By Sampson Sampson
One of the attributes of a good leader is integrity. In earnestness, cannot be credited with integrity. Not even his style of administration. For some time, he has hoodwinked many through concerted self-marketing to believe that his background in the banking sector has naturally foisted on him the attribute. Perhaps, this deceitful posturing misled the Nigeria Television Authority, Abuja to confer on him albeit erroneously the INTEGRITY AWARD earlier in the year. But nothing can be farther from the truth as evidential proofs testify to Governor Udom’s integrity deficit.
In addition to the integrity deficit, Udom is also a study in sadism and pettiness. Akwa Ibom people have been subjected to the worst form of misrule as the governor is incapable of any empathy. Generally, he has neither love nor affection for the people, except those doing his bidding. His mechanical approach to governance is only explainable by the fact that his much-touted stint with the bank was limited to Control and Compliance Unit where he dealt more with papers and reporting people than the actual cultivation of relationship with colleagues and customers.
His Corporate Governance background has negatively impacted on his affective relationship with people.That alienation which his office foisted on him has formed in him a behavioural anomaly that is antithetical to the grundnorm of politics, which is good people’s skills and the cultivation of goodwill. These values are scarce commodities in Udom’s political record.
Udom’s sadism and integrity question are manifest in critical areas of governance which he has neglected and allowed the people to wallow in avoidable poverty and resultant anguish. His consistent complaints about lack of money and the stout refusal to pay pensions and gratuities to retired civil servants and teachers as well as promotion arrears to serving teachers and civil servants point to a man who sees them as mere pawns in the chess board of governance which he handles with legendary ineptitude and deceit. Well, he may be right; after all, he once labelled them “unproductive people.” Yet, any person who once resigned from his job to pick another is a retiree to the first port of engagement.
For instance, the state government is owing retired public servants in the ministries, commissions, agencies and parastatals gratuities from January 2016 to December 2018 including pension arrears; retired teaching and non-teaching staffers of primary schools gratuities from 2010 till date together with non-refund of 7.5 contributory pension funds and pension arrears while retired staffers of local government service commission are being owed gratuities spanning from 2012 till date including pension arrears. Before now, he and some his aides would tell the public that he had cleared all retirees’ entitlements.
Governor Udom’s persistent lamentation of paucity of funds puts a question mark on his integrity. The outcry is either with an intent to deceive or cover up the now well-known monumental ineptitude that underlines his administration. Otherwise, why has Governor Emmanuel failed to inform Akwa Ibom people that he has received N75 billion in respect of Federal Government projects that were done by the administration of Senator Godswill Akpabio? Why has he not told them that he has so far received about US$300 million from the Federal Government being Paris Club refunds? Sadly, these monies are stashed away in banks while the backlog of unpaid pensions and promotions arrears to civil servants continue to mount.
Of course, Akwa Ibom remains the highest recipient of money from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) because of the additional Oil wells Senator Akpabio recovered from Rivers and Cross River States, while the governor of the State. Akwa Ibom receives from N16-19 billion every month while the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is more than N3 billion. To further add to the revenue profile of the State, Udom perpetrates a deliberate forfeiture of an average of N3 billion monthly from theState-Local Government Joint Account but with the entire emoluments of the state standing at about N3 billion. With the windfalls, the declining fortunes of the state in terms of concrete development put the integrity of those presiding over the affairs of the state to test. It raises questions of sincerity, morality and competence. In the face of all of these collections vis-à-vis arrested development, where lies his integrity?
The patently nagging question is: What is Governor Emmanuel doing with the common patrimony of the people of Akwa Ibom State? One has read hashtags with pedestrian messages, “Udom is working”, “What Udom does with our money” etc. But such casual jokes and visuals raised on hashtags are infinitesimal in relation to the quantum of funds received.
The irritable argument that he pays salaries is nauseating as such routine responsibility which can be equated with a man buying food for his children, should not be dignified as an achievement. Candidly, what is the wage bill of public servants in the state when these people retire every month, yet government is not employing every month? Beyond that, the Scripture enjoins us to honour wage obligations to workers. Therefore honouring a salary bill of a paltry N3 billion side by side with the humongous accruals mentioned above is pittance or like dropping a pebble in an ocean.
Citizens of Akwa Ibom have continued to probe how their common patrimony is expended. Could it be in the phantom industries that cannot boast of employing 500 Akwa Ibom people, if put together? Further findings have confirmed that the industries are private businesses. What is the equity participation of the government in the supposed industries ? Who entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the executives of the industries if they were established under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement? Who wrote the impact assessment for the industries? How much has the state government funnelled through Foreign Direct Investment unit in the name of sourcing for prospective investors? Were the industries captured in the state government budget? But why does government go to inaugurate them with fanfare as if they are government investments?
Akwa Ibom people are interested in knowing the State’s equity interest in these cottage industries. While one may salute his wherewithal in attracting them, there is a growing need for the state government to come clean with the facts and demonstrate sincerity to attract the respect of the people. Not to do this would continue to erode his integrity which is almost in tatters at the moment.
One of the things that have dipped his integrity quotient was his proclamation to build an International Worship Centre, Uyo through contributions from members of the public. At that pronouncement, many disagreed with the approach stating that he was being economical with the truth. Recently it has been said that the project surreptitiously made its way into the budgetary appropriation of the State and attracted a generous N10 billion from the state government 2018 budget.
This is contrary to earlier claim that it would be built through donations from members of the public. Such volte- face is not expected from someone who claims to have integrity or character. A near similar case is that of building a lodge in Lagos which has been vehemently opposed by the people but which Governor Emmanuel is pursuing with single-minded devotion despite its complete lack of economic importance and utilitarian value.
With the current developments like his complicity in the lingering money laundering saga and his financial misadventure in the Ekiti and Osun States’ elections which gulped billions of Akwa Ibom State’s funds, one wonders whether those who gave him the integrity award still believe that he is deserving of it, given the many malfeasances that have trailed his administration. His boast and grandstanding as one who is possessing integrity is a ruse that Akwa Ibom people cannot accept as real.
He professes to be a man of integrity in the eyes of the gullible masses. Yet, he carried out a lopsided appointments of most key government positions from a particular area and tribal group. Again, did he not ‘clandestinely’ ensured appointment and documentation of more than 500 persons into civil service from a particular local government area without any advertisement and recourse to the state character profile? How about appointment of non-indigenes as consultants in place of civil servants to handle payment of pension arrears to some pensioners as well as payment of salary to local government staffers including other financial matters? Wherein lies his much-vaunted integrity?
Governor Emmanuel’s government is disconnected from the people. Unlike the previous administration which was at home with the people, the Udom Administration is elitist and bereft of empathy and compassion. It is why the din arising from non-payment of pension, gratuity and promotion arrears does not mean anything to him. The interest of the people does not form part of the competing needs of his administration. Akwa Ibom people should evaluate whether they still need a man who touts the word integrity but lacks the moral credentials to bring it to bear on the activities of the State.
Sampson hails from Akwa Ibom State.
