Comparing Akpabio and Udom: A tale of a cook and cooking misfortune
By Ubong Sampson
Before August 2018 when Godswill Akpabio defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party he had membered in all his political life, the fight about who seats at helm of affairs in Akwa Ibom State from May 2019 was basically between the government in power and the opposition. The government in power had one face, while the opposition had more than one, if you wish, a few faces.
The Nsima Ekere face, the Udoedeghe face and any other whose aspiration was rumoured or real from that end. The faces in the opposition all wanted the party’s ticket but while they disagreed internally, they were seemingly united in one course – throwing mud of all sorts on the government of the day.
Jump to August 2018, Godswill Akpabio joined the APC and made himself the central face of the party and so remained even after the party had nominated a face in the name of a governorship candidate. And just then, comparing Akpabio and Udom that was hitherto (while they both still ate from the same plate) not encouraged, got fierce. Akpabio was/is more this-and-that than Udom, and Udom is more this-and-that than Akpabio was/is, has been the trend, and sadly has so remained even near-two years after election was concluded.
For memory refreshing sake, Udom Emmanuel is that “stooge” Godswill Akpabio introduced into the polity and spoon fed him all the way to preliminary and final election victories that eventually made the former the latter’s successor in 2015. Before this time, the government was in an era of surplus, thanks to Victor Attah’s resource control fight and victory. Of course the surplus was put to positive and negative uses. It was an era of durable roads like the Aka-Obot Idim, Enen Nsit, Ikot Oku Ikono-Abak, Ekom Iman/Idoro/Calabar Itu Roads plus the Itam, Atiku and Abak Road flyovers. One would say some of the durable roads credited to this surplus era were tribally influenced and sited – reason I have only mention the few amongst all that were apparently not tribally sited and/or influenced.
This same administration also had to its credit, white elephants projects that were both useful and un-useful according, to citizens opinions – like the four points by sheraton hotel, Ibom E-Library, etc. While some like the Ibom Tropicana mall that were not useful then, have found or are gradually finding their ways to usefulness. In addition, the last administration also brought the sycophancy industry. It was indeed a goldmine in that era. Since the market woman took a wrapper off her waist to lay on the ground Akpabio was walking and got a N500k reward and the news filtered into town, many others used that as a discovery of his weak point… call it if you may, the pin that dispenses cash off him. It was only left for one to find their own unique tune in the praise singing. And just when we thought we had seen it all, a certain Friends of UbongAbasi Akpabio was launched barely six months after the then governor took delivery of his son who bore the name, UbongAbasi.
Eventually the end of that reign ended and Udom Emmanuel the next man to mount the saddle had done just that. He appeared like he came with a different approach and modus operandi. From his thick profile that gave out the impression of one who will never give room for governance to be politicised, to his blueprints which left us with expectation that state funds will be put to such use that will create jobs which will in the least, decongest the sycophantic crowd of youths in the polity… there is yet to be any significant difference, except that this very industry of sycophancy is less lucrative than it was in the last administration. Also, his promised industries did not only begin and end in the news, he has brought about a few, though the existence of the said industries has done very little or nothing to harm the high unemployment rate in the state.
Now when people fall over themselves in fights comparing both governors and each of their administrations with the other, I am left to wonder what really differs the present from the immediate past. Could it be that the present has not performed more in the media than in reality like the former did?.. call it virtual performance, if that pleases you. Have the same elders, youth and women (groups) who took sides with Akpabio to vilify his immediately predecessor – Obong Attah not taken sides with his successor to vilify him too?.. Did the elders not ask what Akpabio wants, using the same full page paid advertorial in a national daily, exactly as they did to Attah? And will they not do same to Udom when he steps out just to please whoever will succeed him? Were most of those praising Udom to high heavens not praising Akpabio the same way, with sorts of name tags that made him feel then like a reformed or repented Lucifer?
Oh! The present is a man of peace while the other is of war? In fact, while the former is a descendant of Adolf Hitler or one of his Nazi forces that invaded and wrecked Warsaw, the present so loves peace such that hungry doves released from a cage will refuse to fly away from his peaceful presence. Or maybe while the former saw money and recklessly spent it, the present has seen the same money (though not as much as the former did) but acts like there is none. Hence, while the former bragged about the power of the money and more money at his disposal, the present is claiming to be a prudent manager of funds, yet the effect of the prudence is hardly felt, except in the budget provisions for his accountant general.
Now to the fighters and supporters club on and off lines cursing, abusing and making enemies out of each other because two big men are building public perception of enmity between them, are you really sure these men are enemies in reality? Do you get to see them in their closets? The calls they make, the trips they take… do you know who they meet at other end? If they are, as they make you believe, truly enemies, have they blocked those money multiplying sources they established for themselves? Or has any withdrawn from the supply channel just because the relationship is no longer rosy before public eyes? And how come their children are not on social media abusing each other? Are they not supposed to be the first casualty of the soured relationship? Why then is Nsukpakebai making himself a casualty of the soured relationship between Udom Emmanuel and Godswill Akpabio when his name is neither Nsukpakebai Udom Emmanuel nor Nsukpakebai Godswill Akpabio? For me, I see these men in one common light. None of them really cares about you. They are all pluderers of our resources and bloody capitalists who only find you when you’re useful to them and dump you the moment no more value is left in you. Well, a few, just a very few still have the kind heart to give a little push, but they all fail where it matters most.
Ending, Godswill and Udom down in history lane will remain one time governors who contributed their quota to the development of the state but their reigns enriched themselves, families and proteges more than they benefited the state. While one appeared like who came to kill, steal and destroy, the other appeared like who came to give life and abundantly so. But however differently they appeared, our resources have not seen any meaningful life in both reigns. The only difference that seems clear between them is that one was open with his extravagance and mismanagement of funds, while the other hides under the name of God and surrounds himself with fathers of faith when doing his “evil”. Hence, comparing both men and/or their reigns is simply a tale of an already cooked and a still cooking misfortune.
Ubong Sampson (ubysamm@gmail.com) writes from the graveside of Late Chief Ikpa in Ata Idung Minya, Mkpat Enin LGA.
