politics and nigeria development

HIS EXCELENCY

                       A MAN OF YOUR INTEGRITY AKWA IBOM  PEOPLE WANT.
  Akwa Ibom has gone a long way since 1987. The development has been tremendous especially with the infrastructural Renaissance of the present government. What does the future hold then? It requires strategic planning and sound economic policies. Every era requires a certain kind of leader. In the broader analyses, Udom fits in as the man for the future. A prudent, passionate, patriotic , pan Akwa Ibom technocrat. He was born and breed at home and has traversed the nooks and crannies of the world, still with age and vibrancy in his favour. Nobody's credentials beats Udom's practical experience interacting at the highest level with business developers and investors. He doesn't just hold vague academic records but has been hugely successful in his private strides so far. He was the Pioneer Manager of the Lagos Central Branch of Zenith Bank. He was also in charge of the Telecommunications Sector, Income Optimization and Financial & Strategic Planning Group of Zenith Bank PLC. He had over seventeen years financial services experience and shortly before his appointment served as an Executive Director of Zenith Bank PLC. This is a big factor Akwa Ibom people won't ignore.
Hasn't this issue been flogged enough? It is the deciding factor in this race. It carries with it equity, justice and fair play. Nobody with conscience will honestly rule it out. Every part of the state feels a sense of belonging when they are part of the leadership. It becomes more compelling when that part of the state parades very fine candidates for the top job. One of Gov Akpabio's enduring legacies will be leaving power respecting the zoning formula that aided him to power. What is good for the Reverend Father is good for the Catechist.. No much of it. Everyone desires political and economic integration. And with this background, he is the people's favourite. Willing to welcome all and sundry, young and old, men and women. It becomes more interesting when the odds are stacked against him. The faithful disciples are pouring in in their numbers.

Udom is also passionate about development and not much of politics. He is open and welcoming. It must be noted that in the onerous effort to industrialise and modernise, the leadership must at all times be open to ideas and as a rule must not consider anything as impossible . All strata of the society must be mobilised, the best brains and experts in our state and beyond must be assembled , ideas must be harnessed from all and sundry through public consultations and participation . The whole population and resources must be mobilised to create a developmental state ideologically committed to unleashing unprecedented development in all sectors in Akwa Ibom State . With careful planning , prudent management of resources, public/ private partnership , partnership with the Diaspora, creativity and determination Akwa Ibom State can become an oasis of revolutionary development and a point of reference in transformational development for the rest of Nigeria / Africa. Udom understands that we have lost decades and need to catch up and excel in a very short time. Speed is critical and we need to accomplish 72 hour tasks in every 24 hours. Our children cannot wait, and Akwa Ibom State can no longer wait!This is what Udom represents and the people trust he can deliver.
The civilisation and elevation of a people and society is determined by how well they take care of the poor and most vulnerable within their society . Poverty is man -made and we all , without exception are
diminished by any that are left poor or destitute in our society. No individual is elevated in a society where so many suffer the pangs of poverty and deprivation . Our collective humanity is diminished by such a phenomenon . Udom with his experience in international financing knows we must create a humane society and civilisation that recognises that the best outcomes are achieved when we are all in solidarity with all within our society. Udom acknowledges we must strive for social justice by eradicating poverty and creating a society with basic social security that provides for the unemployed , the disabled and the sick . The future lies in formulation of strong financial policies. So, Through progressive taxation and contribution by all that is able , we
must create a system that removes the poor and most vulnerable from the extremes of want and penury through provision of social welfare payments, social housing , free medical care and other vital social aids for those in need . Our society will be better for it , when in brotherhood and solidarity ; we fulfil the divine duty of eradicating poverty by
providing for those amongst us who stand in need through structured government welfare programs. Those who know Udom, are aware he holds this principles close to heart. That is an edge he has there.
Udom has seen people who are much less educated that make a success of life. He knows the best place to start is small technological products, that is the easiest way to catch up in the world today. The small state of Israel, like Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, China, etc, started some years ago to encourage its youths to go the same way (of small, technology goods – the so-called knowledge industries), and now Israel is beginning to enter the world market in full force. Udom dreams of Dubai for Akwa Ibom. He knows ‘we can’ and great powers will come to our aid! Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that “Once a mind has been stretched by a new idea, it never returns to its original shape” . It is in the same vain that the English publisher, Lady Catherine argued that “Nothing ever built rose to touch the sky unless some men dreamt that it should; some men believed that it would, and some men willed that it must” . Udom is convinced that God has willed that this dream is one whose time has come: there is no
going back!

As an experienced banker at the highest level, Udom will create a targeted “ enterprise
loans or grant scheme ,” that will provide funding for the setting up of small and medium scale enterprises to prospective entrepreneurs being located in the industrial parks . An “ equipment procurement and leasing agency ” should also be established . This agency will purchase equipment such as industrial sewing machines and other critical equipment for leasing to some of the operators of the small and medium scale enterprises who cannot on their own afford such equipment to boost productivity . A “ quality control agency ” should also be established with a specific agenda to control the quality of goods produced and aid the standardization of products to make them more acceptable for the export market.
Udom is a man of figures. He will govern with statistics. He will create an agency to provide continuous robust and timely statistics for Government and private sector plans and actions. In the past, our governments have planned without facts or simply groped in the dark. As at today, no one knows for sure the size of Akwa Ibom’s economy; the rate or level of unemployment, the level of poverty; school performance; health status and life expectancy; etc. How do we know if we are making progress without reliable data on these variables? As the saying goes, if you cannot measure it, you cannot control it.
Elections are always about the best hands. Udom's credentials are rich. He holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos in
1988. He bagged Master’s Degree with specialty on Corporate Governance from the Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. His responsibilities while with the Zenith Bank included Non-Executive Director, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) from 2008 and Director, Nigerian Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBBS) from 2009, Non-Executive Director, Zenith Bank, United Kingdom; Zenith Bank – Gambia; Zenith Bank – Sierra Leone; Zenith Insurance; Zenith Pensions and Custodian; Zenith Securities; Zenith Trustees and Zenith Registrars. An alumnus of, France, Columbia Business School, USA, the Wharton Business School, USA and the London Business School, he is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Fellow of the Institute of Financial Management. It is also worthy to note that with over 23 years cognate experience in financial services garnered from price water house coopers , Diamond Bank and Zenith Bank, he is authorized by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to carry out financial services in the United Kingdom. This is a great factor.