AKPABIO IS A GIFT TO AKWA IBOM – EBE, AKS Deputy Governor

Noble Lady Valerie Ebe

Akwa Ibom is one of the two states created by the President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s administration in 1987. Since then, the State has witnessed a number of military administrators and democratically elected governors. Until the Governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration, one attitude was common to all these past leaders. The attitudinal commonness among them was that none was able to appoint or work toward the emergence of a woman as their deputies in a society where everybody is equal before the law.  To them leadership at that level was the exclusive preserve of men. But Chief Akpabio, who became the governor of the State from 2007, about 20 eventful years of the State’s creation, saw the need to recognize women as important partners in a democratic setting of that nature. As soon as he mounted the rostrum as the State’s numero uno, Akpabio played no dice with women issues and their involvement in politics and governance. Even his campaign days were not complete without active women involvement. So also was his maiden through his present executive councils.

A measure of his gender friendliness came when he broke the jinx in the women circle by appointing more women into the State cabinet. The women included a well known woman leader, Lady Valerie Ebe, who started as a commissioner in his first term. Akpabio later climaxed his love for women in governance by appointing the same woman as his deputy. And this appointment came when the woman might have been written off by those who were opposed to her unconditional favourable disposition to the Akpabio cause.

In this interview with journalists, Akwa Ibom’s first female deputy governor, Noble Lady Ebe, relives her experiences in office for almost a year, and this coincides with the State’s 26 years of creation. She speaks extensively on her relationships with those whom God used to elevate her, promising never to falter in assigned duties even as she advocates peace as the tonic for the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

Please read the excerpts:

Your Honour, it is almost one year now since you became the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. How has it been, going by the fact that you happen to be the first woman to assume such an exalted position in the State’s political and administrative cadre?

Let me begin by giving God all the glory for giving me this rare opportunity to serve Akwa Ibom State and its people in this capacity as the first woman deputy governor. I make haste to thank God Almighty because even the Holy Book makes it not only an injunction, but also a command for all human beings to thank God for everything, good or bad. But even as that injunction  holds true, it becomes necessary for me to state here and now that God used someone as a will channel for my emergence as the first woman deputy governor to become a reality. That person and channel, as you all may know, is no other person than the one I always refer to as “the Promise Keeper” and his dear wife. His real name is Chief Godswill Akpabio. So, I am very grateful to Governor Akpabio and his wife, for not only finding me fit to be the second most prominent person in the State, but specially for making my official duties a pleasurable one. Let me use this opportunity to declare that my stay as the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State has been a very conducive one. Governor Akpabio has so far rejuvenated me politically and administratively. He has kept me busy by assigning me all the duties of my office. He has not allowed my gender to pose any measure of political suspicion in the course of State administration. Besides the statutory duties of a deputy governor, my boss has always given me a free hand to act for him any time other issues of governance takes him out of the State. I believe I have been doing my best to ensure that this administration continues in its drive towards recreating an Akwa Ibom where everybody feels the positive impact of governance. It has, in fact, so far been an eventful period deputizing a governor whose sole interest is the wellbeing and oneness of Akwa Ibom people.

From what you are saying, Your Honour, it appears you are yet to have a misunderstanding with your boss, Governor Akpabio. But do you think it will be possible for you to work with your governor and boss without any issues of disagreement, considering deputies and their bosses across the country and even beyond?

There is this saying that as you make your bed, so you lie on it. As I said earlier, my emergence as the present deputy governor was and is still from God. In other words, it was God who made the bed for me. So the question of “you are yet to have a misunderstanding” should not come in because there will be none. It was God who gave Governor Akpabio the wisdom and courage to appoint not just a woman, but a woman of my pedigree to deputize him. I never lobbied to become what I am today. If it had come to that, you know very well that I would have lost the bid. But it was God who made it for me. It was God who told Akpabio that this woman can be good, appoint her, and he heeded that voice. He could have suppressed that small voice – that whisper from God. But he heeded. On that note I do not foresee anything coming between me and my boss, who of course regards me as his mother and sister. So, since he regards me not just as a deputy, but also as a mother and sister, I will stop at nothing to ensure that he gets the best out of me, even beyond his reign as the governor of this State. I will never betray him. I will remain a proactive deputy, and continue upholding his fine virtues. There will be no reason for us to have any distractive differences as long as God who brought us together is alive.

Did you say he will get the best out of you even beyond his reign as the State governor? What do you mean?

