When Godswill Obot Akpabio, then governor of Akwa Ibom State, clocked 50 on December 9, 2012, many people were surprised that he was just hitting the golden age, particularly with his commanding heights of achievements in government which made his reputation go before him.
His story is that of a man of uncommon life history. Born of poor parentage and through hard- work, he fought his way to the highest pinnacle of public service in his state and has also become a large figure in national politics. Akpabio is an enigma, worthy of study by persons aspiring to live a life of humility and service in Nigeria.
His testament on how he overcame all odds to become what he is today is inspiring. Born 53 years ago to a family who lost its father, the breadwinner, early in life, Akpabio came to live a life of wretchedness, feeding from hand to mouth. Thanks to his mother who fought against many obstacles as a single parent; that Akpabio is alive today to tell the story of his life.
His background shaped his life thereafter because he never forgot those times when he hid in the bush; while his contemporaries were in school. He undoubtedly had to go on a rescue mission for Akwa Ibom state; when he emerged governor in 2007, because, his pathetic upbringing was akin to those of majority of his people.
Until he mounted the saddle as governor, his people were treated more like commoners by the bigger entities in the country. To be an indigene of Akwa Ibom was indeed like coming from a slave state.
The wider perception was that Akwa Ibomites were best suited for menial employment as domestic servants, house boys, house girls and personal drivers.
Like or hate him, the truth is that the eight years purposeful governance introduced by Godswill Akpabio wiped away shame from the face of every Akwa Ibomite. The house girls and house boys(those Akpans and Ekaetes) from Akwa Ibom areno longer in private homes in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and other major towns and cities. They now embrace schools in Akwa Ibom State,courtesy of the free and compulsory education programme of the Akpabio administration, formulated to produce a very vibrant, literate and well-focused population in the next few years.
As governor, Akpabio paid sufficient attention to the generality of the people of Akwa Ibom State.
He once said in an interview: “I see government as an organization that gives hope to the hopeless, gives food, cloth and water to the needy. That is the way I look at things.”
The foregoing philosophy characterized his government and reflects in his human relationship that many know him as large-hearted while others may see him as wasteful.
During his tenure, senior citizens, defined as those 70 years and above, pregnant women and children five years old and below, enjoyed free medical treatment.
Akpabio’s accomplishment in the area of road network construction is also noteworthy. In carrying his road revolution, he did not discriminate between state and federal roads because as he rightly justified, majority of those who were dying from existing bad roads then wereAkwa Ibom people.
An imposing edifice called Akwa Ibom International airport is one of the numerous achievements of Akpabio. Although the project was initiated before he came into office in 2007,technical evaluation had placed the airport at ten percent level of completion. Today, the state boasts of a fully functional international airport with 3.6 km runway and first class facilities.
In addition, a state-of-the-art Governor’s Lodge was also constructed in a record time of fourteen months. This is further in addition to the ultra modern e-library in Uyo and the Federal Prison at Ikot Ekpene completed and commissioned. There is also a Banquet Hall on Metro Road, Uyo and several other projects constructed.
Today, Akwa Ibom is a leader in conference tourism, courtesy of an enabling environment created by the administration of one visionary leader; visitors to the state troop to the world classhospitality complex called Tropicana Entertainment Centre, with a galleria, Cineplex, shopping mall etc.
Besides, his administration built a world-class stadium and also left an uncommon stamp in human capital development with over 300 graduates sent for study in Canada, particularly in the area of computer studies.
Akpabio also launched Women in Agriculture Empowerment Development Scheme to enable Akwa Ibom women go back to agriculture; soft loans were disbursed with each beneficiary getting at least N250,000; while the integrated farmers scheme trained several graduates and gave them N500,000 each to set up small farms.
The Akpabio administration no doubt embarked on ambitious projects for industrial revolution in the state. Some of the industrial development projects under the Ibom Industrial City projects were designed to be an industrial mix of oil and gas–based support services, dockyard and watercraft repair facilities, fertilizer plant, oil refinery, gas-to-liquid projects, petrochemical industries, power plant, deep seaport, etc.
It is expected that Governor Emmanuel Udom and those after him will make Ibom Industrial City fully operational as it is projected to employdirectly and indirectly over 100,000 people, increase the export base of the state, put the state on the oil and gas map of the world, and open up the state as one of the gateways to the world in the Gulf of Guinea.
By the time Akpabio exited governorship May 29, he had also delivered a world-class 308-bed Ibom Specialist Hospital. The hospital recently commenced operation.
In fact, Wikileaks had identified Akpabio as the governor to watch in Nigeria given the infrastructural revolution undertaken by the uncommon administration.
Akpabio is indeed a five-star achiever. If Godswill Akpabio were an ad copy, the copy writer would walk tall in any industry awards ceremony, for creating an award-winning copy.
As a politician, Akpabio is a sure brand with an impressive image, image of a performer akin to one with a magic wand. His presence electrifies his environment, pulling all classes of people around him.
The Peoples Democratic Party knows this too well. As governor; he emerged the pioneer chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum. And just coming to the senate as a first timer, the party somewhat discarded the seniority tradition for Akpabio to lead the charge for them as minority leader.
As a mortal being, he would not boast of perfection for only God is perfect. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that Akpabio is a super brand; a good advertisement for a country where vision is scarce amongst the political leaders. By now, he should be a fertile subject of research for political communicators, political scientists and those interested in good governance and pragmatic leadership studies.
At 53, let the glasses clink; for Godswill Obot Akpabio has really touched humanity!
. Eze, a Public Affairs analyst writes from Abuja and could be reached viamajeze@yahoo.com or tweeter handle@majeze.
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