By Ofonime Honesty “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” –Martin Luther King Jnr.
When the Appeal Court –in its wisdom or lack of it -ordered Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (as he then was), to vacate office, constituents of Ibesikpo Asutan and a great percentage of Akwa Ibom people mourned.
Conversely, provocateurs and those who thought that they will never achieve their ambition if he is not sacked,rolled out drums and went gaga. In their gross ignorance, they did not realize that he is a strong character who does not indulge in self-pity. Now, to their utter dismay, they have realised that they made a fat error. Dear readers, if you want to destroy a seed, don’t bury it. The political seed christened Iboro Akam, buried few months ago, has now germinated. It has risen. Of a truth, the political career of Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko has dakkada!
Where are the doubting Thomases? Where are the naysayers? Where are the conspirators? Where are the propagandists? Is there anyone still questioning the possibility of Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko bouncing back from that seemingly soul depressing verdict of the Appellate Court? With the trend of goings-on in Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency, even the visually impaired can see that his return to the Assembly is very much a done deal. In every nook and cranny of the constituency, his name is trending. His name is synonymous with empowerment. His name inspires.
And now, youths, women and men of the constituency are speaking clearly. They are chorusing unequivocally that he remains the most credible, reliable and accessible person to represent them in the state parliament. Their sincerity in the Iboro Akam project is genuine. To them, its pay-back time. For always living with them, listening and catering for their welfare on daily basis, the constituents are saying thank you again in the guise of a rerun election. They can’t afford to do otherwise.
Indeed his established legacies of achievements cannot be denied or erased by his fierce critics. This is a man who did not retreat into a shell when he was made to leave the state parliament. Instead, he upped the ante in his empowerment spree. The youths, men, women and even children have been smiling copiously.
From December 2015 till date, Rt. Hon.Aniekan Uko has reinforced his reputation as a true ambassador of his people by continuing his trademark empowerment spree. To avoid verbosity, I will not attempt to reel out all the juicy goodies he has been disbursing during the period under review but I cannot avoid mentioning that apart from the eight (8) brand new Toyota Corolla Vehicles worth One Million Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand (N1,550,000) each, Two (2) brand new Lexus Jeep (SUV) RX 330 worth Three (3) Million Naira each, One (1) Toyota Camry worth One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (1.4 m)and 20 brand new motorcycles, which he doled out to constituents in late December 2015, Rt. Hon. Uko has intervened in other areas by empowering women with the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) each as starter pack in different areas of business, donation to physically challenged persons, setting up of ten (10) Fashion Design Outfits for ten ladies, equipping 10 hair dressing salons with complete accessories, scholarship, financial assistance to youths, women and elderly. It is worth mentioning that he was on the verge of making ten (10) millionaires in one day by boosting their capital base in their respective vocations. The list is by no means complete. As you are reading this, Rt. Hon. Uko may be busy somewhere changing people’s lives positively.
Dear readers, it ridicules common sense to realise that this same man who has not spared resources in bettering lives has been made to labour for the opportunity to continue being his people’s representative. Nonetheless, conspiracy and campaign of calumny instead of harming his candidature is rather making him popular.Now that his return to the hallowed chambers is very much a done deal, panic buttons are pressed at every corner in the camp of the conspirators cum propagandists. He is now an issue for those who cannot comprehend how he managed to rise at such supersonic speed politically.
But any moment now, like an exiled king making a triumphant re-entry into his former kingdom, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko will return to the state parliament with swagger. He is returning there with a feeling of satisfaction in the inner recesses of his heart. He will be proud that he contributed (and will continue contributing) immensely to the success of the Sixth Assembly which he held sway as Speaker.
On the Speakership issue, propagandists are trying to create a mountain out of a mole hill. They predict a Speakership tussle in the parliament once AniekanUk returns. This shows that they are very bad students of history. When Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke and Rt. Hon. Ime Okon wrestled for that position, Aniekan Uko was busy planning how to represent his constituents well. He, like other first timers, played calm and watched events as they unfolded. Suddenly, a surprise came. Hard reality struck everyone, and he became Speaker of the Sixth Assembly.
The duty was thrusted upon him and he humbly accepted it. No doubt, that swift ascension still constitutes a headache to many, thus their resort to blackmail. But he is not perturbed. He knows that God always decide what is best for him.
Presently, the paramount thing in Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko’s mind is how to contribute his quota to the success of the Sixth Assembly which he had the privilege of leading. Other matters arising which concern him is how to continue giving his constituency qualitative representation. He knows that he has several “unfinished” businesses in the Assembly.
Other matters arising which do not even worry him is the alleged conspiracy and campaign of calumny waged against him. Dear readers, the matters arising from these ill-motives are myriad and sickening. The body language of the conspirators cum propagandists speak glibly about this. It is glaring that they are running from pillar to post. Their last minute moves are futile. They like insinuating. They revel in fabrications and assumptions. On this, I urge them to thread with caution. We now know who they are and the rationale behind their actions. And to think that they are going scot-free amounts to making a mockery of common sense.
Dear readers, politics shall come and go but the legacies of Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko shall remain because he practices politics of impact and results, not politics of deceit and insults.
Let me pause awhile!
(Ofonime Honesty is a journalist and general affairs analyst. honestyofonime@yahoo.com 08025286082 )
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