I HAVE NOT SEEN APC CANDIDATES FOR THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN AKWA IBOM STATE –Essien Nduese Essien(JP)
In this interview with Mr Essien Nduese Essien, Special Assistant to the Governor on Projects (Investments and Industries), he bares his mind on a wide range of issues bordering on politics, Eket Senatorial District and his pet project.
Let’s meet you; who is Mr.Nduese?
Thank you my brother! I am sure you meant Mr. Essien Nduese Essien
I am by God’s grace, A Special Assistant to His Excellency, the Governor on Projects Monitoring attached to Investments and Industries.
I am a native of Ikot Ibiok in Eket Local Government area, married with two kids, a devout Christian and a graduate of the University of Ibadan.
Some people argue you are only riding on your father’s back to relevance, is that correct?
My brother, people are always entitled to their opinions. The truth about the matter is that, being a male child and a first born for that matter, providence has always had me being directly and indirectly involved in activities my father partook in, be it business in the far past and for over 34 years now – politics. Honestly, where we have found ourselves today as a family, is purely as a result of good seeds sown over a long period of time with the almighty God watering those seeds.
What are the specific functions of your office and in what way have you added value to the Udom Emmanuel led administration?
The functions of my office are basically monitoring state government projects and making periodic timeline reports to the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Technical Matters via the Bureau of Technical Matters and Due Process for onward submission to His Excellency the Governor.
Notwithstanding, a Governor’s aide scope of work is not only limited to this; we are allowed to be proactive in our taught process, deciphering His Excellency’s body language and implementing his visions to achieve a common goal.
In my own case, I had carefully studied His Excellency Mr. Udom Emmanuel and would classify him as a ‘Social Impact Investor’ due to his Dakaada philosophy and his massive investments in traders, small businesses, industries, rural agriculture and so on.
It is a known fact that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) account for 60-80% of total employment worldwide and is the bedrock of local economies helping to sustain families while boosting the Per Capita incomes of countries.
This has led me to get involved directly with small business owners and state-wide cooperative societies exposing them to previously unknown avenues to raise capital via National and International Grants like Growth and Empowerment in States (GEM) – a Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment/World Bank/United Kingdom Department of International Development(DFID) initiative aimed at rescuing local economies by creating jobs and sustaining livelihood. This initiative intends to inject $500m into countries with low Per Capita Income in grants to Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) amounting from $10,000 to $50,000. Over 1,500 Akwa Ibomites applied through our sensitization on radio and over 800 were prequalified for the 2nd stage in Port Harcout last year.
Also, three Local above 200 members Cooperatives which are into Fishery and Agriculture will most likely be beneficiaries of a $100,000 grant to each from a United States based donor in the next few months.
What is it about this your pet project, can you lead us into your plans?
At the moment, we are setting up a machinery in the Governor’s Office , not merely to empower, but to build the capacity of 5,000 economically viable/audited Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) at the rate of 1,000 businesses per annum ending with the Governor’s second tenure in 2023.Contrary to how it was previously done; we’re not oblivious of the dearth of funds in the state due to the dwindling economy and the enormous need for funding of our capital projects ; we , on this note intend to leverage on Local and International Social Impact Investors and Donor network to attract 80% of the funding for the ‘Dakaadda 5,000 SMALL BUSINESSES Program .
Some people say Eket Senatorial District is not united behind Governor Udom Emmanuel’s second term bid…
My brother such rumor- mongering has always been the tool of the opposition when they’re approaching the drowning-mode!
His Excellency Obong Attah could maintain the unity of the people of Uyo Senatorial District and achieved his 8 years in office without any rancor; His Excellency Obong Godwill Akpabio did same in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for 8 years too, even eliciting a mass appeal state-wide; is it now that we have our own turn after 16 long years that we would falter? Our Son His Excellency Mr.Udom Emmanuel is a great asset to his people, this state and the nation as a whole; we can all see this even in his relationship with an opposition President to the extent that the President used most of his state projects to market the country to the U.S President at the White House visit recently. The acceptance he has our Eket Senatorial District is unprecedented and only meant for such a deserving son that is making us proud over and over again.
How strong is the opposition APC IN Eket seeing that, they may give their ticket to someone from ESD to run against Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2019?
Eket Politics has never been too rancorous at any time, for the mere fact that we know how to be our brother’s keeper. The strategy we apply, is, when your brother strays into unholy company; it remains your duty to pull him aside, ask what his grievances are and convince him to return back to the holy flock. We have used this strategy to recover almost all PDP stalwarts and faithful who were previously in the opposition from Eket, even all of the G22 members in this area who were mostly Governorship aspirants.
So far, the PDP is still maintaining 95% of the voting strength in Eket and even the remaining 5% will eventually disappear when we embark on campaigns soon.
As per a candidate from ESD against His Excellency Udom Emmanuel, we are tired of waiting and are not convinced that the opposition really wants to front any candidates nor partake in the forthcoming elections in this state come 2019 for that matter. Till now, no House of Assembly aspirants, no Senatorial Candidates , no House of Representative aspirants and no Governorship aspirants – I’m at my witts-end!
Are you nursing any political ambition come 2019?
No, there is time for everything under the sun! For now, I will remain a most humble follower.
There is an upcoming youth rally in Eket Senatorial District; can you give an insight to the event.
You must be referring to the endorsement rally for His Excellency’s 2nd Term ambition which started in Uyo with the Uyo Senatorial District leading in their bid to show acceptance and solidarity for the Governor to embark on his 2nd term re-election; it was a massive outing; but Eket Senatorial District would make a block-buster endorsement soonest, come August 2018 at a level never seen before, because this is our own son of which we are so proud of and no one is more deserving of a 2nd term than him.
What is your assessment of the performance of Governor Udom Emmanuel in Eket Senatorial District?
Before we even start to chatter about what his excellency has done here or there, be it Eket Senatorial District, Uyo Senatorial District or Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District ; we have to first of all accord him very high kudos for even embarking on projects anywhere. Previously, we are still in remembrance of a state economy that boasted of a Federal allocation of up to N19B monthly and sometimes up to N27B during excess crude; between N400-700M in Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) and a State wage bill of N5B.
Today that state wage bill cannot be pruned and remains at that, while Federal Allocation fluctuates between N1.7 and N8B leaving us with shortages at times or little or nothing to fund our capital infrastructural projects.
If not for the fact that the Almighty God has always given Akwa Ibom State each Governor based on timely circumstances and as such gave us Udom Emmanuel at this trying period, we would have been in a total mess.
Today, the Governor has used his financial prowess to beef-up our IGR to N2B from several sources and has saved another N2B from sanitizing the State Payroll system totaling now N4B monthly out of the blues.
The projects littering all the senatorial districts are at various levels of completion including ESD, are borne out of brain-racking financial management, that is arkin to pure magic that you would never find in any state in this country.
No right thinking person would understand the dynamics of what this man has accomplished and still go ahead to condemn this Government – the Government has surpassed expectations in ESD and beyond.
:What is your Philosophy about life?
Work hard when you can, while never forgetting to take life easy at the same time; never try to compare yourself with others nor strive to meet up with the Joneses; this can only damage your health or get you in trouble; at the right time, God would definitely take you to where you need to be when your time comes because by his grace, it would surely come.
Always do good as much as you can because after your children, that would be the only legacy that people will remember you for when you’re gone.
