Copy of Bassey Assam’s Reaction To Aniekeme Finbarr’s Involvement In Udom’s Reply Letter To Assam Assam

THE FOLLY OF A DROP-OUT AND KLEPTOMANIAC CALLED ANIEKEME FINBARR.

BY BASSEY ABIA ASSAM

There are times when you hold your breath, bury yourself in silent hopes and fervently mutter some sincere prayers that a young man will resist the youthful nudge to exhibit the same folly and vainglory exhibited by “Nza the bird” which the popular Igbo proverb as captured in Chinua Achebe’s bestseller, Things Fall Apart, says made the grave mistake of overestimating himself after a heavy meal, that he had to challenge his Chi (god) to fight.
But then, being well-fed comes with the illusory temptation of dwelling within the precipice of self-magnification, so one could excuse the acts that are fuelled by such state of being.
However, one becomes so worried when a young man who does not even in his wildest dreams exist within the precincts of people who the society will classify as being well-fed tries to draw attention to himself by exhibiting the same folly that can only be excusable in people who are well fed.

That is the grave crime a riffraff and a ne’er-do-well Aniekeme Finbarr committed when he commissioned himself as the savior of Mr Udom Emmanuel and made a desperate but failed attempt to refute the submissions made by my Principal, Amb. Assam Assam, (SAN) in an open letter he wrote to the Secretary to the state Government.
I will not belabor myself to offer an issue based response to Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr as the pathetic situation he now exist as a dropout robs him of the cherished luxury of engaging in a fact-based discourse which is the exclusive preserve of intellectuals which unfortunately will take Aniekeme Finbarr at least four years to come, to even come close to.

I discovered the futility of attempting to dignify Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr in a fact-based intellectual discourse on reading the title of his histrionics which in his perception could for a reply to my boss. He made reference to my boss as “a drowning man”. The million dollar question that I put across to the intellectuals reading this piece is: Between an accomplished legal luminary who has acted as counsel to the government of different states, including Akwa Ibom and men of no mean repute, and a pathetic University of Uyo dropout, who fits perfectly into the description of a drowning man? Pray tell, wasn’t Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr exhibiting the tendencies of a drowning man when he decided to rob himself in, in a fight between people who occupy an upper position in the food chain, a place Aniekeme Finbarr might never rise in his life to?

For one thing, Mr Udom Emmanuel is an accomplished Banker, my principal Amb Assam Assam is not only a legal luminary who has climbed to the highest point of his career – being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria but also an accomplished diplomat whose appointment as Ambassador to nation like Russia and Belarus was informed by his brilliance.
The question is who is Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr? Just a pathetic, poverty-stricken dropout who is trying to just lay hold on anything to make ends meet. I am an architect and I relate with people on the basis of my professional calling. It’s only pathetic that Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr does not have any professional standing to mingle with us.

For the benefit and of new residents in Uyo, it is pertinent to say that, Aniekeme Finbarr, being the only son of his father, Late Finbarr Ukpong, who passed on early this year, was sent out of the department of University of Uyo about half a decade ago, due to his inability to cope with the rigors of academics. His mates who were in the same class of Law with Dropout Aniekeme Finbarr in the prestigious University of Uyo, which I am also a proud alumni, are now lawyers; some will soon be appointed magistrates in the court of Law. He left the school in his third year after setting an all time low record of obtaining a CGPA of 1.65. Since then, he has been hopping from one office to another looking for how to make ends meet. Initially, his late father did not know that his son was a drop out until a lecturer Barr. Francize Ekwere informed him that his son was just perambulating in school without any course form and class admit card. This incident led to the demise of his father, who developed high blood pressure and died early this year. It will not be out of place to say that, Anieke Finbarr’s recklessness indirectly killed his father, who would have still been alive. As soon as his father was buried, he went and inherited the only car of the deceased even when the mother was crying and rolling on the floor begging him to leave it for her. His involvement in Udom’s gubernatorial campaign is ridiculous as people that know him have been asking the million dollar question: ‘why should a drop-out take such active part’. Sometime ago, I understand that, he led young professionals to Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt with a view of drumming support for Udom. That was one of the most laughable acts I have heard of this year. In fact, even his colleague in school, Mr. Emem Utuk who is now a lawyer queried, ‘If Ofonime Eno AKA Kpozo, is a lawyer and young professional, Idongesit Udofot is an estate valuer and a young professional, Eric Ekwere is a media expert and a young professional, what is Aniekeme Finbarr who dropped out of school in our year three doing in the midst of such people? The mere fact that Aniekeme Finbarr is allowed to be a part of that group, who want the public to see them as Young professional has diminished any iota of respect the public would have had for such a group.’

