By Innocent Okon
The first attempt at political engineering to produce a successor by a sitting Governor in Akwa Ibom berthed in 2007 under Obong Victor Attah. From its planning to execution, it was a project veiled in secrecy. But it failed upon its unveiling!
In 2015, the then ‘uncommon governor’, Godswill Akpabio, dared the electorate again with the same succession project. He knew how and why the first project failed. As an adroit politician of the stomach infrastructure school of thought, as early as 2013, he had strategically placed his preferred candidate on the public podium and spearheaded the marketing team! State resources and his legendary philanthropic gestures across all the ethnic divides in the state successfully delivered the project in 2015 .
It seems the success recorded by Akpabio in 2015 has become an unwritten political norm and culture in the state! It starts with intra-Party (s)elections called Primaries before the larger constituency is presented with the ‘anointed’ one.
Regrettably, other parties in the opposition bloc may not earn an average grade in any democratic election of candidates for elective offices since 1999. Like Millennials would say : IT’S SAME SAME!
A month and few days to Gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom, even an incurable optimist can’t tell you with any degree of certainty all the Gubernatorial candidates that will be on the ballot in March.
As at Press time, the ‘leading’ candidates in the race are encumbered with serial litigations at every layer of our Judicial hierarchy! This has taken the shine off the campaigns and replace it with calculated cautious optimism.
Few weeks to the polls, the candidates are not addressing the germane issues the Akwa Ibom electorate are yearning to hear! They are so far treated to trite issues of peace, empowerment, infrastructure and deep seaport! These issues have always been with us and have been routinely over-flogged.
What discerning Akwa Ibomites are eager to hear, and should be on the agenda of each gubernatorial candidate, are few! But strategic and fundamental. The electorates are interested on how the cost of governance can be reduced drastically. It must start with the commitment of the incoming Governor to deny himself the luxury of a private jet and the promise to dispose of it within 100 days in office. The excruciating and ravenous poverty in our state can no more tolerate the mockery of this dispensable luxurious life style of our first citizen. Even if the amount realised from the sale of the jet may not construct a 20km road, the cost of its maintenance and salaries of its professional staff could be judiciously applied in other areas of need.
Another key area that is begging for unequivocal stance is an implementable fiscal plan to clear the backlog of gratuities and benefits of retired civil servants in the state.
Every candidate should disclose how he plans to clear this embarrassing public debt without much debate and public outcry. In a state that prides herself as the begotten of the Most High, to continually condemn this vulnerable constituency to penury should prick the conscience of the incoming leadership.
Still on the unaddressed agenda is the vexatious Pension Law for former Governors. No gubernatorial candidate can feign ignorance of this ‘obnoxious’ state law which over compensates former state Executives for serving the state for only 4 or 8 years! Why should a former Governor be paid a salary equivalent to that of the incumbent? Why the generous allowances for security, entertainment, cooks and a mansion in any state of his choice? This law has been repealed in Imo and Jigawa states! How come not even one gubernatorial candidate in the race for the Hilltop Mansion has assured us that a repeal of this rapacious law shall be included in his inaugural address on May 29?
Also critical for urgent attention and adoption as an article of faith is the issue of security votes of sitting Governors. The rumour mill in the state is presenting an obscene outlandish monthly security budget that runs into billions of Naira!
We, the people of Akwa Ibom expect and accordingly demand our next Governor to make public his security vote. And if that will breach its essence, then a commitment that such a budget will not exceed N100 million a month, subject to upward review after an open debate in plenary by members of the State House of Assembly.
The next polls in March this year provides ample opportunity for power to return to the people on their own terms and conditions. And any gubernatorial candidate that forgets, refuses and ignores these compulsory questions for a ticket to the Government House is a pretender and not a contender!
Okon, a journalist and lawyer, lives in Uyo