Anthony Luke: The Heralder of a New Political Eldorado in Essien Udim
Rekindled hope, tears of joy and optimism has not seized to wine and dine with the people of the grassroots since the inauguration of Mr Anthony Luke as the Chairman of Essien Udim LGA. The enigma who is nicknamed Aluko by his friends and endless stream of admirers is not a neophyte in the political space. Before his divinely ordained emergence as local government chairman, he like the biblical David showed himself to be a servant leader in other positions. He has been Supervisor for education, works and SA to the Governor, etc. After his odyssey in lower cadres of public service, Mr Anthony Luke undertook the challenge of bringing the dividends of democracy, laced with a heart of service and in a manner only akin to geometric progression to his people. Simply saying that he has achieved this is only a feeble and unworthy attempt at underestimating the giant strides of a superlative performer.
The chronicles of Mr Anthony Luke’s strides keep outpacing the amazement on the faces of the citizens of Essien Udim. Should we mention only a few? We only must recall a while ago when the darkness of destruction brought on by the ill activities of secessionists left Essien Udim in shreds and tatters. Like emissaries of destruction, the activities of IPOB elements afflicted our Essien Udim with wanton destruction. But as the great book says, weeping may be for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Indeed, joy is here. A few months after the swearing-in of Mr Luke, he brought peace to Essien Udim and repelled the forces that threatened to tear our common toil and unity apart.
Having restored peace, he began working assiduously to improve a lot of the people. His transformation and restoration agenda has seen the purchase of vehicles for council staff, the restoration of electricity to the council and the renovation of the divisional Police station in Essien Udim which was touched by the hoodlums who invaded the area. His passion for empowerment has seen him and his wife giving grants and business capital to petty traders to boost their businesses as well as undertaking the payment of medical bills to indigent patients in various hospitals in Essien Udim.
More recently, his peaceful disposition has seen him galvanizing and mobilizing different strata of interest in the local government and ensuring a massive victory in the just concluded gubernatoriaL and State House of Assembly elections even when naysayers had vowed that PDP will not win in Essien Udim.
As though this was not enough to rest his oars on, Mr Luke took his wave of superlative performance into the education sector of the LG. When all hope was lost, he approved and paid bursaries to indigenes of Essien Udim studying in various tertiary institutions. It is on record that the last time these bursaries were paid was almost a decade ago. It is in recognition of his heart for education that the Chairman SSEB, Dr Ekaette Ebong Okon during the board’s fact-finding visit to Essien Udim stated unflinchingly that he is a chairman with a great passion for education.
If the future of our children was all Aluko secured by his strides in education, we may have been content and he may have been himself. But the superlative performer would not rest on past achievements. No wonder he has placed Essien Udim as a rallying point, a reference location and a teaching manual for grassroots administration in Akwa Ibom State.
Abasiama Umohatah
04032023