It will be recalled that, the said Dropout Finbarr was ejected out of Bush House, In Abuja by Akparawa Michael Bush on noticing that, he stole two thousand naira in a bundle of 1000 naira notes given to Bush by one of his clients. This incident infuriated Bush who regretted ever having anything to do with him and sacked him through the police station without giving him a dime, not even a transport fare to Uyo. Since then, he has been trying to work as an adjunct staff in Love FM as well as squat with his friend in a one room apartment along Urua Ekpa road whenever he finds himself in Uyo, before joining the Udom Gabriel Emmanuel team as a self-commissioned media assistant. But could a man who wants to be the governor of our state employ someone without asking of his certificate? Na waooo? It will be preferable for Udom to ensure that, whoever man media for him owns at least the basic qualification. How can such a Kleptomaniac and drop out spearhead the ship of Udom’s media?
While advising my principal not to join issues with him, I want to urge Finbarr to call and organize a fund launch and use the proceeds to purchase a JAMB form and start school even if it’s College of Education, because the next government of Akwa Ibom State under the leadership of ASSAM ASSAM will not employ a drop-out, a kleptomaniac and a busy body.

I understand that, his boss the Secretary to the state government Master Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, has replied my boss letter, there is no cause for alarm, as my boss will soon put his ink in paper. I call him master, because he is still a child and cannot take any decision without his ‘demigod’.

May the court rise! Coooouuuurrrrrtttttt!!!

AKWA IBOM 2015: BASSEY ABIA ASSAM “FINISHES” ANIEKEME FINBARR

In what is becoming a Hamas/Israel social media war between governorship hopefuls in Akwa Ibom State and following the exchange of “letter bombs” between Ambassador Assam Assam, Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, both aspirants for the number one position in the state, a loyalist to Amb. Assam has gone on the media to express anger over Finarr’s involvement in the reply letter to Amb. Assam by Mr. Emmanuel.

It could be recalled that Amb. Assam published an open letter on the media to Governor Akpabio on the alleged attempt by the incumbent to assassinate aspirants for the governorship position – people believed to be considered as enemies to Akpabio’s choice for 2015 being Mr. Emmanuel. In Emmanuel’s reply, Amb. Assam was described as “a whining child who believes that by feigning tears, he could be given some toys or privileges.”. It is believed by Mr. Bassey Assam that this letter is the art work of Finbarr and as such Finbarr deserves a direct reply. In his response to Finbarr, Mr. Assam alleges the following:

- That Mr. Finbarr is a dropout of the Faculty of Law, University of Uyo with CGPA of 1.65

- That Mr. Finbarr hid his situation from his father and pretended to be in school.

- That Mr. Finbarr’s father died out of shock on knowing his son’s true situation

- That Mr. Finbarr forcefully took his father’s only car from his mother

- That Bush House Nigeria sacked Mr. Finbarr when he stole a paltry sum of N2000 from the firm

The copy of the Bassey Assam’s killer article can be accessed here.

Akwa Ibom 2015: Aniekeme Finbarr Launches offensive on Ambassador Assam Assam

ASSAM ASSAM: THE BURDEN OF A DROWNING POLITICIAN By Aniekeme Finbarr

Chief Assam Ekanem Assam SAN is a study in political inconsistency. His condition has become very peculiar that even his good morning greetings require the receiver's verification before reply.
But since he is an intelligent man, a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, there are still a few unsuspecting members of the public who are tempted to take him seriously when he puts his fingers on the keyboard to write a petition and or an open letter.

