The 1981 movie, The
man who saw tomorrow narrates the story of the French-born physicist
and seer, Michel de Nostredame, known more popularly by the Latinized version
of his name, Nostradamus.
He was reputed to have
the uncanny, metaphysical ability to predict what will happen in the future.
There is a long list of happenings around the globe that he was said to have
foreseen.
Despite contention in
some quarters about the exactitude of his predictions, he is still reputed to
be one of the greatest seers that ever lived.
Some 500 years have
gone by since Nostradamus passed on. He still occupies a prime place in the
pantheons of seers. But history is littered with three kinds of persons who see
the future. In the first category you have men like Nostradamus who use
metaphysical methods.
In the second category,
you have those cast in the mould of the wise men who saw the star when Jesus
was born and went to look for him. These study the universe and read the stars.
Thirdly, you have
those who like the men of Issachar in the time of civil war and national crisis
in ancient Israel, had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought
to do for the benefit of their future.
Udom Gabriel Emmanuel,
Governor Of Akwa Ibom State belongs to the last two categories. He
has seen the star of Akwa Ibom rising and he understands what Akwa Ibom ought
to do to achieve the future he has seen in the stars. He is making plans for
that future because he knows that the best way to predict the future is to
create it.
A tested and trusted
corporate titan, with over 25 years’ experience in financial services in
different parts of the world, Governor Emmanuel assumed office at a very
auspicious time in the history of Akwa Ibom state.
With dwindling federal
receipts and a gloomy economic outlook, Emmanuel’s famed integrity and
management sagacity were some of the factors that stood him in good stead with
the electorate, leading to his being voted for by an overwhelming majority, and
being entrusted with the onerous task of leading the state.
In his inaugural speech,
Emmanuel had promised to transform the economy of Akwa Ibom State via
industrialization and to sustain public-private sector initiatives, thereby
opening opportunities for growth and improved living standards. Two years down
the line, and in line with his 5-point agenda of job creation, poverty
alleviation, wealth creation, economic and political inclusion and
infrastructure consolidation and expansion, he has initiated policies and taken
actions that stand him out as a leader who came into office prepared for the
task at hand.
The prorammes and
projects he is embarking on are designed to cater not only for the Akwa Ibom of
today, but also the Akwa Ibom of the future.
A case in point is the
infrastructure expansion and consolidation agenda of the Udom Emmanuel
administration which takes into consideration not just current demands but also
the demands of the future.
Facilities at the
state-owned airport, Akwa Ibom International Airport are being upgraded to meet
the projected flight and passenger traffic in the years to come.
The closure of the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the attendant difficulty to
passengers has exposed the limitations of a mono-runway airport. Governor
Emmanuel had already envisaged this challenge and as far back as the year 2015,
he had begun the construction of the second runway in the airport. The runway,
which is at an advanced stage of completion, will have the capacity to serve
any size of aircraft, including the Airbus A-380. The runway will also make it
possible for cargo operations to commence in the near future. This is another
bit of evidence of the futuristic mindset of a man who has an understanding of
the times and knows what Akwa Ibom ought to do. He had already envisioned the
airport become a hub for both passenger and cargo operations.
The Industrialization
policy of the Udom Emmanuel administration is a looking glass into the future.
The electricity meter assembly plant in Onna Local Government Area will cater
for the needs of electricity consumers almost ad infinitum. The syringe
production factory will harness raw materials available in the state and will
provide gainful employment to a lot of our citizens.
As syringes are a
vital consumable in the health services sector, with over hundreds of millions
of them being imported into the country yearly, the factory is guaranteed to be
a thriving venture as there will be an almost endless demand for its products
from within and outside the country.
The global sports
industry is worth hundreds of billions of naira and provides gainful employment
to millions of people all over the world. There is an almost limitless value
chain associated with it that traverses almost every sector of the economy.
Governor Emmanuel is
positioning Akwa Ibom to key into this multi-billion naira industry by
providing the enabling environment and infrastructure to support the
development of sporting talents within the state. He has embarked on the
construction of 10 standard sports centres, one in each federal constituency.
