By Imoh Etimudo
He made it an open secret, and his intolerance of the contracting firm is so conspicuous. But come to think of it, if anyone were to benefit from engaging the firm, Governor Umo Eno would have been the person. But he bluntly refuses to, even when such would have favoured him more.
This became so pronounced during the special meeting the Governor had with 41 contractors handling projects across the State. It is possible that even the contractors must have been watching out for that particular firm but never saw it. He even used his mouth to give a hint, which corroborated his actions in governance so far.
Meanwhile, what was the thrust of his meeting with the contractors? Due to the peculiar nature and terrain of of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Eno wants the contractors to take advantage of the dry season to complete their jobs, and work out a schedule that will ensure that the sites are busy even during Christmas.
Despite the award of new contracts such as: Construction of a 12.5km road spanning Ibesit-Ikot Oto-Ikot Ekpenyong-Ikot Akama-Itung-Ediene Attai-Ikot Ebak in Oruk Anam and Mkpat Enin LGAs; Construction of a 2.7km road from Nto Obio Akpan-Ikot Obong-Urua Akpan in Essien Udim LGA, and a 2km road from Ikot Uso-Udo Atan-Nto Obodem Mbiaso in Ikot Ekpene LGA; Construction of a 10.9km road with two 40m-span bridges spanning NSAID’s Use-Use Ikot Amama-Ibiaku Ikot Erica-Itong Nkwot Edem Edet in Ibiono Ibom and Ikono LGAs; Re-award of the 21.5km Ikot Ayan Ediene-Ikot Nita-Urua Naira-Ikot Nseyen-Nkwot-Nnung Ukim road, including a 45m-span bridge, in Ikono LGA; Construction of a 2km access road to the School of Health Technology in Etinan LGA and the Construction of a 7.7km road, including State Housing Road with spur, Ikot Obiokpon/Ibong Road with spur, and Mount Zion Road with spurs in Ikot Ekpene LGA, in addition to existing ones, Governor Umo Eno prefers to work with the 41 contracting firms he invited for the meeting alone.
Already, various projects across Akwa Ibom State have been commissioned cutting across primary healthcare centres, model primary schools, roads, compassionate homes and others. Governor Eno’s meeting with the contractors, which was followed by the release of more funds to them, marks the intensification of projects execution, which the governor aptly captures as turning Akwa Ibom State into a project site. It is so in more ways than one. There is no local government area in Akwa Ibom State that has not had some projects commissioned and others ongoing because the governor cares for all, with a special interest in rural areas. In fact, he is an advocate of grassroots development, which is why the State is witnessing aggressive rural revolution.
*Pastor himself would have been the Number One beneficiary of the form but he appears uninterested*
To start with, on the days he goes out to either commission or flag-off projects, the earliest he fixes such events is 12 noon. He usually gets to his office, does the theoretical part in implementing the ARISE Agenda blueprint of Akwa Ibom State, and going to the sites and events venues are likened to the practical aspects of project Akwa Ibom State.
To Governor Eno, a full day must incorporate the theoretical and practical aspects for it to be rightly called good governance, which he represents in Akwa Ibom State. Ordinarily, the Governor would have had reasons to dedicate a whole day to going to the field but he refuses because he does not patronize that particular contracting company. No matter how far the project location is, the Governor goes there from afternoon after performing the office component of his service to Akwa Ibom people.
For months now, Governor Umo Eno has been bereaved having lost his dear wife, the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor (Mrs) Patience Umo Eno. But he started by assuring Akwa Ibom that he will not allow this painful loss to be a cog in the wheel of progress of the State, and he has evidently lived up to that promise despite its effect on him and his family.
Akwa Ibom State can testify that Governor Eno has not been found wanting in any aspect of leadership even at his unfortunate bereavement. That corroborates the fact that he abhors patronizing such a contracting firm which some people would have seen as a justification to leave governance fallow. But Governor Eno’s case is different.
It is therefore evident that Governor Umo Eno wants the contractors working for Akwa Ibom State to take a cue from him. The contractor he has refused to engage? “Excuse & Sons Nig. Ltd.” If the governor has not given contract to the “contractor”, then the contractors should not sublet their work to it.
Governor Eno has never offered any excuse to fail in governance hence he does not want anyone serving the State in any capacity to give excuses for failure.
Governor Eno wants results not excuses. To him, those who are good in giving beautiful excuses are seldom good at other things. Neither going to project sites nor bereavement has been given by the Governor to fail, hence rain or Christmas should not be an excuse for contractors to fail or delay projects execution for the State. After all, they collected the money for the contracts during the rains.
Imoh Etimudo writes from Itu Mbonuso in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
