Otobong Sampson
A fractious Europe before his emergence as Minister-President of Prussia and subsequently, as first Chancellor of the German Empire had gone for long without an influential negotiator in its diplomatic sphere — one who could also compel peace upon the Continent. Peace had eluded the continent and its leaders at the time could not figure a solution to the incessant strife.
For two decades, Otto von Bismarck, as German Chancellor, held together a continent which was riddled with unending conflicts and bitter wars. He successfully secured and preserve the peace of Europe in those years.
The most prominent of his works without a doubt was the unification of Germany, bringing together the over 300 disparate German states into a single whole. This force of unity gave Germany a new status in Europe. Equally significant, was his preservation of peace in the continent for twenty years. So important were Bismarck's works in Europe that there is a fertile perspective that exist till now that were he to be alive by 1914, the war that began in Europe and assumed a global dimension would never have happened.
Governor Umo Eno has emerged as the modern day Bismarck, playing the roles of a conciliator and peacemaker in Akwa Ibom State. So adroit is he that the lines of fiery partisanship, hitherto deep and visible, have been blurred almost into non existence. Where it exist, it is because brothers have to play politics.
Across Nigeria today, Pastor Eno stands out shiningly as the totem of peace in a society that has often found itself soaked in waters of political bitterness and buried in a race of tribal supremacy. As Governor, he has mended the cracks in brotherhood and neatly grouting whatever crevices are left. He is welding back the bond of oneness. His every action and decision mirrors a man who seeks peace for all — and with all. Peace sustains existing developments. Peace drives new developments.
In acknowledgment of this and other of his efforts, President Bola Tinubu last year in his Democracy Day Speech in Abuja gave him a generous mention and praised his efforts in governance and leadership. Senate President Akpabio has several times described the governor as a man of peace who continually seeks peace. In one such remark, he had said Governor Eno has a spirit of unity, "an apostle and disciple of peace".
Atuekong Don Etiebet, elder statesman and national chieftain of the All Progressive Congress recently visited Oruk Anam Council to inspect the first 100 days strides of the Council chairman — an elected official of the Peoples Democratic Party. Other prominent figures and subalterns of the All Progressive Congress have commended and identified with the non-discriminatory, inclusive and unity-building governance model of the Governor.
During the yuletide, the Akwa Ibom chapter of the APC received Christmas package from Governor Eno. The Senate President, commending the genuine spirit of unity shown by the governor, made a reciprocal gesture days later to Akwa Ibom PDP. In the new Akwa being constructed by Governor Eno, members of the PDP and supporters of his government can publicly identify with their brothers who belong to another party in their moment of glory and time of despair without fear of blacklisting.
When anyone else would drive on the lane of power arrogance and easily slip into ideologies of self-justification, this significant ideological shift championed by the state's leader resonates loudly with the founding objectives of Akwa Ibom.
So far, Governor Eno has been impressive in his efforts at leadership renaissance that takes its model after the patriotism of precolonial leadership. In that era, it was the peace amongst brothers and the force of unity that made the difference. Beyond the state, he is showing across Nigeria how it can be done again.
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