There is again this saying that once a politician, always a politician. Whether you believe it or not, Akpabio will remain a politician beyond his reign as a governor. Akpabio is still young and vibrant politically and otherwise.  He may for instance decide to run for any political office in or beyond 2015. He has a right to vie for any political office of his sincere choice and he is not the type that disappoints the electorate. In that case, do you expect me to fold my arms and watch him do his campaigns alone? You must have heard about my capabilities when it comes to women mobilization in the State, the South-south and in fact the country. That spirit is still there in me.  It is my duty to prepare the women as usual and take them to the streets, even by proxy. It will be my place to mobilize the youths, the elderly and the like for them to continue seeing the need to support a personification of performance, called Godswill Akpabio. It will always be my duty to protect Akpabio and speak well of him now and after this administration. I so declare.

You have just mentioned your relationship with women generally and by implication, your brainchild, Akwa Ibom Women League (AKIWOL). Can you tell the public how you combine women mobilization with governance, in the face of your busy schedule as a deputy governor?

When Governor Akpabio in his wisdom nominated and finally appointed me as his worthy deputy, he statutorily assigned me duties which have no direct relationship with women mobilization. This clearly shows that what I am doing as a deputy governor goes beyond feminine issues and directly addresses services to my fatherland. As would be expected, I do not allow that relationship with women to negatively affect my stewardship as a deputy governor. When I assumed duties as a deputy governor in November 2012, I carefully disengaged myself from AKIWOL activities. Of course the leadership of the organisation immediately ensured the emergence of another woman as the next coordinator of AKIWOL, even though I remain the founder of the group. And as the founder, I have decided to be ceremonial. I have no direct hands in the day-to-day running of the group. What I face as a deputy governor is more challenging and more demanding than what I used to face in AKIWOL. I am in a different world entirely.

From what you have said so far, it can be assumed that you have no problems serving under Governor Akpabio as his deputy. But at least you must have faced some challenges in your capacity as the first woman in the State to occupy such an office. Tell the public about at least one of those challenges.

Thank you very much for drawing that line of demarcation between a problem and a challenge. If you had for instance asked me about the problem I have had since assuming duties as a deputy governor, you would not have had anything to publish because I have no problem working with Akpabio. He is an open-minded governor. He tells you in plain and friendly language about his dos and don’ts and it is a delight working with such a frank governor. But if you ask me about the challenges that I have in my present capacity, I will not hesitate to tell you that I have the challenge of leaving up to the expectations of the one who appointed me and the challenge of serving Akwa Ibom people who stood up in jubilation when they heard my name on radio, viewed me on the television, and read in the newspapers that I was appointed the next deputy governor of the State. I have the challenge of complimenting Governor Akpabio’s effort towards total urbanization of Akwa Ibom communities which were hitherto groping in darkness; I have the challenge of complementing his effort towards the free and compulsory education of our children through the ongoing renovation of primary and secondary school blocks and providing the occupants with modern teaching and learning facilities; I have the challenge of giving my governor the needed effective representation whenever he gives me such an opportunity within and outside the State.

Don’t forget too that as the deputy governor, you are automatically the chairperson of the State Boundary Committee as well as State Emergency Management Agency. You are equally in charge of the State Cocoa Production Committee. How have you fared in these challenging committees?

You are aware of the enormous challenges that go with these important committees. You are aware of the specific challenges associated with boundary adjustments within and between states. By the grace of God I have not been found wanting in this direction, as I have embarked on several interventionist duties aimed at ensuring that neighbours within and outside the State live in peace among themselves in terms of boundaries. You can even observe that there has been a decrease in boundary-related problems within the State in recent times. There has been this dangling boundary problem between Akwa Ibom and neighbouring Abia State. Based on the brief I got, I had meetings with the relevant stakeholders of the affected States. I particularly had a meeting with the Abia State deputy governor on this problem. Based on that, the National Boundary Commission came to the State, for the first time in recent years and we had a fruitful meeting in this direction. The issue of boundary problems in this part of the country, I can assure you, will soon be a thing of the past. We need the support of all to do more in this direction. Do not forget also that women are naturally peace makers. They solve certain problems in miraculous ways. Women of Akwa Ibom cannot, and will not be an exception in this direction as far as they have a representation here. On the issue of State Emergency Management, I would say that God has used my office to look into a number of complaints ranging from man-made to natural disasters in the State. Government has provided relief materials to confirmed disaster victims in the State. My governor has been pretty useful in this area as he gives me all the support to do well in these responsibilities. You know about government growing interest in cocoa farming in recent years across the country. Akwa Ibom State is not lagging behind in this direction. We have not only provided cocoa seedlings to as many cocoa farmers as there could be in the State; we have equally provided relevant chemicals to the farmers. By the grace of God, the State will soon rank among the best cocoa producing states in the country. I believe that for the past months or so, I have not performed below these expectations.

Governor Akpabio is the undisputed chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P.) Governors Forum. What is your take on this, especially as the position requires him to be busier than before, thus probably adding more to your responsibilities? How have you been coping?

