Chief Saviour Ibanga Enyiekere is the executive chairman, Ika local government area of Akwa Ibom State. He is an advocate of transformational leadership and a major player in the politics of Akwa Ibom State. In this interview with OSBY ISIBOR, he speaks on the recent National Assembly election, his achievements, the crisis in the state and the need for Governor Akpabio’s re-election among other issues.
How will you describe the National Assembly election in Akwa Ibom State?
Well, I want to start by commending the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for giving INEC a free hand to conduct the National Assembly election. I want to commend him for being the first Nigerian president to start on the tone of conducting a free, fair and credible election so far. And I must also say that when the election was first shifted from April 2nd to 9th, it was greeted with a lot of controversies. I want also to commend the leadership of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for being steadfast and all he was able to do within this period. Even though, as humans we are not without mistakes, we were able to get it right this time around. It has been very peaceful and fair so far.
In Akwa Ibom State, I want to say it is a PDP state and it will continue to remain so. What we saw in Uyo Federal Constituency was an electoral mistake and we are going to correct it. Because we must get Uyo Federal Constituency, we have being doing it and we will continue to do it. So, we are challenging it in court.
Some opposition parties in the state have alleged that there were irregularities in the conduct of the election. In your own view, do you think the election was free and fair in the state?
The leaders of ACN and some other leaders of the opposition parties have agreed that so far that in the history of this country, that one of the freest and fairest elections apart from that of SDP and NRC in 1992 was this particular election. I think they are crying fowl and I don’t see anybody coming out to say that the election was marred with violence or fraud or whatever. It is normal, even though the PDP were to lose, in some quarters we would have also cried foul.
So, you don’t blame anybody. They have the right to cry foul, but the truth is that it has been free and fair and therefore, Nigerians should learn from it and appreciate it.
For three years you have been in the saddle as the executive chairman of Ika local government area of Akwa Ibom State. How has it been so far? Are there challenges?
By the grace of God and by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have been on ground for three years. Actually it has been very challenging and very trilling too. And I want to say with God on our side, we have been able to deliver on our promises to Ika people.
And that was why since 2008 when we came on board, Ika local government area has been adjudged by the Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on state and local governments respectively, as the best local government area in the south-south. And we have held this consecutively for three years. The reason being that Ika had been in crisis for close to seven years and when I came on board I tried to do everything possible to resolve the crisis. We came in with a lot of development projects which are too numerous to mention.
When my governor, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio visited the council, he commended me, the leadership of the local government area, the councillors and everybody for the development so far in Ika land. And I want to also say that the governor of Akwa Ibom State is one of the greatest things that has happened to Akwa Ibom people. That is why you see every body clamouring for his return to the Hill top mansion.
And like I said earlier, the opposition will always cry fowl, but we don’t seem to have any opposition in his re-election. I want to also say that other local government areas in Akwa Ibom State have also copied what the governor is doing in the state. And if you come to Akwa Ibom now, you will be very happy that Akwa Ibom local government administration is run in line with the aspirations of the people and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in terms of delivery of dividends of democracy.
Again, to support the free and compulsory education policy of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, we built three blocks of 4 room classrooms in three schools, completed and furnished. There is also the youth and women empowerment and scholarship programme for the orphans. So, the people of Ika are very happy with this administration and we intend to do more if given the opportunity.
Like I said before, the most challenging aspect of the administration is the crisis and the need to bring the warring parties together. It was so challenging because no administration was able to convene a stakeholders meeting to discuss issues bothering on the area. By the grace of God, we have been able to make it. And again, is the issue of funding of local government system in Nigeria. I want to appeal to the Federal Government to increase allocation of local governments, so that we can do better.
What is your relationship with the governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio?
Well, Chief Godswill Akpabio as far as I know is an icon and has been very fair and friendly with the entire chairmen in the state. He is so accommodating; he is my role model and icon in terms of development, democracy, politics and everything. He is a man that cares about the commonest person in the state. He has been very close and most of the things we have done are been supported by him. He is one of the governors who do not temper with the local government funds. At some point in time when there was economic melt down, Chief Godswill Akpabio use to finance the local governments for us to achieve what we needed to do in our various local government councils. So, our relationship with him has been very cordial and that is why we say he must go back for a second term because he has done very well. The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and all the federal agencies came and adjudged him as one of the best governors Nigeria has ever produced. So, what are we talking about? Godswill Akpabio should be given the chance to continue the good work he is doing in the state. He has done very well and we will continue to encourage him to do more. This is why he deserves a fresh term by the votes of the people of Akwa Ibom State. We will all queue behind him to ensure his victory at the poll.
