By Ernest Udoh – Robert
The reactions trailing the declaration of Pastor Umo Eno as the preferred aspirant for the 2023 gubernatorial elections by Governor Udom Emmanuel and some stakeholders expectedly will generate negative, positive, insulting, and debasing reactions, and for the clever strategist, the reactions would have been part of the plan.
Predictably, the noise is not out of place, it is part of the project, it was therefore prepared for. If you are sensitive enough you would have observed that the progenitors of Umo Eno’s project are going ahead with their plans and many more are joining the train.
Watch it, those who hitherto wrote, screamed, and were hysterical about Umo Eno’s announcement will soon be part of the project, they will soon be apostles of the project, and you who felt more pain than the bereaved will continue to lament about your ceaseless poverty state.
“ Your Mumu never do? The same sets of politicians have continued to fraternize and banter in riches while you keep gnashing your teeth for crumbs. If they sincerely wish to fight for whatever ambition they nurse, let them do it without your widow’s mite, after all, what can mice like you contribute when elephants are on the prowl. It will even surprise you that those who you wish to fight for and against have long-standing relationships that predate your birth. Moreover, they are in many symbiotic platforms that your contributions to their fight is worthless, they often regard it as noise, and at the end of the day, you are given a begging means for survival while they celebrate you as an appendage of their success story, leaving you with more enemies than you bargained for.
Are you not tired of watching this movie? Let’s go down memory lane. Former Governor Victor Attah didn’t want Godswill Akpabio, you joined in the fray, Akpabio emerged, you felt something big should drop on your table but crumbs came to your table and you went home still hopeful until Akpabio began battling Umana Umana, you joined, but Udom emerged, again crumbs became your lot.
Today Umo Eno, Bassey Albert, Onofiok et al are beckoning and you are putting on your gloves ready to fight, your Mumu never do?
I still can’t comprehend that people think politicians are fools, whether in a cassock or traditional regalia. They are only repackaging to reposition for a better economic edge.
Unfortunately, unwise puns are beginning to dance, while knights are keeping watch at the king’s palace.
Do we now give up and allow the king to do as he wishes. No, certainly not. However, the various caricature speeches,
anecdotes, and skits on social media have very little impact on those who are power-driven or power drunk.
We need to engage intellectually with those who aspire to lead us. Let us stop screaming about Umo Eno, he is not yet a governor and we are already throwing stones. He can be governor and he has the right to be like any other person.
There are personalities who some people felt shouldn’t have been at the “anointing service” for Pastor Umo Eno. For instance, some complained that since former governor Attah, the father of modern Akwa Ibom had resigned from partisan politics he should not have been present at the anointing service, well, he may have been there to support a long-standing friend, who wouldn’t be there for a cherished friend, retirement or not, the bond of friendship speaks louder. And for the Oku Ibom Ibibio, the traditional ruler of the Ibibios who incidentally hails from the same Local Government with Umo Eno, why won’t he be there to support a worthy “son” or a relative?
Though one is not holding forth for any of them, perhaps, they did what they did because it’s their right to do so, and it doesn’t stop any other political party or aspirant from doing the same, if the former governor or the Oku Ibom refuses to welcome you, it simply means they don’t worth the honour accorded them.
The issues we’re beating drums for are too minor to attract conscientious attention and this, has been going on for years. We need a different approach towards creating a new narrative, nothing stops institutions from engaging aspirants intellectually and leads them to sign a pact with the institutions.
Also read: Traditional Ruler Warns Politicians Against Creating Tension in Polity
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC is an institution that can engage aspirants towards the welfare of workers in the state, what we see now is a servant-master relationship, basically, because NLC perhaps doesn’t understand the power potentials of such a union or the leadership are looking forward to becoming Special Assistance to the Governor, so, they allow matters fritter and like they say, you can’t be eating and be talking at the same time.
But this we have seen doesn’t help the generality of the people and we keep going in circles.
Professional bodies should not be shy in engaging aspirants, for in so doing you get to know if the content they float is worth your vote. Traditional institutions should not hesitate in engaging aspirants and make them sign a working document with them for the welfare and security of the state.
We need a different approach, if any aspirant doesn’t sign or refuses to honour any invitation, that institution can begin mobilizing their members and other electorates not to vote for such a candidate. Obviously, if the state is good then we all are good.
What happens in Akwa Ibom, happens in the many Nigerian states, therefore, the aggregate clamour of the critical minds of Nigerians is for a change in our political leadership style. There has been a deficit of trust, even when politicians seem to be genuinely concerned, the people view it with a pinch of salt.
This understandably stems from many years of heartbreaking disappoints, politicians, have mindlessly wrecked the people. Words and actions of an average politician has no weight, morals, character, and display of intelligence are not expected. If you do the contrary, the people will definitely say you are not a politician.
The average Nigerian politician is not expected to display high moral standards, integrity of character, and display of intelligence. Unfortunately, the people have not been disappointed.
For instance, it is not a big deal for a politician to sleep with a woman that is not his wife in a hotel, or a politician embezzling the money meant for a project, and this in other climes can remove a president from office, but in ours we praise them and pretend all is well, this is a very wrong attitude if we wish for a change.
We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result, it’s not possible. Therefore, the narrative must change. The youths should be tired of following politicians, calling them “chair, chair” if there are companies or you are engaged you won’t have the time to do that. There are raw materials in almost every local government in this state, instead of bragging about a misfortune car a politician has given you, the youth of that local government should ask the politician to invest in that raw material which will be beneficial to all.
Our Elders should be bold enough to let them know the truth so they could do what they were voted for we must hold them accountable.
As Nigeria is striving to improve the integrity of the electoral process, the people should also strive to improve their own integrity. We cannot continue to bring people who are low in leadership content. Who obviously cannot offer what they don’t have.
The issue here is not Pastor Umo Eno, he should be embraced to contest, Group Captain Sam Ewang, Sen.Bassey Albert, Engr. Iniobong Essien, Barr. Udom Inoyo, Rt Hon. Onofiok Luke and others should contest.
The governor I believe has not stopped anybody from contesting but we the people must make them accountable to us and that is what we should be deliberating on not being the pun in the hands of politicians.
We can suspend instant gratification for a more sustainable future.
