ASAN IBIBIO : CROWD IN DIRE NEED OF EMPLOYMENT/APPOINTMENT

By Torobong Ekpo

"The dakkadda philosophy of His Excellency will end up being a joke if youths are not entrusted with leadership
position" - Victor Ufot, (Journalist)

If the rumour making the rounds that more than fifty billion naira was spent in the mobilization and conduct of the just concluded endorsement of governor Udom Emmanuel for a second term at Asan Ibibio is true, it therefore means that Akwa Ibom State is totally out of
recession.

I only think that the cash spent for payment of AIT, NTA, AKBC and other electronic media live coverage would have fetched this state at least a tissue paper
industry which in turn would have provided employment opportunities for the teeming youths as well as complement the toothpick industry.

Such industry would have rather been better than two hundred to five hundred naira our gullible youths got after spending a whole day under the scourging sun.

While praying for our youths to emulate the virtues of Gowon, Buhari, Obasanjo, etcetera who ruled this country at a tender age, I wondered if our younger ones will submit themselves for God to answer this fervent prayer.

It's unimaginable to know that in the 21st century where youths in Igbo land, Lagos State, Abuja are craving for ways to make ends meet and forge ahead in life via tangible occupations, Akwa Ibom youths are still walloping under the scourge of short sightedness and insensitivity.

The only reason why a youth of about 17-38 years could leave his house and clinched unto a customized T-shirt on
a MONDAY MORNING is UNEMPLOYMENT.

As I was watching the endorsement jamboree on the screen, I checked if I could see bankers, medical doctors and other professionals leaving their duty posts just to stand under the sun but to no avail.

I scanned through, if I could find businessmen and traders shunning their business premises just for the feast, but
none was there.

I was highly disappointed that our youths who supposes to see vision (as embedded in the scripture) or become leaders of tomorrow have suddenly sold their birthright for peanut to so-called defunct elders.

I was embarrassed that despite staying in a government where youths are somehow deprived of holding public offices as postulated by Journalist Victor Ufot, the same youth could stoop so low to serving as "boy boy" despite the alleged insensitivity.

Youths, where are we heading? In other states, youths are entitled to employment opportunities from construction, Oil and Gas companies operating within the
various state, even government are providing small, medium and large scale businesses to youths, but what happen to us? Where did we go wrong my brothers and sisters that we are suffering and smiling? So aside from subventions as well as yearly cash given to youths by Federal Government agencies such as NDDC, in addition to federal government Npower programme, does it mean Akwa Ibom Youths would have only survived with paltry 200 and 500 naira based on 'political maps'? Haba! We should look up to the future. Do you know that a forward thinking youth could use unemployment as a bait to ensure that the government in power is
sensitive to his plight.

For instance, in some states, youths agitate and ensure that they have slots in companies operating within the vicinity and by so doing alleviate the suffering of the citizenry.

In Akwa Ibom State, the reverse is the case. It is a place where 5000 youths were sacked from teaching profession, yet no one, except human right lawyers that
rose to the injustice.

Till date, the process of recruitment of those 5000 teachers has been reversed, yet no elder or youth could come to rescue.

They rather prefer gullible ones to cue
and get 200 naira while they coordinate and get appointment in the nearest future but my prayer is that calamity will never befall Akwa Ibom Youth the second
time in Jesus name.

We are just too backward. The crowd at Asan Ibibio was a combination of
unemployed youths in dire need of employment but in a wrong channel and alleged retired and defunct elders in
fervent need of bouncing back into power via appointment.

I understand that we also had serving and former political office holders, but it is also worthy of note that it is the same Asan Ibibio, where Barr. Jerry Akpan (who recently allegedly rejected a board appointment) represented Mr. Udom Emmanuel in 2013, in an event where the latter was nearly booed but went ahead to become the governor of the state against several odds.

What am I trying to say? That incident at Asan Ibibio could be likened to scriptural verse where a rejected stone later became the Chief Corner Stone, thereby implying that endorsement made
at Asan Ibibio doesn't automatically made one a governor as embedded in Psalm 62 verse 11.

The event at Asan Ibibio held on Monday, 11th July, from my perspective is a pointer to the fact that the sitting governor has indicated interest to contest election in 2019, nothing more, nothing less.

