Evidence is not in short supply to show that Governor Umo Eno is not a leader who would want to sacrifice the collective interest of over Seven million Akwa Ibom people on the altar of personal gains. No. His words and actions confirm John Maxwell's postulation that "A leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way ".
Counting from May 29, 2023 to date, Pastor Umo Eno does not look like a man who would take a step he has not slept upon or join a cause he does not believe in. That does not mean that public sentiments and wishes would not always fill the air. This brings into focus the news of his planned defection from the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) to the All Progresssve Congress( APC).
I am personally bothered that two years after, some persons still find it hard to understand that the Governor Umo Eno we know is a man of integrity who would spite the nose to save the face. The growth and development of Akwa Ibom State is upper most in his mind. Hasn't Governor Umo Eno abundantly already proven himself beyond every reasonable doubt with the focused leadership we have experienced in the State? In full trust that he always thinks first about Akwa Ibom people, I shall be the last to doubt any step taken by him.
Again, I agree absolutely with John Maxwell that, "Everything rises and falls on leadership". Therefore, the trendy noise on the social media over Governor Umo Eno's discreet decision in endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 Presidential Election and his imminent defection must be from those who either still find it difficult to understand the governor's leadership style or are simply mesmerized by his innovative approaches to governance that have yielded great results in terms of impact, sustenance of peace, and human connection.
In other words, those who think they can confuse or force Pastor Umo Eno into following their old ways of doing things in the name of politics, things that never brought anything altruistic to Akwa Ibom people, may already have lost both the logic and battle. Pastor Umo Eno does not look like a leader who can be forced by anybody or any persuasions into doing things that were not consequential.
Of course, from inception, he has proven himself to be resolute, focused, and clairvoyant in his steps. He has inspired hope and built trust through vision, competence, character, and connection, prioritizing impact over position; collective gains over the personal; and sustainable gains over fleeting goals.
For a fact, the governor's pronouncement that day during a town Square meeting in Ikot Ekpene was predicated on emerging trends and developments in the country which he cannot take for granted for any reason. From the moment he came into office, he never hid or pretend about his support for President Bola Tinubu and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the underlying belief in the possibility of his achieving more for Akwa Ibom people only in an atmosphere of meaningful and symbiotic collaborations with strategic stakeholders.
For one, I am pleased that the Governor Umo Eno has allowed enough time to pass for sentiments and opinions to be expressed over his next moves. He did that to reduce tension at the party level and the boisterous public space. It means that his decision is not unilateral but the consequence of extensive consultations with stakeholders. In the main, he never pretended about working with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to deepen Akwa Ibom's feet at the centre. No patriotic or serious politician thinking about his people and tomorrow would bluff such opportunity.
Governor Umo Eno is a man of integrity, fairness and equity, and deep knowledge of Nigeria and how things work and what makes them work. As a sound leader, he certainly knows what has kept Nigeria and her federating units one over the decades, in spite of her complex and unyielding challenges. As a man of history, he stands for truth and is ever ready to defend his utterances and position on national issues. As it stands, he had a lot in the Arise Agenda that he knows he cannot succeed alone without strong colloboration with the centre. One of such is the Ibom Deep Seaport which he has brought fresh hopes upon..
Hence, it is obvious Pastor Umo Eno cannot afford to see Akwa Ibom now safely under his captainship become an Island in the scheme of things, as the country cruises forward to 2027.
As I was muling the thought of this article, what prominently came to my mind were the indelible words of Pastor Umo Eno on the day he celebrated his first anniversary on May 29, 2024. By inference, his utterances were adumberation of what he had said during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023. I am delighted to reproduce Governor Umo Eno's propitious words here verbatim:
"In my Inaugural Speech last year, I had laid out in clear and unambiguous terms the direction of my administration...I stated that as a Pastor, I will work to lower the temperature of partisan politics, and reconcile our people to see politics not as blood sport or a zero-sum game but a noble game of ideas and service. So far, everything we have done, has been to work together with our compatriots across party lines. Even though I was elected on the platform of the PDP, I am a Governor for all Akwa Ibomites and that has been the way I have run this administration so far. We are one people, united by our shared aspirations and hopes".
If you conduct a content analysis on the above words, you'd enjoy the comfort of concluding that it is like Pastor Umo Eno foresaw what was to come and therefore had long in time designed a mental framework and political strategy to harness and absorb whatever necessary changes, or challenges, he will encounter along the way. It is therefore appropriate I bring up the next words in his maiden speech:
"Political parties are vehicles to win political offices, after which governance sets in. As I have always said, no single party or individual has the monopoly of wisdom, knowledge and power. We must work together across party lines and when the time for politics comes we play the game without bitterness. I call on our leaders not to inflame the passion of our people to score fleeting political points. We should handle and manage our political differences without heating up the system. Even though we are bipartisan in our approach, no one should test our resolve in maintaining peace and order for which I placed my hands on the Bible and swore to protect".
Governor Umo Eno has kept his promises to the letter, without defaulting, without giving cheap excuses, and being conscientiously transparent in doing so. He is building economy and developing people. Infact, , there is no sector as envisioned in the Arise Agenda that he has not touched to the delight of Akwa Ibomites. But his philosophical ideology of unification and inclusive templates have been most celebrated. The basic point here, to be concise, is that Governor Umo Eno, in all ramifications, has masterfully and successfully led the way from May 29, 2023 to the present, without grudge or rancour amongst the jubilant citizenry.
So, should he point the way forward based on his circumspection and introspection, we as a people must not allow emotions and sentiments to becloud our collective aspirations. Of course, he has stated clearly and unequivocally that the decision was never personal but in the best interest of Akwa Ibom people whom he wouldn't want to see separated from critical stakeholders just to gratify parochial sentiments and inability of some to see beyond the moment.
For the emphasis, Umo Eno's leadership trajectory has been that of inclusion, cohesion, and understanding as opposed to confrontations that ultimately were bound to be inconsequential and anti-people. His argument that politics is dynamic cannot be controverted but can find logic in unfolding sociopolitical realities in the country. The only constant thing in life is change. Only myopic leaders and gullible followers are inelastic to change.
The cardinal gist of this essay is this: Sitting on advantage position, Pastor Umo Eno, certainly knows what shall work best for Akwa Ibom people and is boldly leading the way. He needs our continued support, solidarity, prayers and confidence. Not insults, condemnation, innuendoes, and distraction which cynics are championing. I am happy that the governor has not lost track of his commitment to quality service and the grand expectations of the Arise Agenda. He has been undeterred in delivering the goodies of democracy and doing so in an environment of peace and security that his administration has engendered.
I can understand the feelings of some persons not to leave their comfort zones. But inertia does not add colour to life. Truly speaking, Governor Eno is not the problem in PDP. He is not also the first person to defect on grounds of sound logic. Let's follow the leader who has won our trust and is extending the frontiers of our hope beyond political affiliations.
Like the governor said the other day, that certainly hẹ will not be judged by which political party he belongs but what impact he had on Akwa Ibom people.
Edet OKPO is a media and image management Consultant.
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