These centres, one of
which is already commissioned and in use, boast of facilities for basketball,
handball, football, hockey, tennis and tartan tracks for athletics. These
facilities have rekindled the interest of our children in sporting activities
and with the re-introduction of school sports, these centres will serve as
nurseries where sporting talents would be discovered. Already, the state had
produced a common wealth junior champion in the 100 and 200 metres in the
person of Aniekeme Alphonsus.
These sports centres
would surely produce many more national and global stars with the attendant
benefits that come with their status.
Add the case of the
development of logistic centres within the state to the futuristic model and
another gavel drops. With Akwa Ibom boasting the longest shoreline in the
country of 129 kilometres, it is mind-boggling that a major seaport hasn’t been
sited in the state thus far. Numerous studies by maritime exerts have identified
Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area, which has a natural draught of fifteen
knots as the best location for a seaport in Nigeria. The actualization of the
Ibaka Deep Seaport is therefore one of the priority projects of the
administration.
Already, the state
Government is working on providing appropriate access by road to the location
of the seaport and is also partnering with the Federal Government and private
investors to see to the actualization of this dream.
There is no gainsaying
that when the seaport project is completed, it will create numerous direct and
indirect jobs for people in the state. It will also reboot the economy of the
state in a way never seen before as there will be an influx of investments
attracted by the maritime potentials of the state.
The medium to long
term benefits of this project on the citizenry are so vast that they task one’s
imagination.
The jetty at Ikot
Abasi Local Government Area, tank farms in Mbo Local Government Area, and other
downstream operations in the oil and gas sector of the economy, which he is
currently attracting to the state are a testimony to his foresight.
As the largest
producer of crude oil in the country, Akwa Ibom is being primed to attract
investment that is commensurate with its status. There is definitely a new dawn
in the industrialization of the state, and the electorate, citizens and
residents bask in the expectation of bright and colorful future.
Recently, there was
much hue and cry about the recruitment of 5000 additional teachers into the
state’s school system. When it would have been more politically expedient and
popular to absorb these `teachers’ into the service, Governor Emmanuel decided
to act on the tons of petitions that trailed the recruitment exercise. Mindful
of the role played by teachers in moulding our future leaders, he directed a
screening exercise to be conducted on all those who had received appointment
letters.
This exercise which
consisted of simple, multiple-choice English questions revealed that a large
number of the prospective teachers were either unqualified or underqualified.
According to Emmanuel, “If I cannot allow a particular teacher to teach my
children, it would be unconscionable to allow such a teacher to teach any Akwa
Ibom child irrespective of who his parents are.”
This is a trait of a
compassionate and focused leader who wants the best for his people and is not
shy to take difficult decisions, knowing that in the long run, those decisions
will augur well for his people.
Governor Udom Emmanuel
has proven to be a leader who has seen the future and is serving his people
with the future in mind. He is conscious that the future belongs to those who
prepare for it today, therefore, he is laying a solid foundation for the
economic well-being of his people. When it would have been popular for him to
pander to short-termism, he is thinking ahead and using the resources of today
to correct the mistakes of yesterday while building for tomorrow.
His lifelong passion
is to create a generation of people who earn a living, rather than beg for a
living. He is focusing more on sound economic policies than politics, for he
understands that for political power to be fulfilling and enduring, it has to
stand on a strong economic foundation.
The dakkada philosophy,
which is his reveille for the people of the state to rise and take their
destiny in their hands is yielding a lot of positive results. It has engendered
in our people an attitudinal and moral rebirth. He has imbued in his people a
renewed spirit of enterprise and creativity, and an abiding faith in their
capacity to be all that God had destined them to be.
Governor Emmanuel is
the kind of leader John Quincy Adams had in mind when he said “a leader is he
whose actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become
more.” His actions inspire Akwa Ibomites to dream more of what the future
holds, learn more about how to fit into that future, do more to prepare for
that future and in the process, become more of what the future requires. A leader
for all times, Governor Udom Emmanuel is indeed the man who has seen the star
of Akwa Ibom and has an understanding of where that star is leading to and what
the state ought to do to get there.
Tags
Society