Waiting on Dinosaurs
By Edidiong Udobia
The cumulative age of the three serving Senators from Akwa Ibom is about 176 years. Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, will be 67 later this year.
That means the distinguished Senator was about 45 years when he was elected deputy governor of the state in 1999. Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, representing Eket Senatorial District, will be 61 years later this month. That means she was about 40 years when she was appointed Commissioner for Industry, Commerce and Tourism in 2000; 53 years when she was appointed Chairperson, Akwa Ibom State Technical Schools Board in 2013; and 54 when she was appointed Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in 2014.
She was obviously in her 50s when she briefly served as Chairperson, Governing Council of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic. Then there is Sen Bassey Albert representing Uyo Senatorial District, who will be 48 years in October. He was about 35 years when he was appointed Commissioner for Finance in 2007.
By 2023 when the current political dispensation would be ending, our senators will be 69, 63 and 50 years respectively. Understandably, Bassey Albert will still be young enough to push his political career further in any direction without intentionally offending the sensibilities of the public.
But can we say the same thing about the other two? Absolutely, No. At 69, the powers that be will see nothing wrong in extending Chris Ekpenyong’s stay in active public service. If push comes to shove, a monstrous alibi will be created to justify the action. In 2019, he was handed the party’s ticket because “he was the only one that could challenge Sen Godswill Akpabio in the whole of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District”. This era has seen some of his kind either retiring to/coming from retirement to become Board Chairmen or passing the time in one public office or the other while waiting for the real opportunity. So, a Chris Ekpenyong and Akon Eyakenyi in public offices after 2023 are possibilities.
Believe it or don’t, all our 10 serving House of Representatives members are either already certain about their next political aspirations in 2023 or contemplating. Some will be aspiring for real while others will be in it to bargain. Whichever way, all the 10 federal lawmakers will most likely be jostling for something. Of course, it will be within their rights, constitutionally. Moreover, if those far older than them in age and in politics are not retiring soon, why should these younger ones not ask for more. They are only in their 40s and 50s. With everybody now aware of the unwritten law that pecks the prime of one’s political career at 60, the 30s and 40s populating the current House of Assembly know that they have not even scratched the surface of their political journey. But how far they will go will largely depend on how much spaces will be left after those ahead of them have been settled. The present House Leader, Rt. Hon. Udo Kerrian is doing his 3rd term in the State House of Assembly. If by 2023, a solid space is not created for him elsewhere, we all know that a 4th term will not be out of consideration.
Enter the Honourable Commissioners. If Governor Udom Emmanuel successfully produces a successor in 2023, some of the serving Commissioners will most likely make it to the new State Executive Council. At least, for a year, two or even more. It’s a political tradition that was passed down to us by our forebears. Those who will not make it to the new Exco will be lobbying for other opportunities. When you see a Paul Ekpo who was appointed a Commissioner as far back 2007 and has just completed his second-term as PDP’s state chairman being appointed a Board Chairman (as a reward for loyalty) while nursing a Senatorial ambition, then you know that the likes of Dr. Glory Edet and Hon. Monday Uko have not even left the starting line of their political careers. Being elected a local government chairman in Akwa Ibom is akin to a Greek gift. From the outside, you see a well decorated package, but once you receive and open it, whatever you see, you take it like that. As a local government chairman, you’ll either need Francis Uduyok’s kind of grace or Frank Archibong’s kind of favour to advance politically.
Intentionally or not, the politics of Akwa Ibom state in the last 6 to 8 years has been of disadvantage to young people. By 2023, no single person among the present crop of under 40s in the state politics will singlehandedly pull both the structure and war chest needed to be a serious contender for a befitting office. (Emphasis on “befitting”). And by befitting, I don’t mean an Iwaudofia contesting for a local government chairman. Ironically, within this same period, this state has made people who would effortlessly influence many elections as financiers. But they are the dinosaurs; the ones promoting obsolete, old-fashioned and out-of-date politics. The ones who have already shared the 3 senatorial districts seats in 2023 to quinquagenarians and sexagenarians and completely foreclosed any chances for younger people. The ones who are aggressively pushing the notion that the Onofiok Luke and Ini Ememobong of this state are too young to even nurse governorship ambitions in 2023.
If the dinosaurs have the opportunity, they will not hesitate to impose another septuagenarian on the state as deputy governor in 2023. If they could, they would have duplicated themselves to replace the few brilliant, independent-minded and hardworking young people who are struggling to make some differences in this goddamned politics. For them, the best things young people should get are crumbs from their tables. The VIP seats at all government events are exclusively reserved for the dinosaurs while the branded T-shirt wearing and banner carrying youths are restricted to where they can have a face-to-face meeting with the sun. The young people do not have a choice but to wait on the exit of the dinosaurs. For instance, it took a 66 year old Sir Val Attah who had served and risen to the top echelon of the state public service to be sacked as Board Chairman for a much younger “Murray” to get an appointment. So, it therefore means there was nothing exceptionally different that a 66 year old did as Board Chairman that someone in the 40s cannot do. Most likely too, the next chairman of Ibom Airlines/Ibom Airport will be someone much younger than the late Idongesit Nkanga.
Good enough, it appears the young people in politics have mastered the art of waiting on the dinosaurs. They no longer seem infuriated because they flood the whole space with pleasant congratulatory messages whenever a dinosaur is rewarded with an appointment. I totally support this attitudinal shift. As a matter of fact, I’d like to end this piece with a very passionate appeal. In the spirit of rewarding loyalty in this era of the dinosaurs, I humbly appeal that Sen. Anietie Okon be considered for an appointment soonest. That man has been the poster child of loyalty. And as a show of good faith, let me congratulate the distinguished Senator in advance for a well-deserved appointment. “Congratulations, Sir!”.
Meanwhile, I join all the good people of Akwa Ibom to pray that the soul of late Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga continue to find rest in the bosom of the Lord. It is my earnest prayer that God will bless and satisfy our elders with long-life, and more earnestly, I pray that God will continue to do what pleases Him to help our young people progress and prosper in politics and governance. Amen.
