By Osondu Ahirika| On September 23, the State Executive Council were one of the columns that filed past in a March as Akwa Ibom State celebrated her 29th Anniversary.
With hindsight, that March has proven to be historic.
They marched to the end of that session, on October 15, 2016, when the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council was dissolved. A Press Statement signed by Sir Etekamba Umoren, Secretary to the State Government stated that, the dissolution, the first in the current administration, was approved by His Excellency Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.
The marching order was a long speculated event, which should ordinarily, not elicit much ado, given its routine nature. Everyone who gets appointed into office as a Commissioner knows, as everyone else does, that, he isn't a Permanent Secretary. Indeed even Permanent Secretaries do leave the scene. So, any Commissioner, no matter how brilliant his performance who fidgets at the prospect of Cabinet dissolution must be very naïve, and I say this with all due courtesy.
It is therefore a given that, these Commissioners, who have given their very best in the service of the State, were expecting this call on their time in the Cabinet. First, I must congratulate all of them, first, for the exceptional good fortune of being selected, among over 4 million Akwa Ibom citizens to serve as Honourable Commissioners. Then, I also congratulate them for having a successful tenure.
In my view, I have some stan-out performers who did so well while their brief lasted. Permit that I celebrate them here in no particular order.
Prince Dr. Godwin Ntukude, who has creditably run the Ministry of Transport, Mr Akan Okon, who has prudently managed the Finance Ministry, Prince Enobong Uwah, whose era at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal is nothing short of remarkable, Dr Gloria Edet, who has done a good job in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Aniekan Umanah, who was the chief gatekeeper at the Information Ministry, Emmanuel Onwioduokit (Commissioner for Economic Planning and Development and my focal point in this essay, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen, who served with passion and diligence overseeing the Ministry of Works.
All of the above, were in my view top of their game and please, concede to me that personal score sheet, though I may not have room in this piece to recount their string of achievements in since they assumed office in July 2015.
At the core of my take today, is the attempt to make Ephraim Inyangeyen a villain of the Cabinet dissolution. A certain streak of misinformation is being bandied by his detractors that, he(Inyangeyen) is behind the decision to 'sack' the Cabinet.
This leaning is not only sinister, but silly, petty and Patently ridiculous. The simple question to ask is this: in his valedictory speech to journalists in Akwa Ibom State, former Commissioner for Information, Mr Umanah announced that, he has survived five(5) Cabinet reshuffles. The question is, was Ephraim inyangeyen the one who ordered all those transitions? If he wasn't, who was? If it was the then governor, Chief Dr. Godswill Obot Akpabio under whom, Mr Umanah previously served, how come Governor Emmanuel who is the incumbent is not given the due credit of being in charge of his administration? If five Cabinet dissolutions have been held, and assuming, without conceding that, this is the total of such dissolution we have had in the last decade, how come we do not accept that it is a routine exercise in the current context?
There is this other story making the rounds that, the same Ephraim Inyang
Is hell-bent on weeding what, those who orchestrate the rumour chose to call, Akpabio's men from the cabinet.
There is this other story making the rounds that, the same Ephraim Inyang
Is hell-bent on weeding what, those who orchestrate the rumour chose to call, Akpabio's men from the cabinet.
On this wild card, they propose that, all the Commissioners who were reappointed from the past administration are targeted for a cleansing by Mr Inyangeyen. Again, this is a misleading analogy which is actually intended, to dent his image and create enmity between him and his colleagues. Secondly, it tries to put him for negative spotlight as a power monger who is at par with his boss, Governor Udom Emmanuel.
But, we are not deceived. We know that, like every other cabinet member, Inyangeyen was removed from his position with the dissolution. We know that, like them, he does not know his fate in the soon to be reconstituted Exco. He may be reappointed, retained or reassigned to another Ministry. All of that, is in the womb of time and rests on the magnanimity of the appointor, and in this measure, the Governor.
It is therefore wicked and distasteful, to play Ephraim inyangeyen up, as a pawn of this power game.
