By Imoh Etimudo
It was a special day, a special Wednesday and an unforgettable date. Itu Mbonuso is a component clan in Ini Local Government Area. “Ini” which should be rightfully written in capital letters is an acronym for Itu Mbonuso, Nkari and Iwerre, who speak the same dialect, according to the late paramount ruler of Ini, Ntoeng Udo Effiong Akpan in his book, and the ace journalist and scholar, Dr Udeme Nana, a prominent son of Ini Local Government Area in a lecture at the Council Headquarters, Odoro Ikpe for House of Assembly aspirants ahead of the 2023 General Election.
Ogu is one of the villages of Itu Mbonuso, and it hosted Governor Eno who was there to commission a reticulated water project.
The water project is very important to the people because of the peculiarity of Ogu, as the entire village is covered with limestone, making it difficult to drill a borehole. Several attempts in the past have been unsuccessful, at most, momentarily. This reduced the people to drinking what looked like a “colourful water” with inherent health challenges. Today, Governor Eno has potentially averted such risks for the people of Ogu Itu Mbonuso.
But that is not the story. The story is that Governor Eno gave the people trucks of joy and happiness to take home. Truly, it was “joy overflow” in their hearts.
The people came to get water but in addition, they went home with the village hall, and roads in Itu Mbonuso and across the different parts of Ini Local Government Area.
That was why literarily everyone who went out to speak felt the governor deserved an award. The governor had to understand that it was excitement that made the people break protocol. If he did not follow protocol to bring projects to them, they also felt they should not “respect” protocol in appreciating him.
In fact, to start with, the truth is that for the governor to have even come in person, the people were satisfied. They thought he will send a representative to commission the project
They thought he will not come in person, they felt they probably did not deserve to host the number one citizen of Akwa Ibom State but he showed them that in his time, the people’s interest is number one.
That was why all the traditional plays of Itu Mbonuso were on display; from Uba to Obon and others to celebrate the special day with the special governor. It was possible to think that Itu Mbonuso Day may have been moved from 28th December to 13th November. And it would been for the good reason.
It was for that reason the Clan Head of Itu Mbonuso, High Priest Joshua Iseh sang ballad for Governor Eno, it was for the governor’s kind gesture that the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr (Mrs) Offiong Offor hailed the governor, Dr Elisha Attai did the same. Dr Offor herself, has been described by her people as their worthy ambassador for her role and capacity to interpret Governor Umo Eno’s vision in agriculture and rural development as encapsulated in the ARISE Agenda, the governance bible of the Umo Eno administration. It was also satisfying to hear from her boss that although she is the “last born” of the State Executive Council, her capacity to deliver is topnotch. No wonder her Itu Mbonuso people and Ini Local Government Area as a whole always say she remains their choice in the State Executive Council today, tomorrow and in the future.
Other prominent stakeholders of Ini Local Government Area equally commended Governor Eno for running an inclusive government with equitable distribution of projects, while appealing for more projects in Ini Local Government Area.
That was the tone of the messages from the Ini Council Chairman, Hon. Inibehe Umah, House Member, Lawrence Udoide and Political Leader of Ini, Professor Ini Udoaka. They thanked the governor for what he is doing in Ini Local Government Area, especially the strategic intervention that has saved Ogu Itu Mbonuso from the jaws of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
It was a day Itu Mbonuso recalled and likened their celebration mood to how they celebrated Brigadier Paul Omu’s visit in 1976 during boundary crisis that affected the Upper Itu Mbonuso, wrongfully and illegally transferred to present day Abia State.
Probably on a good day, Governor Eno’s attention will be drawn to the fact that if the Supreme Military Council used Decree 23 to transfer the four villages of Upper Itu Mbonuso to the then Imo State, and the court has nullified Decree 23, asking them to maintain the status quo before the decree, then it is an abuse of court ruling for the four villages to continue to remain in Abia State, apart from the fact that the natural boundary favours Akwa Ibom State on this. That is a challenge for the Deputy Governor, Dr Akon Eyakenyi whose office is saddled with the responsibility of boundary matters.
Meanwhile, when Ogu Itu Mbonuso said it was the first time a governor would come to Ogu since 1976, that should be because when Paul Omu came to Itu Mbonuso, the road passed through the village. Other governors equally came to Itu Mbonuso with the recent being Mr Udom Emmanuel to the coconut plantation at Mkpu Itu Mbonuso in the twilight of his administration.
It was also reported that Senator Akpabio visited the Itu Mbonuso Road around the boundary between Ananong and Ikot Essien while Obong Victor Attah came as far as Ebo Itu Mbonuso during the burial of the mother of Chief Otu Robert Akpan around 1999 or thereabouts.
It is not that governors have not been coming to Itu Mbonuso but Governor Umo Eno has convincingly shown the people that they are his people, and he is their governor. The projects and promises say it all. That is how Governor Umo Eno has already written his name in gold in the innermost chambers of the tablets of the hearts of Itu Mbonuso people. Governor Eno is their game-changer, their hero and their friend.
On the whole, if the dictum that “Water is Life” still holds water, then it is not out of place to say that he who gives water gives life life.
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Therefore, Governor Umo Eno has not only saved lives by giving safe water, he has literarily given life to the people. Thank you, Governor of the People!
Imoh Etimudo writes from Itu Mbonuso in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
