Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom: Ayaya

The world belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dream - Eleanor Roosevelt

Two things stand on the way of every leader; great ideas which some call vision and a sincere commitment to drive the idea (vision) the presence make a leader great and its absence spells doom.

As Henry Ward Beecher observed, the ability to convert ideas to things is the secret of success that can be seen, measured, per­ceived and touched.

While many were busy feeding their eyes with the architectural master piece which the Ibom Stadium that was officially opened penultimate week represents, the news to me was not that a State government delivered a standard world class stadium within a record time, neither was it that two foreign heads of government graced the occasion with our President, Dr Jonathan completing the trioka.

The large number of Nigerians from all over the country that witnessed the power­ful statement the government and people of Akwa Ibom State made in Sports and Youth development, the graceful display by youths, the elderly and the not too elderly did not catch my attention, rather, a kaledeiscope of obviously happy people made my day and thrilled me to no end. I saw youths that hugged the moment with enthusiasm and hope.

The joy on the faces of Akwa Ibom people underscored a sense of endorsement of the accomplishment of a government driven by vision and a deep commitment to excel.

The uncommon transformation agenda of Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State was not just one of those slogans or buzz word politicians latch on to raise deception to the level of State policy he walked the talk and the evidence is there for all to see and behold.

It was a standard of service delivery com­mitment by a government that thinks and set out to make a difference at a time many have lost hope and confidence in governance as a means of resolving development gaps that have denied our people the basic necessities of life. It is about a determination to excel and stand out, a commitment to stand on the side of the people and history, the discipline to re­main focused even in the face of distractions and courage to stand by one’s convictions. That marks the difference between a think­ing leader and one that plays to the gallery.

As thousands were frenetic in celebrating yet another milestone by the achieving Gov­ernor of Akwa Ibom State, who if the truth must be told, has given the state a pedestal of reckoning in the country, I was buried in thoughts admiring the huge number of youths that participated in the event and my imagination went wild in acknowledging that Akpabio has really unlocked potentials that would take Akwa Ibom to greater heights.

The human element is critical to any mean­ingful development, any development agen­da that fails to factor in human development, especially the youths, must have derailed on the essential.

Politics often times deny us the opportuni­ty of objectively evaluating the performance of people that are called to leadership we selectively commend based on some senti­ments that are at variance with the reality.

For some who are stingy with giving cred­its, they would be quick to say that most of Godswill Akpabio’s projects were ideas from his predecessor but that does not in any way diminish his rating as an achiever with huge taste for solid accomplishments that would transform his State. It takes a good leader with clear sense of the imperatives of gover­nance to appreciate and understand that gov­ernment is a continuum.

For him to find projects initiated by his predecessor as worthy of completion as long as the value content was guaranteed, shows a man who has a sense of purpose and one that does not see governance as a cult arrange­ment.Where the interest of the State and its people forms the cardinal policy of State de­velopment agenda, the vibes would definitely be positive.

Akwa Ibom State under the watch of Ak­pabio could be made a contact point or ref­erence to the possibilities and potentials that could be harvested when we invest in the right leadership that does not suffer from in­feriority complex. Akpabio was clear on his determination to raise the standard of Akwa Ibom State and the people and make them en­viable competitors in the commity of States.

To him, if an Akwa Ibom indigene must be a cook, home help, steward, driver or what­ever, it should be a matter of choice and not necessarily a factor of deprivations arising from state of birth.

He found everything jejun and unaccept­able in an Akwa Ibom person settling for the lowest rungs of the ladder in a society where opportunities are not equally availed all.

Akpabio believed that environment is ma­terial in defining people’s world outlook and by extension, the possibilities at their dispos­al, he set out by ensuring that the hitherto glo­rified rural State turns out the nectar for those who thirst and hunger for world class feel as far as infrastructure support is concerned.

What other States that enjoy better location have lost in tourism and hospitality industry development, Akwa Ibom has husbanded by creating the right environment and facilities that cannot be resisted by anyone in need of where to have quality rest within Nigeria.

The multiplier effect of opening up Akwa Ibom State to modernity is huge; private busi­nesses are thriving, robust social interaction guaranteed and the State is reaping bountiful­ly in internally generated revenue what more can a people and State ask for from a gov­ernment. Why are the other Governors not as angry and Akpabio if it is what it would take to make a difference in leadership.

What Akpabio has done with Akwa Ibom State clearly exposes the fact that the prob­lem of the leadership in Nigeria may not be a product of lack of ideas but the commitment and discipline to play with an eye on the ball.

Apparently conscious of where he was coming from, the booby traps on the path to secure ticket to be Governor and indeed the conviction that the biblical Solomons and Davids were given little chance because of who they were, he decided to stand on the side of the people and history.

I doubt whether the history of the new Akwa Ibom State can be written without a good mention of the man, Godswill Akpabio no matter how you hate his face.

He doesn’t need to lobby to get a befitting acknowledgement, the legacies in human development, massive infrastructure update and the message of “we can do it” that he in­grained in the minds of Akwa Ibom people remains a lasting testimonial.

The bar of service delivery has been raised in the State and succeeding Governors must be willing to be evaluated with big ideas and uncommon accomplishments.

This write up is not about Akwa Ibom or Governor Akpabio but a message to all po­litical players that Nigerians know when their leaders are performing and do not need prompting to glow in happiness. We saw much of it in Akwa Ibom.

Any leader that does not habour some level of anger about the inertia in the system has no business being in government because Nigerians are sick and tired of excuses, volte faces, double speak, deception etc. we have made enough sacrifices without a corre­sponding change of attitude by the so called leaders. The beauty of what is happening in Akwa Ibom lies in the hope and opportunities government policies and programs are creat­ing to guarantee a future for the State.

Some Governors that pretend to be driv­ing development are merely playing to the gallery, at best engaging in flash in the pan populism in the name of development. Any development initiative that fails to create opportunity for sustainable progress for the people is meaningless.

On the faces of Akwa Ibom people, I could read peace, happiness, hope and an assurance that they would leverage the opportunities and possibilities of the uncommon transfor­mation of the Akpabio government to say indeed, Akwa Ibom, “Ayaya”.

We need more of this song of thanksgiving and glorification in other States of the coun­try.

• Ogaziechi is a Lagos-based legal practi­tioner 
• Source:  Sunnewspaper