His recent letter addressed to the
Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr Udom Emmanuel dated July 22, 2014 is one of his
typical stunts culled from his old bag of political tricks. But since we are all students of history, we are obliged to cast our minds back and learn from the experiences of yesterday.
I recall in 2006, there was a paid advertorial by Chief Assam Assam in the Newswatch magazine published on March 20, 2006, therein, he raised
allegations and a filed complaints to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about the
corruption in Obong Victor Attah's government.
It was the greatest individual media attack on the then governor. But since the petition was ill conceived,
there were lots of inconsistencies in it. Interestingly, a list of contracts were enumerated by Chief Assam
as having been awarded by Obong Attah's administration. In itemising the contracts, Chief Assam knowingly or inadvertently failed to include crucial contracts his chambers received also from
the same government.
A latter advertorial published
in THE PIONEER Newspaper of Monday, 27th March 2006 however did. I chose to reproduce it here "We
are in possession of an incontrovertible evidence to
show that on 30th April 2004, Chief Assam Assam of the Lex Fori Partners (his law firm at 47 Ekpo Abasi Street, Calabar, Cross River State) COLLECTED the sum of N5 million from the Akwa Ibom State
Government in connection with Suit No. SC/124/97 - Cross River State Vs. Federal Government of Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State . Also, on the 22nd March 2005 , just about a year ago, Chief Assam Assam had COLLECTED N10 million from the
Government of Akwa Ibom State for Suit No. SC/124/99 and SC/28/2004. Much earlier in the
same month of March, ( 16th March, 2005 ) the same Assam had COLLECTED N15 million from the
State Government for Suit No. HU/83/2005 (Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State Vs. Continental Trust Bank Limited).
Much later, on 1st June, 2005, about nine months ago, the same Assam still COLLECTED from the same Akwa Ibom State Government, N40 million for Suit No. SC/12/124/99 - Attorney General of Cross River State Vs. Attorney General of the Federation and Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State .
Chief Assam Assam, as far as we know, has so far COLLECTED N70 million from the Akwa Ibom State
Government; within three months alone (last year) he collected N65 million. Except to say that we are
privy to the fact that part of the above stated amount is what Chief Assam Assam dishonourably
COLLECTED from the state government without fulfilling his part of the agreement of getting vital
legal documents from the International Court of Justice in the Hague to advance Akwa Ibom interest, we are not bothered about how much money he acquired through the Government of Akwa Ibom State.
Our concern is simple.
And it is encapsulated in the following questions; Assam Assam sees contracts awarded to several
companies, both foreign and indigenous, as being a conduit pipe for Governor Victor Attah to siphon
public funds. Was his own an exceptional case or what? Or was he part of the conduit pipe? Was the
financial patronage he received from Attah's Administration not inflated like all the others he has mentioned, because it's him - CHIEF ASSAM ASSAM - that was involved?
A leopard, they say, never changes his spots. The people can never be
deceived. Assam Assam, this is your life!". Of course, Chief Assam's motivation to write that petition was his anger that having crossed over from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he had expected a slot
(maybe in form of an appointment) in the state government and since that wasn't forthcoming, the learned Senior Advocate grabbed his pen and went to work.
To the present administration, despite his obvious opposition to the emergence of Chief Godswill Akpabio, the Governor still co-opted him to serve in his administration as Honorary Special Adviser and later Attorney General and Commissioner For Justice.
As long as the going was good, Chief spoke glowingly of the government. He was further recommended by Chief Godswill Akpabio to Mr President for the ambassadorial job to Russia and the Belarus, which he gladly took.
And since Chief Assam Assam is never satisfied, he nursed a governorship ambition and expected the governor's support and when that wasn't forthcoming, the learned Senior Advocate once again raised a false alarm claiming that Governor Akpabio engineered his being appointed an Ambassador in order to take him out of the Akwa Ibom polity and checkmate his
