Godswill Akpabio’s strides in Akwa-Ibom
Secondly, journalism in Nigeria presently, is at, perhaps, one of its lowest ebbs—a time when professional ethics and morality suffer a painful blight. It is thus difficult for a writer, writing, seemingly in favour of any man in power, to escape the cheap charge of being bought (of receiving hand-outs) as is common, nowadays. This […]
Secondly, journalism in Nigeria presently, is at, perhaps, one of its lowest ebbs—a time when professional ethics and morality suffer a painful blight. It is thus difficult for a writer, writing, seemingly in favour of any man in power, to escape the cheap charge of being bought (of receiving hand-outs) as is common, nowadays. This has been the reason why, in over three decades of free-lancing, at the level of column writing in at least seven Nigerian Newspapers, I have scarcely deployed my column to comment on the achievements of anybody in power. There were, however, two exceptions; Governor Babatunde Fashola whom I wrote twice about and my friend, Nuhu Ribadu, whom at a time when he needlessly came under the undue scalpel of politically-motivated criticism, I rose along with a few discernible public commentators, to offer a few statements which could be taken as constructive defence stints.
When I occasionally volunteer commentary on public officers—either as politicians or as political appointees, and these offerings are positive, I do so, without regard to likely imputations of induced motives. It is not all the time that are public commentator or intellectual must engage in criticism of the negative kind. It is true that the performances of most of our politicians and office holders have left a painful lot to be desired. We have risen, without let or hindrance to offer acerbic commentaries on these officers. It is also important that when we have occasions of exemplary conduct (even of a temporary nature) or performance of people in the public domain, we muster the courage to say so—without fear of untoward insinuation. For, it is a disservice, I submit, to shy away from exposing noble services of people in office, just so as to remain palpably popular/populist or indeed, progressive. Our nation plagued by anti-heroic exploits of people in the public glare; people who took positions under oath to serve and deliver good governance but who return the exact opposite of what they pledge. Public commentators must have the courage to give credit when we notice exceptions. They must have the courage to report deeds by politicians and public officers that are edifying. The resultant advantage of such reportage is that it instructs those of their ilk who have no intention of offering good services while in office. It serves as examples worthy of emulation by similar occupants of public offices whose only aim in office is self-enrichment and the acquisition of filthy riches, while the land quakes under abjection—thanks to their bad governance.
Godswill Akpabio, from what I saw two years ago, and what is being reported in the media, may have attracted to himself well-deserved commendation for certain acts of good governance. The other day, he was a recipient of the government’s decoration as Commander of the Oder of the Niger (CON). The novelty of his educational programme caught the attention of our Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, who even promised to go to Akwa Ibom, and see things for himself. The President of this country, sang Akpabio’s praise to high heavens, recently, promising to tease ECOWAS to bring a meeting to Akwa Ibiom. No doubt, there is something that the Governor of Akwa Ibom is doing right that the public must know, and that people in the political class, with governing mandate must borrow a leaf from. This was the kind of public spiritedness and innovativeness that I once found in Governor Fashola that propelled the stint I did about him. Others, like Rotimi Amechi and Comrade Oshiomhole have beaten similar paths in their States.
Dr. Godswill Akpabio’s decision to deploy the enormous resources accruing to his state to the material, social and welfare advantage of his electorate requires exposition both, to encourage him and inspire others, at a time like this when the swan song about our nation is about the nation’s failure as a State. Critical areas that I found delineating are ( a), infrastructural development in the spheres of road transport and housing, and, b) digital educational resource input. These projects are critical in two important spheres—good roads enhance good communication, interconnections of people at rural and urban levels. Good housing takes people out of hostile and inclement spaces. Good libraries, of the electronic type, promote civilization, the development of a reading culture in a society that has degenerated to the level of sheer illiteracy, in a rapidly digitalized, globalized universe. Besides, what I saw two years ago, dependable press quote President Good luck’s recent visit to commission some of these projects, which have been described as people-oriented and built by Chief Godswill Akpabio. They include a sixty-unit office block at the Ibom International Airport constructed to accommodate staff of the Nigeria Customs, Immigration, and Airport.
On the level of transport infrastructure are the newly dualized roads in the state, the moSst recent of which is the 15 kilometre Akwa Nung Udoe in Ibesikpo-Asutan Local Government Area which connects the capital, Uyo other Local Government Areas in the southern parts of the State. This may be a short distant project, but if you come from spaces that are alienated from reach like I do, where a space of two kilometres can completely create access blockage between peoples of the same language, culture, and so on, it will be easy to understand the yeoman service that this dualized space offers for physical contact among people in the same state.
The project which mostly entrances me of all is the e-library (I am told it is state-of –the-art) which has been completed with such crucial facilities as children’s computer laboratory, language laboratory , children playground, with expansive and spacious reading sections, stuck with over 300,000 reference materials covering diverse disciplines with motorized, electronic bookshelves. The plan, demonstrable in this reading structure, to promote a reading culture in the state and rid the State of moral decadence among the youth, certainly requires amplification for possible emulation by other people in public service. This is complementary to Akpabio’s well-articulated educational policy of introducing a free and compulsory education in the State—which, it is hoped, will not be a well-mouthed, lip-service, unimplemented project as we have seen in a few other states.