OPINION…First 100 Days: On Governor Eno’s recycled cabinet and a promise to ‘hit the ground running’

During the campaigns for office, Governor Umo Eno (GUE) promised the Akwa Ibom people that his administration would as a must, “hit the ground running”, on his assumption as governor of the state.

Therefore following the inauguration of Governor Umo Eno (GUE) on 29th May, 2023 Akwaibomites expect his administration to usher in “a new lease of life” within the First Hundred Days, beyond the sloganizing messages of the DAKKADA mantra of former Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration, given his “ARISE” Agenda which should set out as something to act upon by which the people should participate in the programs of government policies for a productive livelihood and an improved living standard as his administration “hits the ground running”.

However, there have been palpable fears in the polity over the said daunting challenges in constituting the State’s Executive Council by GUE, for simply recycling 99% of the previous Commissioners of former Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration along with some previous close aides, for which it is admittedly said, portrays the state’s governance system as being controlled and dominated by elites and as the ‘vested interest’ of influential citizens who define the peculiarities of the state’s politics with “a sense of entitlement”. 

This therefore has seen politicians who may be ‘old’ people, recycled as permanent fixtures in the political firmament of the state.

In addition, the recycled cabinet has given cause for questions by Akwaibomites, on the level of the preparedness of the party they voted for to govern them and with the answers seemingly perceived in the negative on the ability of the government to hit the ground running on a clean slate. More so, political analysts postulate of the consuming fear of political irrelevance and social anonymity as the cause for the endless recycling of men and women who must not let go.

Howbeit, given what is now considered as an elitist concentration by a small group of public officials serving as proximate policy makers in the state, this is seen as the vested interest to dictate the political climate with the muscle to muscle out perceived foes on occupying the political space to consolidate their hold on power. Inevitably, this in itself is said to be unfavorable to the social basic power of the people and to majority rule that is of essence in the immediate and proximate sense to foster democratic aspirations for a pluralist dispersal of influence against a state “capture” of the political system for elitist interest.

 

Critiques who comment on how the state’s governance system really works, have alluded the known pressures by the said stakeholders to have imprisoned GUE’s best judgements, with the likelihood to usurp the principal’s authority to exercise his constitutional powers to make appropriate appointments that should win majority assent in constituting the executive branch of government and that should provide the inspirational leadership to hit the ground running as promised.

 

Consequently, politicians in the state consider that the recycling of 99% of the previous Commissioner’s as aforesaid, reflects a winner takes all affair which is given to a cartels-type polities in the succession game-play for power that favors their re-appointments, with explanations, that it is done for reasons of their having taken political arrows and therefore, the need to reciprocate them for their good gestures on successful campaigns.

 

However, political pundits note that re-appointments of public officials into political offices permits the primitive habits for a perennial re-cycling of public officials that fosters personality fellowship sentiments, whereas, they are noted as expended politicians and said to have lost the pep to guarantee positive outcomes. In addition, the re-cycling exercise is considered, not without the tendency to undermine technocracy for a visionary, creative and the inspirational leadership by persons who could stir and invigorate the economy and with the ability to integrate Akwaibomites across class-lines and social demographics, to provide the needed change, for a productive livelihood, in hitting the ground running”to the people’s due expectation. 

 

To this end, GUE’s administration must have both feet on the ground with being realistic and practical for an articulated interest of Akwaibomites in order to achieve the envisaged broad based governance system as equally promised by GUE at the campaigns, to guide his administration’s decisions at implementing its programs policy for good governance and the common good. 

READ ALSO: OPINION: 100 days of Rehoboam 

In this connection, efforts to deliver on the ‘ARISE’ Agenda for visible manifestations of development and for the people’s productive capabilities with an improved living standard, will of course, demand a carpe diem spirit on the part of GUE’s administration, to seize the opportunity of the moment and to think quickly and clearly with implementing the agenda’s development plans with considerable mental agility, in order to overcome the daunting challenges of leadership with hit the ground running.

This is due to a said problems of indecisiveness, piece mealing satisfiers by elitist leaderships to policy implementations that hardly delivers what is required to ameliorate generally egregious forms of social discrimination to get high production from the people and to eliminate the various obstacles of production said to discourage initiatives.

 

 

It is in this wise that Akwaibomites have said, “sotto voce”, in a quiet manner, that the cabinet as constituted, lacks a “fresh breathe of fresh air” to bring about inspirational leadership with new ideas and new faces who should be appointed into positions reserved for technocrats to provide the leadership excellence, other than managerial acumen, needed for a strong vision, mission and value to the state as a productive entity for economic power, modernization and gainful employment. 

 

Someone recently said that neither has the re-cycling of the said ‘old’ politicians brought a soothing relief, trickling down to communities, to translate appointments as evidence of good governance when done with the inclusion of the people in view. Rather, a wholesale recycling of 99% of the previous cabinet as afore said, is inimical to the democratic aspirations of the ruling party’s political dynamics, which invoked the spirit of citizen participation to vote the party into power, on the efforts of political warlords in the wards, local chapters and Federal constituencies of the state, who withstood political spears and survived political stabbings, at the political war fronts from their trenches to deliver at polling boots. 

 

Also considerably said is that, much as the ARISE Agenda of GUE’s government has been recently launched, it suffers a limiting awareness for not going beyond elitist circles and as it is seen to lack an effective reach of the generality, to ensure that the people will effectively participate in its programs. This has given room for political charlatans to hold sway as publicist on social media and to draw attention to themselves while claiming affinity with the government of the day as emerging leaders in the corridors of power, given a creepy ability to infiltrate into the warm embrace of an unsuspecting leader and expecting to be appreciated for the next batch of appointments on a strong rumor that the said recycled cabinet will be temporary. This is inspite of their short comings for not being at home with the people to provide the leadership initiative for common good.

Furthermore, there is also the troubling rumor mentioned in smaller political gathering

AUTHOR: Victor R. Etok-Akpan

---

Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now