Re: To Emmanuel 'razzmatazz' Udom
By Ekerete Udoh On Oct 15, 2015
SIR: One of the 'columns' that I occasionally read in The Nation is 'Hardball" which appears everyday on the back page at the lower column. In its October 8, 2015, edition, entitled "To Emmanuel 'razzmatazz' Udom" the writer after praising Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom for his good looks and sartorial elegance, went ahead to pass a judgment call to the effect that the governor has "started off so very poorly." The column went ahead to state that the governor "does not seem to be imbued with the grounding, the grit, the character and the discipline to run a state especially in these tough times".
The writer obviously seems to have issues with the successful launch of the 'Dakkada' – movement, which has caught on like wild fire in Akwa Ibom State – a philosophy that represents a moral and psychological reawakening of the Akwa Ibom spirit, to stand up and rise to the faith of greatness and know that we, as a people were born to be great and as aspirational, as dedicated to appropriating our God-given skills as any one else within our national space. The writer so sadly advertised his ignorance and intellectual laziness when he made unsubstantiated statements about the cost of the campaign and dismissing it as 'some ephemeral feel-good activities". The people of Akwa Ibom State who are with the governor are highly insulted by such gratuitous depiction of a movement that enjoys tremendous support across the length and crannies of the State.
There is something the writer needs to know: the attitude of a people determines where and what range of success and development such a people can attain, which is why developed societies devoted time and resources to create and promote certain definitional values or creed. In the United States, there is an American Creed which is built around the concept of American Exceptionalism.
Governor Udom Emmanuel is a governor who has traveled extensively, studied the ways and means on how successful societies were built, and, as an urbane, worldly leader, believes that attitudinal change holds the key to growth and personal development. 'Hardball' has no right to describe such a huge movement as 'feel-good' exercise.
Hardball made reference to a picture in a national newspaper published recently about certain conditions in a primary school in Ikot Ibiok, Eket Local Government Area, but forgot to mention that primary school education is a federal responsibility administered under the UBE scheme, and that state governments can only intervene under some extreme cases. Till date, Governor Emmanuel has intervened in over 1, 000 schools and counting, and as one who treasures education and understands its liberating effect, remains dedicated to ensuring that Akwa Ibom pupils and students receive their education under the best possible circumstance.
Governor Emmanuel in just four months in office has shown that he is a man of integrity and promise keeper. His 5-Point Agenda was on wealth creation, Economic and Political Inclusion, Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructural Consolidation and Expansion, and Job Creation. So far he has done exceptionally well, especially in poverty alleviation as attested to by the micro-finance interest free loans he recently gave to traders and farmers in the state. His policy thrust was based on industrialization; so far many ground breaking ceremonies for the new industries have been performed. He said he would equip the youths with skills for jobs in the 21st Century, so far he has sent over a thousand of youths for training with Oracle Corporation, while others were sent to Israel for training on modern approach to agriculture.
Ekerete Udoh,
Chief Press Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Governor.
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