The governor we really need

“With a huge unemployment figure and pervasive poverty in the state, the most critical desire of an Akwa Ibom person is a respectable means of livelihood and a secure and safe environment for his family.”

GOVERNOR Udom Emmanuel’s May 29 speech in which he outlined the qualities of the next governor of our state should give Akwa Ibom people ample opportunity to reflect on the leadership question. It is about 24 months to the next governorship election, and this is the moment to conduct a thorough and deep reflection on the type of governor we want. What kind of state do we want to build in the next decade, and what type of leader will most suitably shepherd us in that direction? What exactly does an average Akwa Ibom person want for himself and family?

With a huge unemployment figure and pervasive poverty in the state, the most critical desire of an Akwa Ibom person is a respectable means of livelihood and a secure and safe environment for his family. Our people just want a good-paying job that guarantees a decent living and comfortable post-retirement life. But unfortunately, because of the failure of government to provide or facilitate this, the citizens have become increasingly cynical and distrustful of government, politicians and public officials. Instead, they prefer quick-result handouts (empowerments) from politicians, no matter how small and miserable. These politicians have, on their parts, conditioned our people to believing that the instant formula for fixing the problem of poverty and unemployment is throwing cash around. Yes, stolen cash! But that is not only unsustainable; it is also wasteful and incapable of reducing poverty.

Akwa Ibom people deserve a well articulated poverty-reduction scheme and job-creating programs that should lift at least 300,000 people out of poverty and create 500,000 jobs in the next ten years. Of course, these programs should be mostly agro-based. Fortunately, Akwa Ibom State is in a transition period now, struggling to transform into an industrialized economy. Ibom DeepSea Port, BUA refinery and the Ammonia plant form the core of our industrialization drive in the next decade. So, we need a leader who has the capacity to drive the transition period effectively and bring our industrialization and poverty-reduction aspirations into fruition.

We therefore need a man of foresight, big ideas and boundless energy to lead the state from May 2023. To this extent, I align myself with Gov Udom Emmanuel’s idea that we should look beyond the political class to pick the next leader of our state. We need a man or woman with a good knowledge of the business environment; with a considerable national and international exposure and ability to reach beyond our shores to seek help for our people. We need a man or woman who does not assume that he knows everything, or that he can do it all by himself; a person who does not bear political grudges against any of our past leaders (it is time to break the cycle of hatred and animosity). Our next governor should be a leader who can run a government in a methodical, structured, organized and result-oriented manner as we do in the private sector.

In terms of personal qualities, our next governor should have satisfied all his wealth-accumulation instincts before he assumes office. We don’t need a warlord, a superman or king of boys. We don’t need a giver governor or a man who wants to be generous with our money, making donations to all and sundry. We need a planner who will develop a 50-year development plan for the state, and commence its implementation methodically. The next governor should be willing to run a transparent and open government devoid of opacity and ambiguity.

There is so much to expect from our next governor. I therefore urge our people to look beyond sentiments and begin a thorough search for the ideal leader.