroyed by fire, leaving him devastated after losing his personal belongings while pursuing his academic goals.
The list of such interventions is endless.
So, when you see Ime Okon serving people, understand that he is not acting for the cameras. He is simply living out a lifelong value. He prefers to sit down for his own meal only after ensuring that others have been served.
True humility is not something that can be switched on for political convenience. It is a way of life.
For Rt. Hon. Ime Bassey Okon, service begins long before leadership.