gubernatorial ambition.
He even made an assertion that Akpabio sent him to Russia as a punishment. Was he forced to the
Senate Chambers and the security agencies for clearance? Did he honestly pay his way his way to
Abuja and lobbied to be cleared so he could embark on this punishment? Interestingly, an ambassadorial position is not jail – he could have turned it down and the heavens would not have fallen. A thousand and one persons would willingly have taken his place.
He took it willingly without any coercion and celebrated it. He thanked Governor Akpabio effusively before setting out to Russia – one of the most important countries in the world.
I was the Master of Ceremonies at Sheraton, Abuja that night when Senator Ita Enang organised a reception dinner to congratulate his new ambassador friends on their
appointments. I remember Chief Assam spoke last of them all. I adjusted the microphone stood a step beside him. It was one of my best dinners on the microphone. I couldn't forget it.
I remember the glow in his voice, his praises on Governor Akpabio and President Jonathan. His excitement to go to cold Russia and his promise to buy Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe a bicycle to take to Canada. But little did I know, the learned Senior Advocate was on his way to be severely "punished".
A renowned advocate that discovers that he was being punished, yet decides to submit himself to the
punishment, leaves a lot of vulnerable ones like us in a dilemma of confusion. Obviously, Chief Assam's initial salvo did not attract the level of attention he needed, therefore, he chosed to write an open letter to the SSG, an outstandingly favorite aspirant for the top job in other to leverage on Mr Udom
Emmanuel's popularity.
Chief Assam claims he is one of those who worked for Governor Akpabio and one of those who
"campaigned and spent their time and money for him to become Governor, those who salvaged his
Government and laundered his image, those who stood by him when he was wearing the garment of
cultists, those who gave him hope when he was hopeless, those who faced the difficult times with him..." Chief Assam's reference to cultism is nothing short of self-indictment. As the Commissioner for Justice in Akwa Ibom State how many cultists did he prosecute? What did he do about crime? Obviously, Chief Assam is using this medium to attract attention and this he betrays in this lines, "Speaking for myself, I can assure you that no threat can deter me from the pursuit of a goal I have set for myself and no coercion can force me out of a match".
Nobody is forcing the learned Senior Advocate out of any match. He is entitled to aspire for any office. A
recent interview he granted the Insight Newspapers shows Chief Assam is seeking everything but the
Governorship position, “I want to tell you all that the only person I will contest the governorship with is
Akpabio and the day he withdraws from the race I will have no opposition.
Akpabio is the only obstacle to a free and transparent party nomination and election but I am glad because the People’s Democratic Party has
started the process of a free and fair nomination and election”. My question is, Is Governor Akpabio also one of the aspirants? However, he (Chief Assam) does not need to use blackmail to try to ascend to
any office. Even as young people, we understand Chief Assam's popularity is on a downward slide and even stunts like this open letter will not help his situation. I am only concerned because of all people,
he chosed to direct his letter to Mr Udom Emmanuel.
I will be glad if Mr Udom does not
dignify that letter with a reply.
The Udom we all know is a savvy , purpose-driven, value-maximizing, and thoroughbred professional
whose driving force hinges on the fundamental need to make a difference.
His magic wand is his commitment to excellence which derives its finer stuff from hard work, dedication, and recourse to endless prayers. He is God fearing, resolute, dedicated, competent, creative, visionary, efficient, highly adaptable, disciplined, career minded performer, strategist and a richly experienced private sector player. A man who is prepared and ready to mobilise all strata of the state.
A man who doesn't feel insecure to assemble the best brains and experts in the state. A man who will harness ideas from all and sundry through public consultations and participation to govern the state. He is competent and qualified and nothing, not even this letter will stop him.

