05/06/2025
Umo Eno, Change of Name & 2027 Politics
By Nseabasi S. J. King
What is in a name?
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham...,” this was the Hebrew God, Yahweh, speaking to Abram, son of Terah.
Abraham was born Abram in Ur, a sophisticated Sumerian city in present-day Southern Iraq, known for trade, writing, and religious deities.
In the Genesis17: 5 account, he is said to have received a divine promise alongside the name change. He was not only going to be an exalted father, just as his former name implied but also a father of nations.
This must have been very comforting and a defining moment for the distraught 99 year old, who was without an heir after almost a century of existence.
Interestingly, Abram or Abraham, either way, he was already a father by name. After the name change, he was still the son of Terah and Lots’ uncle and remained his benefactor for a long time. No losses.
Sarah didn’t lose her husband. No, she didn’t lose her companion to name change. Rather, she enjoyed more marital bliss as things got better as Abraham continued to grow in stature and multiplied in wealth. Clearly, there was nothing to worry about being Mrs. Abram or Mrs. Abraham.
Though here in Nigeria, it once mattered, being Evan or Evans Enwerem.
On the 3rd of June, 1999, Senator Evan Enwerem of Imo East Senatorial District was elected the President of the Nigerian Senate but later queried by his distinguished colleagues why he was no more Evans like it were when he was the Chairman of the Nigerian Airport Authority (NAA) in 1980 through 1983.
_Evan with a missing s,_ in the words of Eziuche Ubani, the then political editor of ThisDay newspaper, was relieved of his office as Senate President on November 18, 1999, ostensibly to go and search for the missing letter in his new name.
For his political rival, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, and many others, Evan or Evans, __if e no be panadol, e no fit be dey same thing as panadol._ Case closed.
Change of name or new nomenclature can become a thorny issue when least expected. Gov. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel found this out the hard way when in his wisdom he considered name change and decided to re-name the Ibaka Deep Seaport.
Things literally went out of hand, and a lot fell apart in Akwa Ibom State. The entire Oro nation, especially the Ibaka people, pushed back. They were not ready to have any of it.
Understandably, the indigenes of the host community were scared stiff of losing their would-be privileges in the project. They were so disappointed in the governor for this ‘unfriendly’ decision and did not hide it.
But what’s really in a name?
Let’s do this. If you were a certain Mr. Honesty by name and you happen to marry a young woman deficient in moral character, on becoming Mrs. Honesty, is there a guarantee that she will not tinker with family upkeep allowance and invest secretly in the CBEX ponzi scheme? Remember, she is our new Mrs. Honesty.
Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, Ph.D., is about to progressively move to a new party, and this is going to change his political nomenclature. He shall no more be referred to as Governor Umo Eno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). No, not again!
If you are tempted to disagree with me on the grounds that his defection to a new party is not just about name change but a deeper and more fundamental issue like ideology, I will like to say that you have a fundamental point, too.
What then is the political ideology here?
Let’s do this. If Yahaya Bello aka White Lion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) becomes a governor and begins to owe staff salary in Kogi State, and his party man and counterpart in neighbouring Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu aka Aketi, is paying salaries as and when due, what then would we say is the political ideology of APC on Staff and Social Welfare?
If the then Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) keeps winning global awards for having Calabar as one of the cleanest metropolitan cities in the world, while his party man and counterpart in Abia State keeps getting the flaks for having Aba constantly ranked as one of the dirtiest commercial cities in the world, what then would we say is the political ideology of PDP on Public Health and Environment?
Look, should a stingy man stumble on good fortune, believe me, giving would still be a problem. If, per chance, the liberal rich becomes poor, he will still share his meal like the little boy who gave his 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus to feed others. There is something about character that goes beyond your environment, it is called personality traits.
This is what Pastor Umo Eno is trying to say when he said, “If you have anything to do, invite me—I will come. I will always be there. But it’s time to progressively move. That again will not affect anything in this state. We do not govern based on political affiliations.”
He is saying, I remain Umo, the son of Eno, a native of Ikot Ekpene Udo, and ‘all former documents remain valid’.
In Essien Udim, he remains the friend of Chief Michael Afangideh, as well as Chief Godswill Akpabio.
In Nsit Ubium, he remains the friend of Senator Effiong Bob, as well as Umana Okon Umana.
In Ika, he remains the friend of Nkereuwem Nwoko, SAN, as well as Ekperikpe Ekpo, Ph.D.
Ekperikpe Ekpo must be a very happy man by now. His friend in the neighbourhood is changing school, and coincidentally, he is coming to his school. _Wahala dey, dia skool unifom go dey need hypo!_
He is one person who has greatly encouraged the governor in his pursuit of peace and harmony among our political class.
