Moses Struck the Rock Twice to Prove Udom is Right

Praises Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State for retaining his deputy in his second term

in perennial flash-points across the state; its concomitant renaissance in infrastructure at the Ibagwa Barracks; and the upswing in plans towards actualizing the Ibom Deep Sea port project.

Also in the list is the attainment of the all-time high of over 1,700 km of economically viable road network constructed across the state; the unveiling of the long awaited biographical Holy Grail on our Deputy Governor titled, “Trials and Truimphs”; the state’s arrival in 2019 at the critical threshold in power-sector investment: the launching by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo of the AKS “light for all” programme. What about the broad road-map on agriculture, and the others in solid minerals and sand exploitation, in addition to the action plan on education?

The Deputy Governor’s speech at the gala night and award ceremony marking the end of the 2019 Press Week fully attested to the above achievements: “I thank all of you, my colleagues, for considering me worthy of an Ambassadorial Award. Journalism is my first love, and the only way I can pay back for the tremendous opportunities it has availed me is to defend its sanctity to the best of my ability. My request to the succeeding generation of journalists is that you stick to the highest standards of the practice in order not to disappoint your ambassador.”

“A good turn deserves another,” he added. “The Udom Emmanuel administration is the first in Akwa Ibom to have patronized the media clan to the extent of assigning the Deputy Governor slot consecutively for two terms to a journalist. Whether the media in the state reciprocates this gesture by accordingly fraternizing with the administration, and doing all it can to ensure its success, will determine whether another administration in the future decides to copy Governor Emmanuel by co-opting a running mate from the media.”

And the clincher: “as your amabassador in government, my feed-back to you is that this administration means well in all spheres, and that the media should take ownership of it.”

And who would not take ownership of an administration which appropriately ended the year with “the ultimate nice thing”, which included the very novel Christmas Village initiative. On behalf of the Governor, the Deputy Governor had earlier flagged off the Christmas Village, carrying his media team with him. The team was obviously beaten by the aromatic bug from the barbecue at the village. When its principal was away from the state, the team virtually took a stand at the village – and here is how Esther Effiong, the senior information officer in the Deputy Governor’s Office justified that action.

“Our boss, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, had called on the media in the state to take ownership of this administration. As his media team, we feel we should set the needed example. So we are here to relax, eat and take ownership.”

-Umo is a Media Aide to the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom