SCOTT TOMMEY. AN IBIBIO MAN IN DUBAI
When I first heard about him, I thought he was Scottish. It was my brother Raymond Abia that first mentioned his name and then I started seeing him in the papers. I took some time to meet up with him though. It was the recklessly handsome Otunba Morakinyo who took me to his office in Abuja and we had a long meeting. This was a real-life Ibibio man and not Scottish o. I sat there and stared at him. Nothing came out of the meeting and I promptly forgot about him. When I was doing my play in Uyo, they said, Scott is your man. I called him and he took my calls and I explained my mission and he promptly forgot to take my calls again until Akan commandeered him and he performed. That was how Akan invited me to dinner in Dubai. I was passing through on my way to the UK, to meet up with my beautiful daughter, Chantal. That was how I met up with Akan and Scott in a very beautiful and elegant restaurant downtown Dubai. My brother, when I look the menu, I just dey see things I no recognise. So, I turned to Scott who was also looking as confused as I was. Are you minding Akan? That one had already made his order and speaking in French was already eating. I said my brother Scott, abiet mo nyienge Afang mi o- meaning – looks like they don’t have afang o. Scott said, na so we see am o. I asked “what do we do?’’ He replied “let’s manage na, Afterall no be only Afang we go dey chop na.” “Scott, what if I start to purge,” I asked to which he replied, “Well na so he dey do me. We go just chop am and go purge. After all, flight na till tomorrow. That was how me and Scott went through the suffering of eating raw scorpion and lizard testicles with a straight face to make the other people no laugh us. After all, we were dining with incoming customers.
Scott is a very loyal and proud Akwa Ibom man. His vision for the state aligns with that of Akan and also that of the generality of the Youth of Akwa Ibom. Scott is a serious business man who believes that our state, Akwa Ibom as presently configured is under performing. He wants to be part of a new engine of growth, attract international businesses, to invest, create jobs and empower the people. These are the types of men we need and this is why we are supporting them. Men, who have built tremendous wealth without leeching or relying on the state government. Men who have gone out there despite the fact that they belong to a minority tribe, fought to sit on the table reserved for the Emi lo kan’s of our country. Akan and Scott have come to Akwa
Ibom to ask what the state wants from them and not what the state will give them. We have the answers bro, our state needs a major economic renaissance. Do it.