A former Minister of Lands and Housing Chief Nduese Essien has urged those already campaigning for the second term of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, to allow him to concentrate and deliver on his first mandate.
Recalled that elders, stakeholders and indigenes of Uyo Senatorial District passed a vote of confidence on the governor saying that he has performed well in just one year in office, and should go for another term of office.
They insisted that the governor must accept to serve a two-term tenure of 8 years like his predecessors in the state, adding it was improper to shift the goalpost before the end of the match.
The Leader of the Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo Senatorial District) Consultative Forum, Senator Effiong Bob while addressing a press conference had maintained that the governor has already etched his name in gold through his unprecedented strides in office in just one year.
He said, “Today, in just one year, the verdict by millions of Akwa Ibom people on the performance of His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno is that in just 365 days, he has effortlessly etched his name in gold first in the hearts of the people and most importantly as a man whose governance is built on humanity and compassion. We can’t shift the goalpost before the end of the match, he must complete a second term of 8 years like his predecessors”
But speaking with newsmen in Eket on Tuesday, Essien, a former lawmaker and political leader of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial district said he believes that 8 years should be earned as a result of performance in the first mandate.
“Let me repeat myself here, I have never been a fan of every person in an office doing 8 years after one year in office. I believe that 8 years should be earned as a result of performance in 4 years of office. You can’t automatically earn 8 years when you haven’t done well in 4 years,” he stated.
“Umo Eno’s second term campaign is a little too early. People should allow him to concentrate and work. Let him be accessed at a stage and then propelled into a second term,” Essien added.
He further decried the level of impunity, corruption and mismanagement of resources by political leaders and frowned at what he described as the gerontocracy system of government being practiced at the national level stating that older people have no business playing focal point in governance.
He advised that they should rather play advisory roles from the side.
“At 70, your mental capacity and physical performance have dwindled to a point that you should be on the sideline to advise but not to be the focal point of governance.
“Now is the computer age where younger ones predominate and so for an old person to want to continue to lead it after 70 is not just unacceptable, intolerable.
“We are having problems with these governments that are headed by old people and I still say that the older ones after 70 should not want to provide active and effective leadership.
“A younger person who is more vibrant should be allowed to take over while the older ones play advisory roles”, he noted.
He further argued that when political positions are compensatory much shouldn’t be expected from such leadership because there will be a lack of zeal.
He called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to re-energise and re-strategise themselves in readiness to confront the ruling party, stating that with the recent turnout of events, “we are virtually going into a one-party system situation which is not ideal for this country considering the diversity in the population.”
He advised the party to buckle up and not underestimate the likelihood of a failed party coming in strongly to take over governance.
“It almost happened in the last election, 2023 where a third unknown force took over the government.
“Now many people who were disgruntled with the ruling party and failed opposition party are willing to join the third force and that could pose a danger for the other two parties,” he added.
