By Edet Okpo
For 14 impactful months as the 5th democratically elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has instructively, doggedly and empirically demonstrated that leadership calls for vision and selfless sacrifices. That it demands the hard drop of one’s sweat. That it means sleepless nights of masses-inclined concerns and actions. That leadership calls for thick skin against expected and unexpected storms, and only a man of divine grace, humility, foresight, impeccable character, administrative acumen, focus, dynamism, patriotism, and unblemished record of dedicated public service can carve a niche for himself, to cast his name on stone.
Less than two years in office, there can be no argument to the contrary that the renowned entrepreneur turned politician has raised beyond easy reach the bar of service delivery and made himself a cynosure of all eyes. Evidence is both accessible and veritable!
In conscientiously keeping pace with his Arise Agenda mantra and his administration’s focus on diversifying and rejigging the economy to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile of the State , the governor has beamed his searchlight on investing massively on tourism and hospitality industry. The grand objective, as he keeps emphasizing, is to reduce over -dependence on oil in sync with global realities.
To achieve this, the administration has marshaled out plans to build a world-class 18- Floor Ibom Towers Apartment in Lagos; convert the Liason Office in Abuja into a 3-Star Hotel; construct Luxury Estate and Gardens and Arise Recreational Park in the City of Uyo; and develop coastal communities of Oron, Mbo, Okobo, Ibeno, Eket and Itu local government areas to extend the frontiers of businesses and transportation. That’s not all. He has given his words, his words having already proven to be bond in other instances, to bring to life the Tropicana, a one-stop entertainment hub of international competitiveness.
Umo is aware that, to break even the State must not put her eggs in one basket especially in the prevailing economic wilderness the country presently is. That is utilitarian leadership! Only a visionless leader would want to hinge his administration’s blueprints only on statutory monthly federal government allocation.
At different fora, Governor Umo Eno had categorically said that he may not seek for loan or borrow from any source to fund projects, pay workers’ wages, pension and gratuities. So what will he do? Hear from the horse’s mouth: “I will make prudent use of the statutory allocation and internally generated revenue to drive the governance of the State. The days of going to Abuja cap in hand every month was gone”.
In as much as I am not holding brief for the governor or this administration, as a public affairs analyst and a close follower of Governor Eno’s rapid developmental strides , I confidently and conveniently can lean on my independent findings and observation to state without any equivocation that, to achieve this, the administration is not introducing a new tax regime to over-tax the citizenry. Far be it. Rather, his sound economic team is working on tested macroeconomic models for increased revenue generation through integrated means.
One of such, as hinted above, is aggressively exploring and expanding the economic fortunes of the State through real estate and associated areas. The direct and collateral expectations of this is that, apart from creating employment opportunities for indigenes and non indigenes alike, it attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) and further the fiduciary base of State. When that happens, like the referential and enviable case of Singapore through vision of downplaying over-dependence on oil and gas will be relegated to the background. That is Governor Umo Eno’s dream.
Previous administrations in the State, starting from the regime of the renowned Architect Obong Victor Attah to that of Governor Godswill Akpabio, and of the penultimate, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, a seasoned banker, have adopted peculiar governance styles which collectively have bequeathed a strong foundation for expansion. For instance, we remember Obong Arc. Victor Attah for his dogged fight over resource control. We still celebrate Senator Akpabio for his infrastructural rennissance. Then former Governor Emmanuel for his signature on industrialization – all targeted at consolidating gains and boosting generational IGR for even more rapid growth and development of the State in tandem with unfolding needs. Akwa Ibom has been so blessed that every past administrations had left distinctive marks that pointed at the greater future for Akwa Ibom Great Project. No question about that.
Perhaps Udom’s tallest legacy at boosting IGR for the State was the Ibom Air, the bride of the sky. He did what he did and achieved all he achieved in the aviation sector against all manner of criticisms and conspiracy theories. Today, facts and statistics say it all.
Ibom Air today has 10 hyper-functioning aircrafts making waves on national and international airspace.
Pastor Umo Eno came with something fresher and more promising. As a seasoned entrepreneur and good student of history, Governor Umo Eno is not taking for granted the foundation he met on ground. The Arise Agenda therefore was envisioned to be both a catalyst and synthesist for making multiple streams of revenue, away from the oil mentality and syndrome.
There is therefore compelling reason for every lover of development to rally round Governor Umo Eno to translate his beautiful dreams for the State into concrete realities. By that time, I dare say, many a critic shall have renounced their cynicism and indifference which must have been occasioned more by stereotypic politics than logic.
Indeed, Governor Umo Bassey Eno is leading the way. He needs and deserves our earnestest support. Even if we were not fully satisfied by what is already on ground, we happily should join the train of optimists in believing that “It is a matter of time!”. I personally believe. I’m convinced.
Edet Okpo, Media and Image Management Consultant, writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