That National Media stations beamed the event live on various television channels and paltry few of governors,
monarchs and personalities attended the event is a sign that the event was an international way of informing everyone that Udom Emmanuel is set for 2019 election.

The endorsement from my angle is a jamboree or you may call it a feast of sort. It doesn't mean such endorsement will metamorphose into winning an election.

Late Obong Akpan Isemin, Obong Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio who are all ex-governors of this state became State Chief Executive without an endorsement
feast at Asan Ibibio.

Even Idongesit Nkanga, who was military administrator of this state didn't need such endorsement, they were all
elevated by the grace of Almighty God.

I get sad when some people, maybe connived to manipulate the novice and not-too-informed politicians so as to think that an endorsement is similar to winning an election.

Unfortunately, politicians while serving in government, most times live above their shadows and in most cases wantonly spend money without remembering unforeseen circumstances.

Such may have prompted some people to have instigated 2019 election by July 2017, when they already know that as at July 10, 2013, some other aspirant was
endorsed by almost all facets of the political class while Udom Emmanuel was in the bank and got appointed by Akwa Ibom State government on July 31,2013.

It takes a knowledge of history for one to recall that it was those party chairmen, statutory delegates among other supporters that Udom later used and won his election, while the owner of those delegates defected to another party.

That is why I keep advising politicians to know the manner they abuse aspirants and political parties while holding microphones on event, because no one knows tomorrow.

To me, it's just too early for one who is determined to win 2019 election to start election now in full gear.

The implications are many. Henceforth, monthly stipends to pro groups, festivity packages among others may cost more than the money used in organizing the reception at Asan Ibibio.

Of course, a financial expert should know
that such expenses may lead to debt in this state.

If we were honest to ourselves, we should know that the cash used in settling online media attackers, organizing jamboree events, endorsement and other bla bla bla would have taken care of at least a tissue paper, if not a cotton wool industry.

I had watched some speakers drawing sentiment during the event. Truth is, our leaders appear to be our problem.

By virtue of our rights and privileges, Uyo Senatorial District ought not to have stayed outside for 16 years without at least a member occupying the hilltop mansion either as governor or Deputy Governor.

Worse still, in this particular government even the SSG is not from Uyo Senatorial District.

Majority of projects such as syringe, coconut, metering plant are not in Uyo Senatorial District.

I don't think we should draw up the defunct sentiments of Uyo Senatorial District and other bla bla bla in the
forthcoming election, rather a look at someone who has inculcated the district in his private, appointment or any
capacity in terms of infrastructural renaissance, capacity development, human development, among others will
portray the leader who has the interest of the district at heart.

Though, I am yet to see where any politician remain stoic and adamant for his or her senatorial district as
POLITICS IS STRICTLY A GAME OF INTEREST.
If we were to follow the dreams and visions of our founding fathers and zoning founders, after Annang,
which other tribe do you think would have taken over from Godswill Akpabio? Well, God knows better.

Governor Rochas Okorocha made a visionary statement which all of us should look inward. It is glaring that the
popularity of All Progressive Congress in the state is not in doubt at the Federal level.

For a good friend of Udom Emmanuel to have testified that PDP has gone sour in the state, it goes a long way to show that the number of defectors from PDP to APC since the one way traffic started is at the finger tip of every politician in the country.

May be, this was why the mobilization at Asan Ibibio was necessary just to divert the attention of the federal government but Okorocha hit the nail on its head.

Anyways, I won't be surprised to see 2018 edition of REENDORSEMENT OF UDOM EMMANUEL AT ASAN
IBIBIO, as well as other groups doing same.

This may be so because in politics such gesture is called MUGU FALL, GUY MAN CHOP.

The governor has only succeeded in making people know that he is ready for election as such he should understand
what that mean...
...taking care of so-called stakeholders' hospital bills in India, thorough and proper consultation on monthly and
festivity basis, children's school fee, wife's antenatal bills, beer parlour, snuff, house rent and other bills.

Thereafter Local Government Chairmen and councillors will crave for their rights and privileges, forgetting the fact that they were appointed not elected and before one could say JACK ROBBINSON, the same politicians will
be singing WEST LIFE, "GOODBYE TO YOU MY TRUSTED FRIEND"...
...of course, it may be a week or day to balloting.

Let's keep fingers crossed.