Coming back to the issue of our relationship with the governor, there is a very cordial relationship with all the 21 local government areas. What we do in Akwa Ibom State ALGON is like a brotherhood thing. We have monthly interactions, visit local governments and see development projects and you go back to your council and want to replicate such development projects. Is like a competition but a healthy one at that.
There has been this allegation that the PDP in Akwa Ibom State have been suppressing the opposition, especially the ACN. How will you describe the crisis between Governor Godswill Akpabio and the ACN governorship candidate, Senator Akpanudoedehe?
Well, I think the issue of crisis in Akwa Ibom wouldn’t have even come in, in the first place. But there are some fifth columnists outside who think that politics is a do-or-die affair. We are aware that Udoedehe has entered into an agreement with the leadership of the party to be giving them N6b every month from Akwa Ibom State allocation. And that made them to think they can do everything possible to get Akwa Ibom State to become an ACN state. But it is not possible, because His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio approached the development of Akwa Ibom State with aggression and a lot of people have seen it.
The governor is an Anangman and from the minority but Akpanudoedehe happens to come from the majority-Ibibio. Udoedehe the man we know has been in several positions of authority and has not been able to deliver to the people. For instance, he was a local government chairman, during his tenure nothing happened. He was made a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and nothing happened. In his days as the minister of state for FCT, he had a terrible misunderstanding with his boss and that lead to his removal from office. Is this the kind of person that wants to be the governor of Akwa Ibom State? And the generality of the people are saying no, we have to give it to a man that knows the yearnings of the people of Akwa Ibom State.
The issue of sharing the state allocation has been the problem and I want to tell you that the federal government of Nigeria and the common know the truth. The politics that ACN is playing in Akwa Ibom State is not the politics that is played in other parts of the country. They are into tribal politics and I believe that should be done away with in the context of Nigerian politics.
I want to tell you that Udoedehe is being myopic and tribalistic. He does not know the game of politics. Udoedehe should give peace a chance; ACN should give peace a chance.
Akwa Ibom is for the PDP and will remain so until such a time that PDP will not do well in Akwa Ibom.
Well, I want to start by commending the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for giving INEC a free hand to conduct the National Assembly election. I want to commend him for being the first Nigerian president to start on the tone of conducting a free, fair and credible election so far. And I must also say that when the election was first shifted from April 2nd to 9th, it was greeted with a lot of controversies. I want also to commend the leadership of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for being steadfast and all he was able to do within this period. Even though, as humans we are not without mistakes, we were able to get it right this time around. It has been very peaceful and fair so far.
In Akwa Ibom State, I want to say it is a PDP state and it will continue to remain so. What we saw in Uyo Federal Constituency was an electoral mistake and we are going to correct it. Because we must get Uyo Federal Constituency, we have being doing it and we will continue to do it. So, we are challenging it in court.
Some opposition parties in the state have alleged that there were irregularities in the conduct of the election. In your own view, do you think the election was free and fair in the state?
The leaders of ACN and some other leaders of the opposition parties have agreed that so far that in the history of this country, that one of the freest and fairest elections apart from that of SDP and NRC in 1992 was this particular election. I think they are crying fowl and I don’t see anybody coming out to say that the election was marred with violence or fraud or whatever. It is normal, even though the PDP were to lose, in some quarters we would have also cried foul.
So, you don’t blame anybody. They have the right to cry foul, but the truth is that it has been free and fair and therefore, Nigerians should learn from it and appreciate it.
For three years you have been in the saddle as the executive chairman of Ika local government area of Akwa Ibom State. How has it been so far? Are there challenges?
By the grace of God and by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have been on ground for three years. Actually it has been very challenging and very trilling too. And I want to say with God on our side, we have been able to deliver on our promises to Ika people.
And that was why since 2008 when we came on board, Ika local government area has been adjudged by the Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on state and local governments respectively, as the best local government area in the south-south. And we have held this consecutively for three years. The reason being that Ika had been in crisis for close to seven years and when I came on board I tried to do everything possible to resolve the crisis. We came in with a lot of development projects which are too numerous to mention.
