Eneh John
Several Authors, like Lyndon Johnson, George Carlin, and Lyndon Johnson, had postulated that, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” “If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.” “A man without a vote is a man without protection.”
The right to good governance, is in the hands of the electorate. For March 2, 2019, it will be another testing of the ballot, where deeds will count, and the future of our dear state will be reshaped for sustainable leadership and development.
It will be a day, where Akwa Ibom people will remember the scorecard of Nsima Ekere in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the many protests that has rocked the Commission with Nsima as the Managing Director, from Port Harcourt to Abuja, the non payment of contractors in the Commission, the poor road networks of NDDC, the non payment of scholarships to indigenes of the Niger Delta, studying in universities, the botched protest which had enveloped the students in the United Kingdom and other students in different countries, the abandonment of the 4.7Billion Naira alleged contract Nsima collected from the NDDC to build a hospital at Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), when he was a Deputy Governor under Godswill Akpabio. A day where Akwa Ibom people will determine that, a man who ran away as the Deputy Governor of the State, to escape impeachment for his atrocities in office, cannot be given the same state to run as Governor.
These are antecedents that will guide the average Akwa Ibom person, as we draw closer to the ballot. The truth is overwhelmingly clear. If Nsima was as good as his naysayers want us to believe now, his erstwhile Boss and current campaign Director General, would not have gone after him, to have necessitated his fleeing of the government house.
Logic may be standing history on the head, if we cannot use the past to shape the future. What we see today, is a supposed Facebook Governor, who has not, and will not be the real Governor, going about with escort riders, an ambulance vehicle and the paraphernalia of a Governor’s protocol team, even before the first ballot is cast.
The empty noise, the threats, intimidations, insults and a whole lot, that has characterized the Nsima’s campaign structure, is enough to sit back and tell ourselves the truth, that those who desperately seek for power at all cost, never ever get power.
Like Umana Okon Umana, the then Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), who was locked out of office, by no other person, but the then First Lady, Unoma Akpabio, who is a Chieftain of the APC, had contested the 2015 Guber elections in the state, and had become a Facebook Governor, while Udom Emmanuel was taking on the grassroots, in search of electoral victory, Umana like Nsima, has been canvassing the length and breath of Facebook for votes.
The election results won’t be different from the electoral defeat APC recorded in 2015. The supposed achievements of Nsima are only found on Facebook, despite billions of contributory funds of the nine states to the coffers of NDDC.
The giant strides of Governor Udom can be felt, and seen, even by the blind. The real Governor, Udom Emmanuel will return for a second term in 2019, while Nsima Ekere succeeds Umana Umana as Facebook Governor.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Elections belong to the people.” and we can boldly say, that this election belongs to Akwa Ibom people. In 2019, in unison, we have elected to return Udom Emmanuel for a second term, while Nsima continues his voyage on Facebook. We will sustain the peace in the state.
The Future of Akwa Ibom is in the hands of the Akwa Ibom Voter.
WE WILL NEVER BOW TO BABYLON.
Eneh John is the Editor, Trail Reporters News.