I shall however hazard a guess on what will be. I can bet on Ephraim Inyang making a comeback to the cabinet. Just like a good coach will build his team around a tested and trusted player, (Barcelona is built around Lionel Messi and Real Madrid around C. Ronald etc), I assume, Governor Emmanuel reposes solid confidence in the capacity and dependability of Mr Inyangeyen. His antecedents earned him that credit. He should not be stoned for it.
I also assume, Governor Emmanuel is likely to reappoint several more from the dissolved cabinet to ensure continuity, stability and a seamless transition to turning the next page in the administration.
Truth is, that is his prerogative and right as the Governor. This glory, it must be made clear, he does not share with anyone. Not even Ephraim Inyangeyen. The Governor may however chose to consult for, methink, he needs to put in place what I deem, a War-time cabinet. By this I mean that, the soon to be reconstituted Cabinet is one to work on two objectives. This includes, reinforcing and consolidating the promising start of implementing Governor Emmanuel's Five point Agenda to develop Akwa Ibom with superior performance, as well as, keeping a bird eye view on the re-election of the Governor to sustain his vision and agenda come 2019 and beyond.
As such, the Cabinet will need to be rejigged. The Governor, if he so chooses, can then reach out to those who will fit this bill and create a balance in his team.
Already, Governor Emmanuel has given indication that, he would be meticulous and transparent in the reconstitution of the next State Executive Council.
He dropped the hint at Ibom International Airport while fielding questions from Government House Correspondents on arrival from Lagos State where he went for official engagement.
Permit me to reproduce a news bit on the mindset of the governor. It reads,
"The Governor said " the administration under his watch is committed to ensure that his campaign promises are fulfilled and the programmes of the administration vigorously pursued based on need assessment." He added that the next State Executive Council would comprise persons that would sustain the drive for the industrialization of the state.
Mr Emmanuel indicated that his administration was not relenting on efforts at ensuring the realization of the vision of the present government to justify the mandate given by the people."
One therefore wonders, where and how Ephraim Inyangeyen meddles with this
standpoint of the governor. I think, he should be left alone. Come to think of it, power belongs to God. That one is privileged to become a Commissioner or whatever appointment, doesn't make it, a birthright. Men should learn to move on, when the ovation is loud and after playing their part on life's big stage.
There are Commissioners that have set a record in years of service and it is down to Gods grace, destiny and their hardwork that they made it thus far. If they are reappointed yet again, then all glory be to God for it isn't by their power or might. We shall celebrate with them. If they don't make it back, it is unjustifiable, laughable and simplistic to blame it on Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen.
He is like anyone of them, building a career on the political turf after stellar public service in the Nigeria Customs. Can detractors please let him be and not persist with this lame accusation that is neither here nor there.
He is like anyone of them, building a career on the political turf after stellar public service in the Nigeria Customs. Can detractors please let him be and not persist with this lame accusation that is neither here nor there.
In between, there were tales of his having a spat with a colleague in the cabinet, which deteriorated to him(inyangeyen) even snatching and breaking the colleagues' phones. This however is a fictional creation of those who conceived it. At every turn, when confronted with that supposition, Ephraim Inyangeyen has maintained, he has no problem whatsoever with the former governor of Akwa Ibom State and now Senate Minority Leader, H. E. Senator Godswill Akpabio, and maintains he is at peace with his erstwhile colleagues. Why do we keep raising storms in teacups?
Again and again, both Governor Emmanuel and his predecessor Senator Akpabio have debunked tales of a cold war or any rift between them.
How come others are weaving such face-offs on their behalf?
On the composition of a new cabinet, Governor Udom Emmanuel is the man in charge and he will do the needful.
The governor has solicited the cooperation of the entire people of the state on issues of governance, and has assured that in no time the state Executive Council would be reconstituted. It sounds plausible to leave Ephraim Inyangeyen out of it.
As the Udom Emmanuel led administration marches on, let me wish those who will be recruited to join the
Rank a hearty congratulations.
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