THE UMO ENO ENTERPRISE

Is it fair for a governor to own a business enterprise? It was understandable when he was not a governor. It was safe when he was a private citizen. The expectation was that coming into power as governor of Akwa Ibom State, he should not venture into business anymore, at least for the period he will occupy the Hilltop Mansion. But surprisingly, the governor has refused to stop. They did not say he should change the line of business, they said he should stop. Changing the line of business does not mean staying out of business.

Except that not many people will want to talk about it. Nobody wants to have a problem with a governor because one may not know the extent he can go on that. The safe thing to do is therefore, to keep mum and allow him run his enterprise. It is also debatable in different quarters whether the reason he gives is tenable. Nobody is talking about it.

Everyone is talking about the Bulk Purchase Agency which has already given birth to distribution of free food to the vulnerable across all the wards and units in Akwa Ibom State. But nobody is bold enough to tell the governor to his face that his business enterprise has branches in all parts of the State.

People prefer to hail the governor on the ARISE Shelter Initiative where houses 400 houses will be built for the poor, which will begin with one each in the 31 local government areas of the State. Honestly, people are too fearful to speak truth to power.

They rather fill pages with the various interventions by the governor from the Spring at Ikot Ekpene to various road construction projects numbering about 80 across the State, including the completion of Ring Road III, most of which are ongoing.

Should one care more in dissipating energy to talk about the gully reclamation projects across the State which the governor uses to remove the people from the incisors of gully tragedy, akind to turning water into wine? Even at that, the governor should be made to know that he owns an enterprise. Let the truth be told.

But people are economical with the truth. They are just neck deep talking about the nearly 20 billion Naira which the governor has so far released for the payment of gratuities to retirees in the State. They are applauding the governor for running a government of inclusivity, giving people from all shades that sense of belonging, including the people living with disabilities as well as others from diverse political backgrounds.

Yes, they may have enough reasons to blow the trumpet for the governor especially on his commitment to agricultural revolution and rural development, connecting the dots in healthcare sector through primary healthcare development, as well as education with the model primary schools as the catchword. Ibom Model farms, modelled after the Shongai Farm Limited in Port Novo, Benin Republic, is already coming up, which will be best described as modern day Garden of Eden. Yes, he is appending a golden signature for Akwa Ibom State through the accomplishments and blueprint of the ARISE Agenda, his governance compass; a compass of a compassionate leader. But should that stop people from telling the governor the truth?

The truth is that even as a governor, Pastor Umo Eno is running a business enterprise. This his business has branches all over the State, and his customers have one trademark. Like CEO, like customers, Governor Eno has imposed his infectious trademark on his customers.

What exactly is the governor trading on in his business enterprise? Of all the commodities available for a man of his status to trade on, he has turned his back to them and prefer to venture into a cheap commodity. How does that commodity even cost? What is the price of smiles in the market?

Governor Umo Eno is the CEO of “Enorishment” Enterprise, dealers in smiles and smiles and happiness. All his initiatives and programmes have ended up bathing Akwa Ibom people with the sunshine of smiles. Yet, he gives out this smile for free, not wanting to make gains in the business of the people, cast in the concrete of good governance, and held with the pillars of compassion, innovation, accountability and a high sense of responsibility. Governor smiles because Akwa Ibom people are radiant in smiles. If Jesus came for the downtrodden, Governor Eno came for the vulnerable, and he is pulling them out of the dungeon of poverty, as against the uniformed and erroneous assertion of the left wing thinkers.

With passion and precision, Governor know has thrown a pebble into a calm lake, and the ripples are spreading across Akwa Ibom State with joy and happiness. This is more pronounced in the faces of the vulnerable.

His pebble in the lake has demystified governance, and given power to the people. It is the narrative of a smiling governor and his smiling people.

Imoh Etimudo, a PenKing, writes from Itu Mbonuso community, in Ini Local Government Area.