I remember when he once took to the podium and openly asked the governor to continue to seek peace with all and specifically charged him to spare no effort in bringing together his predecessors in office, to the chagrin of those who rise and thrive in our fights.
If I were his speech writer, which I am not. I am only an ordinary local farmer, and my watermelon field will be harvested this month. It is 100% organic if you care to know. It is only Imo Udoima who is getting one of those sweet red juicers FREE because he handles all my company registration(s) professionally. No delays. Anything CAC, get him to sort you out. It is one area of his strength.
Like I said earlier, if I were the Minister’s speech writer, here is the beautiful message that I would have penned down for the governor to capture the essence of the moment for him.
_“My dear Governor Umo Eno,
Your Excellency, Sir, it is often said that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
For our dear state, you took that bold and all-important step when you looked beyond partisan politics and chose to celebrate the historic emergence of an Akwa Ibom son as the President of the 10th Nigerian Senate.
Sir, by that singular act of selfless leadership, you stood out, won every good heart around, and opened the door to many beautiful things that we could have only imagined before now.
As one who has been with you through out this tortuous journey in the search for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation, I am proud to say that you showed character and resilience each time we had to rise above every hurdle that stood in the way.
Thank you, our dear governor, for giving us this unity of purpose in our collective dreams and aspirations as one united people in the scheme of things in the larger Nigerian nation. History will be kind to you.”_
Truly, history will show kindness to Pastor Umo Eno. He has given us a sense of purpose in our politics. He refused to inherit his predecessor’s grudge like some of us do even at the family level. This is a practical lesson in true Christianity and leadership by good example, I may say. _Pastor take church mind enter politics and the difference is clear._
For those who ask, but must he go to the APC?
Beyond the cracks and legal crises in the opposition PDP, reasons abound why it may be expedient for the governor to do so.
One, this is the farthest that we, the people of the Mainland as a minority group in Nigeria, have come in national politics since 1960, and common sense demands that we should consolidate now while we can.
Two, in understanding the politics and economics of Deep Seaports in regional development, it is inevitable that we must negotiate with the powers that be, and you can not go to the negotiation table empty-handed.
We can not do this mega and multi-pronged $4.6b project all alone. It requires the federal government’s support at every stage to get funding and all the paperwork in place. So we must deal.
Three, in reading the room, supporting Tinubu in 2027 is our best chance in plucking all the low hanging fruits in Abuja that will benefit us.
Going back memory lane, since 1955, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, an itsekiri man and a minority leader in Nigeria, had begged, lobbied and justified his advocacy for the construction of a highway along our coastline to open up the economy of Southern Nigeria to the world but no government ever took his request seriously, even when Yakubu Gowon was looking for what to spend our surplus oil money on in the 1970s, it was until Tinubu appeared on the scene.
But the advocacy by others to move out the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from Lagos to Abuja had long received government attention and action since 1991.
Tinubu has equally challenged the status quo in fiscal federalism and resource control by requesting a review of our lopsided tax system, especially the controversial consumption tax, VAT.
He has drawn the ire of the hegemony who profiteer in the multi-billion dollar illegal mining activities going on in Nigeria, the moment he took a decisive action to document every mining activity in solid minerals in all the regions and bring the proceeds to the national coffers in Abuja for sharing, just like we have been doing with crude oil since the promulgation of the Ironsi unification decree of 1966.
Expectedly, many powerful foes now want him out of the way, but we must give him the electoral numbers to stay back and finish what he has started. For if we do not do so, it may take another lifetime to find a leader with the balls to fight for us and give us the equitable distribution of wealth in Nigeria that we all yearn for.
If the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium aka The Nest of Champions, can bring us this much fame in sports on the African continent and relevance with football governing bodies like CAF and FIFA, have we ever stopped to think of what will happen to our fortune and the future of our unborn children when we finally realise this Deep Seaport dream, designed to accommodate New Panamax-class vessels with a channel depth of 18.24 meters, a turning basin and berth depth of 16.72 meters, and a quay length of about 7.5 kilometres? It is unlike the other ports.
It is a first of its kind and in a class of its own. Its strategic position makes it a potential transhipment hub for West and Central African countries, including Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Niger, Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal.
We do not have to like Tinubu or his person. This is politics, and it is a game of interest.
Let’s imagine that the Hebrew girl, Hadassah, who took a new name, Esther, had refused to marry King Xerxes 1 and move into the palace with him. What would have been the fate of her people when a very powerful cabal and power block in Persia arose to annihilate the Jews?
Let us remember Mordecai's words of wisdom to Queen Esther, as we continue to ponder over Pastor Umo Eno’s coming defection, “...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Bo ifiok. _We no plenty!_
Let us have more eyes and ears within the walls of the palace.
You can never tell...
