Where was Akpabio During PDP’s Funding Raising
The Otedolas have always been in the media for one thing or the other. If it’s not about the oil magnate’s increasing assets, it is about the legacy of his late father, Pa Michael Otedola. His beautiful wife Nana is caught up somewhere in the mix. Their popularity gained momentum with the breakout of the Otedola girls, Florence, Olawunmi and Temi.
It started with the arrival of Florence, popularly known as DJ Cuppy last year. Her beautiful face graced the glossy covers of magazines and her amazing story to pursue her passion was a regular read in tabloids. In no matter of time, she was the preferred DJ in the party of the rich and famous, and of course swooned the hearts of men of all ages and status who tried vainly to capture her heart.
Then wade in Olawunmi aka WuMi, the alternate soul singer. Like her sister, the philosophy and psychology graduate is also delving into the music industry. Just before we could bade 2014 goodbye, the last of the trio girls, Temi came into spotlight with her fashion blog, JTO. 19 year-old Temi, though not walking in her elder sisters’ shoes, has carefully charted her course in fashion. With western influences, Temi has set her fashion ball rolling.
With all the Otedola’s girls diversifying their skills in the entertainment industry, one wonders what next their planning in 2015 but clearly the sky seem to be limit as they have shown inclination for adventure and innovation since they made their public debut..
Everyone knows how our politicians’ campaign gravitate to the poor and needy and Professor Yemi Osinbajo is quickly learning the ropes. The presidential running mate of General Muhammadu Buhari on the All Progressives Congress platform has embarked on an uncommon campaign since he won the coveted slot. From the BRT buses to the busy streets of Obalende, the professor is not relenting on his efforts to win the mass appeal for his superior and the party as well.
His tactics are not new in the terrain. However, it is the manner he is executing it. While many have frowned upon his election, the senior advocate is proving that he is equal to the task ahead. His strategy is somehow encompassing. Understanding the importance of the youths in the country, what better way to gain their appeal than through the indigenous rapper, Olamide. He attended the rapper’s concert and posted a remarkable statement about his promising career on his Facebook page. The question of his religion should not be brought to fore, after all, it’s all in the game of politics. He is not the first to employ this strategy but he is yet to understand the new psyche of the masses who no longer fall for the false hopes of politicians. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar tried it on twitter before his loss and came under heavy criticism on the social media.
No doubt, Osinbajo is pulling his strings of experience as an advocate of the poor into play. He is known for his humanitarian campaign for the poor and needy; how he would play it genuinely in the political sector would have to stand the test of time.
While he is not indulging in the popular ‘sharing of rice’ or uttering mouth-watering promises, it is yet to be known if his unusual campaign will pay off at the end of the day.
There appears to be another hot battle ahead of former Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Okon Umana who was denied a shot at governing the state on the platform of the PDP but has since moved on the APC where he is the governorship flagbearer of the party. Umana’s headache this time may be a group of independent newspaper publishers in the state who have been consistent in bringing to light the perceived wrong doings of the Governor Godswill Akpabio administration. The arrowhead of this battle has been the Global Concord newspapers. Petulant and consistent, the newspapers became the only reliable source of truth about
When the history of the current phase of democratic governance in Nigeria is written, one of the loud characters that may get more than a passing mention is the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio.
Many won’t forget the brazen manner with which he disburses the common purse of the state. Akpabio gained national fame when he gave millions of naira to some party men “to go and eat Mr. Biggs.”The governor was on a perfidious song again when he bought an SUV for a very wealthy singer, Tuface Idibia “for marrying our daughter.”
Garrulous and extravagant, Akpabio has earned the unenviable title of a ‘money miss road’. The widespread knowledge among award organisers and fund raisers is that if you can manage to get Akpabio to come to your event, you are assured of tens of millions of naira. Little wonder that every little group with a suspect agenda struggles to honour Akpabio with an award or a title. Every guild and professional association hurries to Uyo for its meeting, knowing that with Akpabio at the event, they will smile all the way to the bank.
Therefore, when Akpabio failed to show up at the recent launch of campaign funds for President Goodluck Jonathan, the question on every lip was where is Akpabio, the brash chairman of PDP governors’ forum? Although, every PDP governor was committed to
goings-on in the state. The Akwa Ibom State folly was taken to a laughable height when it attempted to proscribe newspapers like Global Concord.
Undaunted by the various seizure of their publications, harassment of newspaper vendors carrying their products for sale and at great risk to their lives, editors of the paper soldiered on, determined to endure as the lone voice in the graveyard of painful silence. Long before the opposition political party became a mighty Iroko tree for the frail and disparaged to run under for protection, the top-brass of Global Concord had aligned with the opposition.
Therefore, when Thomas Thomas one of the directors of Global Concord indicated interest in elective office from Etinan Federal Constituency, the assumption in many quarters was that he would have a smooth sail. Indeed, Thomas picked the APC ticket, but he is now being pressurised to hand it over to Hon. Dan Akpan, the current occupant of that office. Akpan was defeated in the primary by Hon. Sam Ikon, speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, a known ally of Akpabio. Now, the crisis before Umana is how to side-step the landmine in his path constituted by the forum of Independent Newspaper Publishers in Akwa Ibom who insist that the APC ticket for Etinan Federal Constituency must remain with Thomas.
a N50 million donation, the consensus is that if Akpabio was present he would made earth-shattering donation that would further impoverish the state. If Akpabio was a man of means before his appointment as a commissioner in Governor Victor Attah’s administration, nobody would have raised an eyebrow. Under Attah, Akpabio served as commissioner for petroleum and natural resources, local government and chieftaincy affairs and lands and housing.
Akpabio was in the Akwa Ibom State executive council for all the eight years of Attah as governor, when the state could hardly breathe because of the big stick wielded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against Attah for daring to ask (and going all the way to the court) for more resources for the oil mineral producing states. It was the heady era of fight for resource control.
By the time Akpabio became governor, things had softened and Akwa Ibom was in the top bracket of revenue earning states on the federal revenue allocation table. Such amount of monies was never available to Akwa Ibom.
With so much money available to him, Akpabio has embarked on a round the bend spending spree. Akwa Ibom (which harbours one of the poorest indigenes) has become a laughing toast among contractors. It is only in Akwa Ibom that contracts are valued at stupendous amounts.