A’Ibom 2023: Our Next Governor Must Be Highly Intelligent, Compassionate, Grassroots politician – Etienam

As 2023 political activities gradually gather momentum across the country with politicians and stakeholders offering insight on the shape of things to come, a former lawmaker in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Bar, Bassey Etienam has revealed the ideal qualities expected of the next governor of the state.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Crystal Express, The legal practitioner who extolled the achievements recorded by Governor udom Emmanuel’s administration, urged Akwa Ibom people to search for a man who is highly intelligent, compassionate and a grassroots politician as their next Governor.

According to Etienam, “Akwa Ibom will need a visionary governor, one who is intellectually sound and closer to the people. You can be visionary, intellectually sound but not close to the grassroots. He must be one who has suffered the pains of the common people and will be able to translate his vision to the benefit of the people, especially in the grassroots”.

Speaking further on the qualities expected of the next Akwa Ibom State Governor, he highlighted “He must also be a man after God’s heart, a practicing Christian and detribalized person. The coming governor should be able to know people by their names and appreciate their challenges. He must have a great vision for the state,”

Taking a swipe at the ongoing deep seaport project in the state, the former lawmaker who noted that the realization of the project will launch the state to the world, however, advised those working towards the realization of the project to quicken the pace to beat the stiff competition in the industry.

In his words, “I don’t know the level of implementation of Ibom Deep Seaport project yet but I am aware that about 15 or more other applications for deep seaport projects are with the relevant federal authorities for approval and the competition is now high. Cross River State, Badagry, Lekki, Bonny and others are all places still looking for approval for deep seaport. As at my last count, there are about 15 or more. We have to do more to achieve results by getting all the necessary approval that will enable us to kick off”.

He further explained,” If the deep seaport kicks off, then Akwa Ibom State will be opened to the world. Singapore was a Third World without any oil but has a good deep seaport which launched it to the entire world. Today, Singapore has moved from Third World to First World country. Therefore if Akwa Ibom is slumbering on the issue of the deep seaport, they must wake up now and put more efforts. That project must be realized for the state and her children, who will be the greatest beneficiaries of the gigantic project.

Barr. Etienam who also spoke on the coming Rerun election in Essien Udim Local Government area between the Minister of NigerDelta Chief Godswill Akpabio and Senator Chris Ekpeyong explained that there is no wisdom in the Minister going for the rerun election.

According to him, “If I am the one involved and for the interest of the people whom I wish to serve well, I will not run in that election so that the people of the senatorial district will have a minister and a senator still representing same area. There is no guarantee that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, will re-contest and win the re-election. So if he decides to run and resigns as a minister, whether he wins or loses, the senatorial district will have only a senator representing them and would have lost the minister. For me there is no wisdom going for a rerun by the minister”.