Aniekeme Finbarr is a Public Affairs Analyst

TO UNIUYO FRESH UNDERGRADUATES: MY MATRICULATION GIFT

Shawama and Hollandia I have none. But these I have prepared so delicious for you. I am not a good cook but I used the best of my utensils for this. Please eat and get filled. It is not perfect but it will satisfy at least.
• GOD loves you and wants the best for you. Start, continue and end with HIM in personal prayers.
• The main reason you come to school for is your degree. Love your books as yourself.
• Distractions come in many forms, good and bad. Be sure you can manage anything before you engage in them so it does not affect your academics.
• Watch these and others: relationships, social life, religious fellowships, family issues, poor finance, politics and unionism. Do not allow any of these to distract you, none is worth sacrificing your academics for.
• Do not tempt a lecturer to tempt you. Women take note.
• Obey all rules so you don't keep yourself in a vulnerable position.
• Time in school is faster than at home. You have only few years to spend in school, read day and night. Now fresh in year one, soon you'll be old.
• Your grades are determined primarily by you, secondarily by examination condition and the lecturer, and in special cases by GOD.
• Do not tempt GOD by using the whole time doing religious activities with the belief that GOD will intervene in your examinations. Do not give the devil opportunity to make you doubt GOD.
• Unionism is sweet, take it if you can, it awards great voluntary experiences, but it carries no grade point.
• Be mindful of your friends. As humans, they have a tendency of sacrificing you to earn favor from a lecturer. Love all, forgive all, trust none.
• Get your complete and up to date timetable and courses outlines. This is your study plan.
• Read ahead of a class, revise after the class. I tell you, it is easier to understand than to cram.
• Identify the reading style that suits you best: read in group but create personal time for yourself. Develop possible questions for yourself while revising.
• At die-minutes, cramming helps better than understanding. Learn how to cram using mnemonics and repetitions. Repetition writes on the memory, but be careful, quick cramming is easily erased or confused.
• Night classes give a better study climate than studying at home. But remember, good and bad work together, but you know what you want in a night class. However, identify which one works best for you, home or class.
• Do not give out your homework or assignment for people to do for you. You will throw away a lot of learning opportunities doing so. Do this only in unavoidable cases.
• Apply for mentorships if available or ask students for students friendly lecturer to get close to. Be close to your exams officer. These will help you monitor your progress in school.
• Try and be close to your course lecturers if possible. I tell you, a time comes when it is not about what you wrote, but who you are and who you know.
• Be courageous and bold. You can meet even the Vice Chancellor if you so wish. It might only take time but be patient. All staff of the school are there for you, do not be afraid to meet them in their office. Do not be scared of embarrassments.
• Join registered related professional organizations. It is very beneficial and exposing.
• Be close to your senior colleagues for advice. But be careful, not all advices are considerable.
• Source for past questions from senior colleagues. Most times it gets repeated. Most times.
• Observe and study your lecturers, know what (s)he likes. Most times it is not about the quality of what you write, but your abilities to impress your lecturer.
• Do not work for anything less than a B Grade Average.
• Do not ever engage in bribery or cheating. It steals your strength and confidence and leaves you vulnerable.
• Be your brothers' keeper. But I tell you it is useless to go down with a group. Identify the problems in a group and solve it. Else get out from the group.
• Start your assignments the day you are given one. It is less stressful doing it that way.
• Try as much not to copy homeworks or assignments, however if you end up doing so, make time to study it later.
• Note the last lecture for a course. It is a sure examination question except otherwise stated.
• Ask questions but do that very humbly. Lecturers can be sensitive and may pick offense. You may know a particular thing more than a lecturer, but NEVER try to show (s)he does not know. Do not outshine your masters.
• Do not speak bad of a lecturer. Your friends are waiting to report you to gain favor.
• Photocopying of books is not a serious crime yet over here. Commit this crime, have your materials with you if you cant buy.
• Handouts are banned in the school. But I tell you it is wise to get a material sold by a lecturer where names are recorded. Buy first, pass first, fight it later if you care.
• Identify colleagues who are good at what. Kill your pride and learn from them. You have your aim.
• Textbooks explain better. Use the library frequently.
• Girls, do not be deceived by the flocks of guys around you. In your freshness and innocence boys and men will come after you. They did the same thing to your senior colleagues. It does not last.
• Guys, the female hostel is so sweet to hang around, so sweet like sugar, but beware of diabetes.
• A sinful life is more expensive than a righteous one. Why not save the little money you have for the month?
• The school is there and the gates are always open and there go in the good, the bad, the ugly. Choose therefore which you wish to identify with.
• Have fun, get responsible, grow, excel and do us proud.
• Let love lead.

WHY I WANTED TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM STATE AND WHAT STOPPED ME

“Hmm… See this small boy o!” Yes I can read your minds. Well undeterred I proceed, after all you said nothing is impossible, yes you too. Call that my weird intro so let’s start.

