UNN Convocation And The Akpabio Example (Posted: August 6, 2010)

By Aniekan Umanah
Hon. Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Information & Social Re-Orientation

On Saturday, August 07, 2010, and as part of the 39th Convocation of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Akwa Ibom State Governor Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio will mount the rostrum once again to be decorated with a Doctorate Degree in Law by the authorities of the Institution.

The event scheduled for the Margaret Ekpo Convocation Hall will see the Governor honoured by the 50-year old citadel of higher learning following a succession of unbridled performance par excellence as Chief Executive in Akwa Ibom State.

Although he has refused to blow his trumpet, the air he has made available for it to be blown cannot be overemphasized, it is the air of development, unmatched. In and out of the country, the story is the same- Akpabio is doing God’s will in the Land of Promise.

If ever any man's life captured the delicate balance between the triumph of victory over tragedy it will be the story of His Excellency Dr Godswill Obot Akapbio. He's is a story that only him should tell.

At a time when most of us had the strong arm of our fathers to guide, cuddle us. He lost his father when he was a baby. Life was hard, cruel and merciless to his single widowed young mother. At a point his mother did not have the equivalent of N10 to pay his school fees. He had to resort to hiding in the bushes and the forest while all the other kids in the village were in their class rooms. In the lonely and quiet soltitude of the forest, he said to himself " if i ever become something in life, I will make sure no child will have to pay to go to school, because education is a right not a privilege. Every child must have free education". He had a dream.

Today, one of the greatest legacies, Governor Godswill Akpabio has bequeathed to the people of Akwa Ibom State is the free and compulsory Education policy. Under this policy, Akwa Ibom children of school age from primary to senior secondary level go to school free. What makes the Akpabio brand of free education unique is in addition to free tuition, the State pays a subvention of N100 per primary school pupil and N300 per secondary school student to cater for logistics and expenses for the administration of each child so that the school heads would have no excuse to impose any form of levy on the children.

President Goodluck Jonathan apparently satisfied with the educational development in Akwa Ibom made the following remarks following his visit to the State, “Anybody who invests in children education is investing in their future and the future of the society'. I commend the initiatives of the Akwa Ibom State Government and lend the support of the Federal Government under my leadership to any state that wants to invest in its citizens future.”

Also, Governor Akpabio has ensured the provision of a conducive learning environment in schools for the Akwa Ibom children through massive rehabilitation and reconstruction of schools’ blocks, provision of Science and Laboratory equipment, construction of hostels and supply of desks. The provision of educational infrastructure in the state like in roads, is without bias and discrimination to federal owned infrastructure. For instance, University of Uyo, a federal university has benefitted immensely through provision of facilities and construction of internal roads in the campus. The Governor has also embarked on the construction of an e-library in the State to serve as a reference centre for researchers in the State in particular and the country generally. Indeed scholarship in Akwa Ibom has never had it so good. This much was testified by a group of Akwa Ibom indigenes in the United Kindom under the aegis of Mboho Ndito Akwa Ibom in UK and Ireland. The diasporans at their annual celebration in London spoke glowingly about his leadership style and assured of their support to his administration.

After defeating no fewer than 60 other ranking Akwa Ibom citizens to emerge as governor in 2007, Governor Akpabio’ has left no one in doubt on his determination to turn the State around through the provision of infrastructure and service delivery to the people; and providing an enabling environment for investors to come to the State and partner with government in order to change the state from a pedestrian state to a world class destination which is hoped will become the biggest economy within the Gulf of Guinea.

When in November 2009, Dr. Godswill Akpabio received The Doctoral Degree in Public Administration (honoraris causa) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, he said: “We came to change things in Akwa Ibom but from the way we are being appreciated from across Nigeria, I wonder if we’ve not changed Nigeria already.” But how really could Akpabio have changed Nigeria?

He has, using his state, Akwa Ibom as a case study, served the country a delicacy called “development” Today, the country is basking in a renaissance. Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom has proven this. A major need for Nigeria is unity. The former has built bridges of unity across the various components of Nigeria as are reflected in the awards he receives severally from across the country. Indeed, Chief [Dr] Godswill Akpabio is a leading light in changing Nigeria for the better.

With the energy of a tiger, the Akpabio administration commitedly chased under-development, poverty, illiteracy, and hunger from Akwa Ibom into the bush. Flying on the wings of his free, compulsory and qualitative education, massive rural electrification and road rehabilitation and construction as well as committed youth empowerment, Chief Akpabio has saturated the faces of the people with smiles. Smiles that are so conspicuous to be noticed from any distance. And the This Day Newspaper having seen it, could not hide their feelings but reasoned that to show gratitude is to honour God. They gave governor the award of Emerging Tiger.

