For the umpteenth time, I’ve read so much silliness about how Senator Akpabio is always trying to steal the show at Akwa Ibom State events by arriving later than the Governor.
BY GLORY ESURUA JAN 7, 2017
For the umpteenth time, I’ve read so much silliness about how Senator Akpabio is always trying to steal the show at Akwa Ibom State events by arriving later than the Governor; the latest being an article dated Jan 4, 2017 in Premium Times, titled “Senator Akpabio under fire for disrespecting Akwa Ibom Governor”, which made the rounds on social media.
I am no longer willing to abide the gross ignorance that belies these articles and suggestions, not to mention the mischievious reasons for pushing these ideas into the public domain; both acts which I’ll address.
In this article, I seek only to enlighten the political neophytes who are unwittingly exhibiting their naivety by their articles and suggestions.
There is something called the dynamics of power and influence, you know.
Perhaps, a good place to start is to define for you, what power is, in this context. Better still, this is how John. R. Schermerhorn et al, in their book Organizational Behavior define power: “In organizational behavior, power is the ability to make things happen or get things done the way you want”. Let me add, any government is a big organization.
With that background, let me proceed to elucidate the numerous reasons why these attempts at inciting disaffection between the immediate past Governor and the incumbent are unlikely to succeed.
The smart ones amongst the perpetrators may have already ‘smelt the coffee’ and have ‘thrown in the towel’, as it were. However, for those who are a bit slow, I will spend sometime to spell it out:
(1) As far, as I can see, the Governor perceives power as a bright and cheery phenomenon rather than dark and gloomy; that coincides with Sen. Akpabio’s perception of power, so they are both on the same wavelength there, you see.
(2) The Governor, His Excellency, Mr Udom Emmanuel rose to the positions of MD, Zenith Bank in the UK, Gambia and South Africa respectively; eventually became the Chief Finance Officer at Zenith Bank HQ, in that order, with over 20 years experience in organizational and boardroom politics in the banking industry. That skill, my brother, is transferable! Hence, he is an excellent student of the dynamics of power, so he has refused to ‘swallow the bait’ that these absurd suggestions are dangling.
(3) He understands that at this point and perhaps throughout his time as Governor, his relationship with the immediate past Governor, as a matter of cause, must be a cross-functional one (i.e. one in which he harnesses the functional expertise of his predecessor, as they together work towards the common goal of his re-election in 2019; which is why Udom Is Right now and will be right even beyond 2019.
(4) The Governor has done his political diagnosis, so he understands and has identified, (a) the locus of political power in the State, (b) the type of political behavior likely to play out.
(5) Unlike the short-sighted political greenhorns who are making these suggestions, the Governor is keenly aware that although a person can have both power and authority, however, the two are very different concepts. He knows that authority usually flows from a person’s position in an organization (e.g. when you are the CEO), but power can accrue to people at any level.
(6) Kpang utong or listen to me, you don’t get to hold down or be successful in key/critical roles in life if you have not developed and indeed continue to develop essential character traits, which is why these two actors continue to succeed.
(7) If you take time to study the relationship between these two people, you soon understand, that the right kind of loyalty, which is one of the essential character traits for success, and by the way is sadly becoming fast extinct in our national lives, is at work and is discernable from both parties in that relationship.
(8) For the discerning amongst us, you can recognize the attributes of a truly loyal relationship here, namely, (i) they are both supportive of each other, (ii) they respect each other, (iii)they are both trustworthy in that relationship,(iv) they are both sincere to each other when it matters most, and (v)they both have and show integrity in their relationship.
(9) Make no mistake, if you know anything of the Distinguished Senator’s antecedents, he does not entrust anyone with huge responsibilities unless you have earned his respect, at least at the time of his making that decision.
(10) Lastly, the crux of the matter is, the Governor understands that the journey of life is a lo-o-o-ong one and wisdom dictates that one ‘never burns their bridges’.
By the way, I’m prepared to hazard a guess, that there may even be a behind-the-scenes understanding between them for those late arrival shows. One soon learns to concede life’s little pleasures in a thriving and healthy relationship. Isn’t that so? Afterall, those little ‘give and take’ gestures oil the proverbial wheels of a good relationship.
In any case, the Governor is secure in his identity and has no inferiority complex issues, so the Senator’s late arrival at State events is not an issue for the Governor. So, can I ask that the perpetrators stop taking Panadol for what they perceive to be other people’s headaches?
Akwa Ibom State should be proud that they have two real-life leaders who understand relationship management at it’s best! Two leaders who are demonstrating advanced leadership and life skills for us to emulate in our own character development journeys.
In fact, if this exemplary relationship management thrives till the end of the Governor’s tenure, and I don’t see why not, based on the evidence so far, I shall personally demand that an Exquisite Relationship Management category be included in the Silverbird Man of the Year Award for that year and our Governor and the Senator be given that Award.
In conclusion, my brothers, instead of wasting your efforts on futile exercises, why don’t you kpep mkpo to eto fig (meaning, learn from the figurative fig tree) for your own benefit oh. Enough said!
Glory Esurua - Phone: 07089842751 (SMS only) Email: leadershipcultureanddiversity@gmail.com
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