Let me start from the second part of my topic, what stopped me. Yes I wanted to succeed governor Akpabio, ehn… ami. As a matter of fact I had started consultations, I have met the nkutikuts, ukarakpas, inuen ekpos, afim akpas, oyobios, ikpaisongs and nkukus that matter. I have also worshipped in more than 10 churches since 2011. I have started being humble, loyal and generous, I visited people and events even uninvited. In fact again, I was able to settle the people who accepted to send me, so I can confidently say herein that the people of Akwa Ibom state had asked and disturbed me to lead them from 2015 so I am actually answering a call to service. Yes the people of Akwa Ibom. Do not say you were not there please, were you there when “the people” had sent others who had gone before me? So the people sent me. I do not discriminate the left handed people, after all in 1972 Nigeria changed from right-hand driving to left-hand driving and also President Obama whom I love so much is a left hander so to me both udom and ufien are right for the people of Akwa Ibom State. This is not to say I could not in my creativity coin my name to form a theme for my campaign. My campaign committee chaired on ad-hoc by me had proposed the use of “In a victorious Akwa Ibom, we are Victors”, “Ibom Victory 2015, as victors we stand”, “God’s Victory for Akwa Ibom” etc but I declined all proposals and accepted “Akwa Ibom 2015”, simple. So what happened to the dream?

I woke up! That is the answer. I was woken by someone I met during my consultations, someone I wooed to chair my security. He had mentioned all I needed for the forthcoming period: a two layer circumference of security personnel for my family members and four layers of same for myself and this is the formula: the first layer will be compromised by my opponents, the second assassinated and the third layer kidnapped, only the last layer will remain at the end of the exercise… Hmm. That was not all, I was told the cost of nomination form, I wrote Akwa Ibom state politicians for sponsorship and they did not reply. My budget for the election was unreadable, unwriteable and unpronounceable. I thought if I could sell my phone and the charger I could get the form. At least start from there. So for the first time something was impossible here, I had to stop or suspend the dream.

Why did I really want to be the governor that will succeed H.E G. Akpabio? I wanted to start an industrial revolution, to utilize the wealth of the state to enable Akwa Ibom people to create and get jobs. I wanted to stop the event of having a limited few enjoying the wealth of the state. I wanted a situation where people do not beat drums and follow me everywhere I go because in reality, if they were gainfully employed they will be too busy to come out and drum after me. I wanted a situation we do not have to subsidize tickets at the Tropicana Cinema because the citizens will be able to afford the real fee. I did not want to bar the movement of Keke or motorcycles in the metropolis because when there are jobs, the number of kekes and motorcycles will consequentially reduce. I needed our WAEC results to show how of good quality our free education is and I wanted hope for further education for brilliant but less privileged students from secondary schools. Instead of buying buses and imprinting my name on them, I rather wanted to use the money to buy cars for taxis. I wanted the state to start generating revenue to compete with the money allocated the state from the FG. That is why I wanted to invest greatly in Education, Agriculture, Science and Engineering. With these sectors working effectively, our economy would improve greatly, jobs will be easily reached and all other sectors will be positively affected. How did I intend to do this? First things first, my state Executive Council will be composed of professionals in relevant fields, I cannot have a Lawyer to be in charge of Ministry of Commerce for example. I cannot give out Ministries to people on compensation or political grounds if Akwa Ibom must be serious in growth this time. That is not to say however that I do not have great ways of appreciating my supporters. I also will recognize the fact that there are citizens who have better ideas on how to grow the state so I wanted to open a bureau that will be in charge of getting ideas from the people through proposals so that together we can build Akwa Ibom. As a guide to both me and the citizens, I wanted to facilitate an effective presence of the EFCC and ICPC in the state by ensuring every LGA has effective EFCC and ICPC stations. Let me just bore you with a brief of how I wanted to go about changing the state.