The “tiger” was emerging and they saw it from a distance. It took a different perspective in the eyes of others. It emerged and submerged all hitherto retrogressive attributes of the state. And it was possible for the first commercial aircraft to touch down on Akwa Ibom soil, after the completion of the world class Ibom International Airport, an on-going Ibom, concentric flyovers at the entrance of Uyo, and the completed Ibom Power Plant, all recently commissioned by President Jonathan.

This added another feather to his cap –the Independent Newspaper Man of the year Award. But Akpabio’s passion for developing Akwa Ibom transcends a year’s tradition. It shall live through eight years at a stretch, for its dividends to last forever.

A man of the people, his people believe that if he has done this much for them, then what will it cost them to say: “Thank You, Sir.” And they thanked him in different languages. In their own words in several fora: this man knows what it takes to deliver the people from the darkness of human and infrastructural underdevelopment, creating a state that is now irresistible- Akwa Ibom. Therefore, National Daily Newspaper also honoured him with Man Of The Year 2009. Thus, becoming an every year man of the year recipient, upgrading performance and unfolding greater achievements, year in year out.

That is the sentiment expressed by all strata of the Nigerian society. And it was reflected in a research independently conducted by BrandHealth Initiative, a research organization, where the governor emerged as the One of the two most respected Governors in Nigeria. But why wouldn’t he be respected when he himself has respected his words, exhaustively fulfilling electoral promises, and even collecting “extra.”

Akpabio, candidly speaking, is a man of honour. A deserved recipient of the highest national honour of the Republic of Niger, Gold Humanitarian Services Award, National Encomium Magazine has already given him the Best Governor of the year in infrastructural development.

On March 25, 2010, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, Akpabio was among eight distinguished Africans crowned with the prestigious Zik Prize for good governance.

Call him a man of many parts perhaps; in his stewardship, there is something for everyone. Most of newspapers have branded him Outstanding Governor, The African Church call him Nehemiah of Contemporary Times, Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, STAN call him Best Science Technology and Mathematics Governor.

The University of Uyo crowned him the Doctoral Degree in Law [Honoraris Causa], and the University of Calabar, in recognition enormous pride brought to them by one of their products, reeled a similar degree on him at a colourful ceremony in Calabar. Akpabio is a light – the Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Jigawa attested to this when it bestowed a Fellowship award on him several months ago.

Listing his legion of awards is as difficult as attempting to list the projects, programmes and achievements that have clothed him with these awards. It’s a breathtaking exercise.

Born on December 9, 1962 to Chief Obot Akpabio and Madam Lucy Obot Akpabio of Ukana Ikot Ntuen in Essien Udim Local Government Area, he had his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Ukana. And his secondary education at the prestigious Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he obtained his West African Senior Certificate Examination/ General Certificate of Education at Ordinary and Advanced Levels. Thereafter, he proceeded to the University of Calabar, where he obtained a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) on completion of his studies at the Nigerian Law School, he was called to the Nigerian bar.

Perhaps it is noteworthy to say that Godswill Akpabio leadership stint started from early childhood. At the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, a microcosm of the Nigerian society with students from all over Nigeria, he was appointed the General Senior Prefect. And later in the University of Calabar, notable leadership attributes resulted in his election as the Speaker of the Students’ Union Parliament.

Before commencing his professional career, Akpabio had a brief stint as a teacher, an opportunity that enabled him have a firsthand exposure to the educational crises in our society. He later joined Paul Usoro and Co., Lagos, a leading law firm in the country, as an associate partner. And his legal practice undoubtedly provided him hindsight into the needs of justice administration in Nigeria.

In 2002, he was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of EMIS Telecoms Limited, a leading privately-owned fixed wireless company in Lagos. In this position, he helped in developing the current crop of management in the telecom industry. In the industry, he was elected the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecom Companies in Nigeria, (ATCOM), while he was still the Company Secretary of EMIS Telecoms.

With the slogan that light lit on a mountain top cannot be hidden, it was not surprising that later in 2002 he was appointed the Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources. He left his stamp of efficiency in this ministry as an astute administrator and was subsequently re-deployed to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and later Ministry of Lands and Housing, Uyo.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka - popularly known as UNN - was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1960, seven days after the nation's independence in October 1960. It was the first "indigenous" university in Nigeria, and the second University in Nigeria after the University of Ibadan.

According to the organizers, other eminent Nigerians to receive higher degrees include Alhaji (Dr.) Mohammad Danjuma Goje, the Executive Governor of Gombe State; Mr. Olutayo Aderinokun, MFR, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.

Over 6,000 graduands are expected to receive Higher Degrees, First Degrees and Certificates on the occasion.

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