When my governor, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio visited the council, he commended me, the leadership of the local government area, the councillors and everybody for the development so far in Ika land. And I want to also say that the governor of Akwa Ibom State is one of the greatest things that has happened to Akwa Ibom people. That is why you see every body clamouring for his return to the Hill top mansion.
And like I said earlier, the opposition will always cry fowl, but we don’t seem to have any opposition in his re-election. I want to also say that other local government areas in Akwa Ibom State have also copied what the governor is doing in the state. And if you come to Akwa Ibom now, you will be very happy that Akwa Ibom local government administration is run in line with the aspirations of the people and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in terms of delivery of dividends of democracy.
Again, to support the free and compulsory education policy of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, we built three blocks of 4 room classrooms in three schools, completed and furnished. There is also the youth and women empowerment and scholarship programme for the orphans. So, the people of Ika are very happy with this administration and we intend to do more if given the opportunity.
Like I said before, the most challenging aspect of the administration is the crisis and the need to bring the warring parties together. It was so challenging because no administration was able to convene a stakeholders meeting to discuss issues bothering on the area. By the grace of God, we have been able to make it. And again, is the issue of funding of local government system in Nigeria. I want to appeal to the Federal Government to increase allocation of local governments, so that we can do better.
What is your relationship with the governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio?
Well, Chief Godswill Akpabio as far as I know is an icon and has been very fair and friendly with the entire chairmen in the state. He is so accommodating; he is my role model and icon in terms of development, democracy, politics and everything. He is a man that cares about the commonest person in the state. He has been very close and most of the things we have done are been supported by him. He is one of the governors who do not temper with the local government funds. At some point in time when there was economic melt down, Chief Godswill Akpabio use to finance the local governments for us to achieve what we needed to do in our various local government councils. So, our relationship with him has been very cordial and that is why we say he must go back for a second term because he has done very well. The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and all the federal agencies came and adjudged him as one of the best governors Nigeria has ever produced. So, what are we talking about? Godswill Akpabio should be given the chance to continue the good work he is doing in the state. He has done very well and we will continue to encourage him to do more. This is why he deserves a fresh term by the votes of the people of Akwa Ibom State. We will all queue behind him to ensure his victory at the poll.
Coming back to the issue of our relationship with the governor, there is a very cordial relationship with all the 21 local government areas. What we do in Akwa Ibom State ALGON is like a brotherhood thing. We have monthly interactions, visit local governments and see development projects and you go back to your council and want to replicate such development projects. Is like a competition but a healthy one at that.
There has been this allegation that the PDP in Akwa Ibom State have been suppressing the opposition, especially the ACN. How will you describe the crisis between Governor Godswill Akpabio and the ACN governorship candidate, Senator Akpanudoedehe?
Well, I think the issue of crisis in Akwa Ibom wouldn’t have even come in, in the first place. But there are some fifth columnists outside who think that politics is a do-or-die affair. We are aware that Udoedehe has entered into an agreement with the leadership of the party to be giving them N6b every month from Akwa Ibom State allocation. And that made them to think they can do everything possible to get Akwa Ibom State to become an ACN state. But it is not possible, because His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio approached the development of Akwa Ibom State with aggression and a lot of people have seen it.
The governor is an Anangman and from the minority but Akpanudoedehe happens to come from the majority-Ibibio. Udoedehe the man we know has been in several positions of authority and has not been able to deliver to the people. For instance, he was a local government chairman, during his tenure nothing happened. He was made a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and nothing happened. In his days as the minister of state for FCT, he had a terrible misunderstanding with his boss and that lead to his removal from office. Is this the kind of person that wants to be the governor of Akwa Ibom State? And the generality of the people are saying no, we have to give it to a man that knows the yearnings of the people of Akwa Ibom State.
The issue of sharing the state allocation has been the problem and I want to tell you that the federal government of Nigeria and the common know the truth. The politics that ACN is playing in Akwa Ibom State is not the politics that is played in other parts of the country. They are into tribal politics and I believe that should be done away with in the context of Nigerian politics.
I want to tell you that Udoedehe is being myopic and tribalistic. He does not know the game of politics. Udoedehe should give peace a chance; ACN should give peace a chance.
Akwa Ibom is for the PDP and will remain so until such a time that PDP will not do well in Akwa Ibom.
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