By Daniel Okwara
Being energetic, visionary, well educated, experienced, possessing leadership skills, and a genuine love for community service should ordinarily form some of the basic qualifications for leadership even in the political space.
However, as Akwa Ibomites prepares for the 2023 governorship elections, the criteria for the search and selection of the next state chief executive and a good leader is not just about these qualities. Other criteria such as the nature, quality, and background of aspirants that have so far indicated interest has divided the aspirants and direction of the contest to be between what could be called ‘just arrived’ (in politics) International business moguls, against ‘homegrown grassroots politicians’. Names like Mr. Udom Inoyo who just retired from ExxonMobil where he worked for over three decades rising to become Vice Chairman in Nigeria; Mr. Akan Udofia, MD/CEO of Decision Engineering Limited and a Forbes recognized billionaire business mogul in the oil and gas sector and, Pastor Umo Enoh, multi-billionaire businessman in the hospitality and oil and gas sector represent those who have just arrived the political scene with a desire to become the next Governor of Akwa Ibom state. These men are struggling for space against the likes of Obong Bassey Albert, serving two-term Senator, who has been in the Akwa Ibom political scene for nearly 20years, the same as Barr. Onofiok Akpan Luke (G.O.A.O.L.) currently a House of Representatives member who is one of the youngest in the race but has one of the highest followership in the state due to his deep grassroots activities and the natural admiration by people of the state for him over time. He’s the immediate past Speaker of the state House of Assembly who has also held many other political positions. Then Rt. Hon. Michael Eyong another House of Reps member, amongst others.
The state Governor himself, Mr. Udom Emmanuel sparked the “International Email versus Grassroots Politician” controversy when in one of his speeches he openly said that “…we need a governor with an internationally recognized email” and not a mere crowd puller who shares money on the street or go on long convoys.
However, the people are not interested in the controversies, they are only interested in good leadership and this time it seems a man of the people is needed because Gov. Udom Emmanuel is a man with the internationally recognized email and having led the state for 6year now, the people want something different, after all, variety is the spice of life.
The question is, between a person who is just arriving after spending three decades working from the 27th floor of an international firm somewhere in Lekki/Victoria Island in Lagos or New York in America, far away from penury, poverty, and other challenges of the people he seeks to govern, and a person who has spent decades trekking, toiling in the political scene, participating in community development and cutting his or her teeth in political leadership and its peculiarities in Nigeria, who is likely to make a good political leader?
The argument cannot be limited to Nigeria, it must be taken international; we could begin with the 44th President of America, Mr. Barrack Obama.
Obama’s performance during his stay in office has remained yet unrivaled as he has been adjudged one of the best Presidents America ever had because according to celebrity TV host, Christine Amanpour ‘President Barrack Obama has been involved in American politics long enough to know exactly what Americans want and this has made it easy for his administration to be very direct in their approach to solving America’s problems”.
As preparations for 2023 governorship elections gather steam in Akwa Ibom State, the appealing story of Barrack Obama’s gradual rise from obscurity to leadership through the road of community service, grassroots engagements, and superlative legislative activities in America’s senate has found expression in some political leaders in Akwa Ibom whose sojourn both in life and public service shows striking a resemblance of Obama’s odysseys.
For example, at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown across the world, and its attendant economic and social challenges, Rt. Hon. Barr. Onofiok Akpan Luke (G.O.A.L.) was the first public servant in Akwa Ibom state to dole out palliatives in cash and in materials to the people. On the fateful day, he gave out 15million naira in cash to his constituents in addition to truck loads of food items. He did this even before the Government conceived the idea of giving out subsidies to citizens. Such a demonstration speaks volumes of a leader who understands the challenges of his people and is passionate enough to proactively move to action. Such are pointers that a Governor of such disposition might not be comfortable to owe government workers backlog of entitlements whether salaries, pension or gratuity.
Also, ahead of his contributions to the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) in the National Assembly, G.O.A.L, as he’s fondly referred to, held a town hall meeting where hundreds of copies of the bill was circulated to his constituents to make their contributions, before he eventually collated same to enrich his presentation on the floor of the House. Such legislative engagement is hardly heard of in this clime. This is a clear demonstration of respect for the people’s opinion and a listening mindset.
Ahead of the 2019 polls, an election where the ruling PDP faced a stiff political onslaught, Onofiok Luke, as the Speaker of the House of Assembly then, he was at the forefront, confronting the opposition and standing by the state Governor to ensure victory for “THE PEOPLE”. At all times, he has proven that he understands the yearnings the PEOPLE and that to act in the interest of the people is paramount to him. At the National Assembly, he has accurately separated politics from governance, a development that has seen him always networking with the who-is-who in the country, irrespective of political leanings, working for the benefit of the PEOPLE.