On Education, I wanted to ensure that in addition to the free and compulsory education, the standard of learning is improved through provision of adequate and necessary facilities and renovation of old/construction of new structures in schools. I also wanted to ensure the establishment of at least a model secondary school per LGA. The best students in each model school will have sponsorships to study in any state owned institution. On the tertiary institutions, I intended to ensure the sponsorship of lecturers by batches to undergo further studies overseas so as to meet a target of each program having at least two professors within ten years period and also ensure an effective transfer of the western education technology to the state.  To sum it up, I intended to establish and fund in partnership with relevant bodies research institutions for the sectors of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Works, Education and Health in the state. That is not all, but let me stop there before they steal my idea.

On Agriculture, taking advantage of our very fertile soil, I wanted to make sure that the state invest greatly in the sector so that we can start producing enough raw materials for agro-allied industries. I wanted to sponsor research into the cultivations of some foreign crops in the state. Talking about agro allied industries, it will be a great thing to find juice, flour, biscuit, noodles and all kinds of foods and drugs manufactured in the state using the raw materials from our farm produce. Akwa Ibom can feed the nation. This will not only feed the state cheaply, but will also cause a great opportunities for employment for different class of people. Do I need to talk much on the need to make effective use of our marine agricultural resources? I wanted the economy of the state to be greatly diversified, not depending solely on crude oil.

On Science and Technology, I wanted to resume the construction of the Ibom Science Park, it will be best for the state to not just be a zone for the assemblage of electronics but to also learn how to develop electronics and many devices. We should be tired of importing common wooden rulers with made in china labels. We should also look into provoking researches in the areas of engineering, science and technology in the state’s institutions.

On industries, I definitely understand the challenges of having public enterprises, but I strongly believe that every challenge has a solution, we just need to search and research for it. I wanted to establish as many agro-allied industries as possible near the farms already planned for in the state. Why do we need to bring in biscuits, sweets, chewing gums, noodles etc. from outside the state when we can as well send out our own? I also wanted to establish the state owned Oil Exploration and Production company. It is not good the state play a passive role in the utilization of the oil resources by merely waiting to receive from the International Oil Companies who operate here and from the monthly allocations from the FG, that is too lazy on our part, so I wanted to establish a state owned oil services company with a vision to grow into an E&P Company soon. The same applies to civil works, construction companies, the state Ministry of Works can be equipped to own a subsidiary company that deals with civil works call it Ibom Construction Company that will start with the constructions of local roads and also handle some public infrastructures with a vision of growing to take over major projects in the state and beyond. Have you ever thought about the possibility of having AKBC rebranded to compete with Channels TV? I know the state also needs other television corporations, AKBC should be for news. I also wanted to invest greatly in the Akwa Ibom movie industry importing foreign techniques and technology to enable Akwa Ibom movies outshine that of Nollywood. Serious efforts were also to be placed to ensure the Ibom Seaport is realized, a very necessary facility to boost industrialization in the state and country. I also intended to ensure we have metals manufacturing and fabrication companies so as to ensure we no longer import steel from abroad but can simply manufacture and fabricate same in Akwa Ibom to feed Nigeria.I do not wish to exhaust my list of industries. Let me stop there.

I also have serious and inexhaustible plans for other sectors like health, children/women, transportation, commerce, lands, town planning and housing, culture and tourism. Like for example I wanted to propose a bill to abolish child labor, by so doing I intended to establish an Ibom Family Care Centers across the LGAs to ensure less privileged children and aged people are taken care of instead of having them cause children to hawk in the streets thereby exposing the young generation to the very harsh side of life when I am here cruising on A/C jeeps governing them, meaning every child found to be under labor will be taken by the state after following necessary takeover due process. In housing I intended to embark on making very affordable housing scheme for the rural communities especially. But it must be admitted that this article is already too long so I must stop. I must tell you however that if I could achieve all these, the hotels and entertainment centers built by the current administration would not even accommodate the customers and as such bigger private hotels would beg to come into the state so the government would not have to be providing everything in a whereas mixed economy as practiced in Nigeria. Chai… if only you could see the roadmap to the future through my eyes… Let me stop. Do not forget I would have wanted to go for a second term too, very important, besides the sweetness of power, I also would need to ensure that reasonable extents have been arrived at in my revolution for change in the state.

This is just a shadow of why I wanted to be the governor of Akwa Ibom state come 2015. Thank you.

Edited by: My friend