If it is true as said by many that Akwa Ibom now needs a Governor of the people, a man who truly knows what the people need, a person whose love for the people has been tested and tried and has been found to genuinely make himself available to many Akwa Ibomites both in times of joy and in times of sadness, even in times of ‘political wars’ then Barr. Onofiok Luke has everything it takes to be the next Governor of Akwa Abasi Ibom state.
As against the new narrative making the rounds that Akwa Ibom State needs a Governor with an ‘internationally recognized email’, there is absolutely no good records that people who have been very far from their people in search of greener pastures (which by the way is a noble venture) make better leaders to their people than those who had been with the people, shared the little they had with the people, had firsthand experience of the situation on the ground and advocated at various times for them, as well as share in their challenges.
President Emanuel Macron of France had no companies and no internationally recognized emails, same as Joe Biden of America. In fact, it is easier to link experience in public service to good political leadership than it is to link experience in the very conservative and rigid private business world to good political leadership.
Down here in Nigeria, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is currently one of the most celebrated Governors in Nigeria. He seems to have mounted the saddle fully prepared to tackle the problems of Rivers people which was poor road network and endless traffic in the capital city. Today Wike is celebrated for solving the problems of his people. He is not an internationally recognized businessman; he only practiced law very briefly and later joined public service at a very young age. He was an elected Local Government Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA between 1999 and 2007, from there he became Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, in 2011 he was appointed Minister of State for Education, a position he held until he resigned to contest and win the Governorship seat in Rivers State. Wike is on his way to becoming the most celebrated Governor in Rivers State history because he has taken infrastructural development to the deepest parts of the creeks in Rivers State and built over seven flyovers to solve traffic congestion in the capital city. Unlike many Governors, he agrees to autonomy for the Judiciary and Local Government Councils.
Governor Wike’s toughness and outspokenness in defense of his people cannot also be in isolation of the fact that the Nigerian and Rivers state political terrain is very familiar to him unlike some of his colleagues.
Lagos state is sort of the cradle of political and economic development in Nigeria currently, a deeper look at Lagos state politics will easily reveal that they have never had a Governor since 1999 who has not grown organically on the political turf, from Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Mr. Sanwolu. Such development has witnessed the recurring election of former politically experienced individuals as Governors. The result is glaring, Lagos people enjoy a progression of political and economic development.
Notably, the American people refused to allow former President Donald Trump, a man with ‘internationally recognised email’ and business mogul to win a second term in office. That should be a pointer to the fact that the majority of the American people were not satisfied with his performance. Political leadership at the level of Governor or President requires some experience in public service, as against total inexperience. Donald Trump was clearly a visitor to political leadership and public service and it was evident in his actions, he made more enemies for America than friends.
The likes of current American President, Joe Biden, the Canadian Prime Minister, and former President Bill Clinton are people that had no other economic addresses away from politics. They are respected world leaders because they gave their people quality services.
Back to Akwa Ibom, the people need a man who understands the necessity of funding the grassroots systems in order to spread the wealth and economic development, and ameliorate the current groaning in the state. Not a man who will look down on the majority of the people because of a feeling of superiority to or thinking ‘I’m better than them’.
The people must not be made to feel privileged to be led by a particular governor; rather public service is always a privilege to the public servant.
Onofiok Luke, like Barrack Obama, is without international business concerns but rich with the currency of relationship and proven passion for service with sterling results to show. He is highly experienced and has the largest following amongst politicians in the state due to his empathetic spirit, interactions and connections with the people over time.
From being a Student Union leader to Personal Assistant to the Governor, House of Assembly member, Speaker, House of Assembly, and now one of the most outspoken members in the National Assembly. He is a fellow of Harvard school of leadership. A school attended by most men of global relevance. Due to his diligence he was spotted, selected and fully sponsored by the American government to be a part of the International Visitors Leadership Program in the USA.
There is no way such curriculum vitae in public service can be put away because if we substitute government to International oil firm, for example, there is no way a job seeker rich in experience of serving in different cadre in the same industry would be denied a top management job in favour of another with zero experience in the sector.
Come 2023, Akwa Ibom people know what they want, and from the mood in the state, it is crystal clear that the people will be firm on their demand to be governed by a man with a deep passion for the welfare of the people as against any aspirant who wants to take the governorship seat as his retirement benefit from the private sector, and would need up to 3years to learn the modus operandi of this particular terrain or to understand the real need of the people.