My governor became the chairman of that forum purely on merit. That is even the more reason why he is performing. Do you think in a country such as ours, Governor Akpabio would have emerged as the chairman of a maiden body just like that, without something to show for it? His performance as a governor generally, and specifically his ability to run a State without a spectacular crisis of any nature, is an added advantage to his popularity within and outside the state. I support in totality his emergence and current performance as the chairman of that body. And I will continue to support a man whose creed is fairness, peace and justice. This is a governor who spends his political and administrative life to ensure peace in the South-south geopolitical zone and of course in Nigeria as a whole. Sometimes I even imagine whether my boss has time to eat. But I thank God because all the busy schedules do not have any physical effect on him. He gets healthier everyday because he is pursuing a good cause; he is making peace among warring parties; he is a performer. That is why God will continue lifting him. I am coping because he has created the enabling environment for me to work. He is the kind of governor that any reasonable person should be able to work with. I cope because already the governor had, even before my appointment as his deputy, taken Akwa Ibom to the world map, so that the little I contribute as a woman is amplified through him, through his records of unparalleled achievements.

Outside his structural transformation of the State, what other achievement or breakthrough of the governor would you say makes you tick?

Governor Akpabio’s major breakthrough in his more than six years of governance, outside his trademark structural and physical transformation of the State, is to me his decision to adhere to and even surpass the 35 per cent Affirmative Action of the nation’s First Lady, Her Excellency, Dame Patience Jonathan. Akpabio remains one of the few governors that take women participation in governance very seriously. I am, as you can see, a product of that executive magnanimity. If you check your records of other two-term governors well, you will discover that Akpabio has an unmistakable record of playing host to the highest number of women in his executive council and general administration to date. I stand to be corrected. Any governor who strives at this record today is copying him and that is good for a developing democracy such as ours. We must emulate good examples.  I must not fail to acknowledge the role of the governor’s wife in the success of the husband. The governor’s wife, Her Excellency , Mrs Ekaette Unoma  Akpabio is an epitome of modern encouragement. As a selfless better half, she remains the brain behind the appointment of most of the performing women into key positions of political and administrative responsibilities in the State. Besides, her programme for widows and the less privileged is second to none and it is God who will reward her. This and other projects are some of the social responsibilities which could not be left in the hands of men alone as may be the case in other societies.

Are you implying that the governor’s wife had a hand in your appointment as the deputy governor of the State? How actually is your relationship with the governor’s wife?

From all indications the governor’s wife must have had a hand in my appointment. You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you this. The husband respects her opinion because she is a very brilliant woman. Above all, she is godly and well educated on the political dynamics of the State and the country. As a dutiful wife, Her Excellency unmistakably remains the closest political partner to the governor. She must have made serious input in my appointment, and I have felt the impact of that input. The input is playing out today. We work together as a family, sometimes beyond the officialdom associated with our different offices. Because I realize that she is politically very intelligent, I oftentimes seek her views on certain issues and the contributions she offers are usually amazing. That is the kind of wife I would recommend to any forward-looking politician. The governor’s wife remains my inspiration and I owe her a duty to perform as a justification for her disposition towards me.

As the country marks its 53 years of independence, the State is joining the celebration with its 26 years of creation. What is your brief comment on these ceremonies, particularly the State’s 26 years of creation?

I am very grateful to God that I am a living witness to these celebrations. I equally thank Him for the life of all those who have lived to witness the events. Fifty-three years of independence is not a mean feat for a nation that is combining its internal challenges with the problems confronting sister countries. I thank God for Nigeria and for making me a Nigerian. I am very happy that Akwa Ibom State is celebrating its 26 years of statehood in my time as the first female deputy governor. To me, this is something to remember and I will remember it as long as I live. I am grateful to God for making me a functional part of a government in Akwa Ibom State that is interested in improving on the rebranding process visualized by the founding fathers of the State. I am grateful to those who facilitated the creation of the State; those who pioneered the development process; those who sustained it; and importantly; the engine room for the uncommon and unprecedented transformation of the State, that is the promise keeper, Chief Godswill Akpabio. I wish all Akwa Ibom indigenes, their admirers, and in fact the entire nation, happy celebrations. 

How would you want to be remembered after completion of your tenure as the first female deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State?

Let us not cross the bridge until we get to it. By that I mean I cannot pre-empt how I wish to be remembered because I am yet to complete what God has sent me to do in my capacity as the first female deputy governor of a State that is very eager to develop. I will graciously answer this question in my last months as the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. I look up to God who gave me this elevation. He is yet to talk to me on how I should be remembered from 2015.

What is your advice for Akwa Ibom people, nay Nigerians, as the 2015 polls draw near?

Right from my days as a woman activist, controlling politically minded women in the State and beyond, I kept preaching the gospel of peace, fair play and justice. I was one woman leader who defied mounting opposition and threats to canvass the shift in governance of the State to areas which were politically marginalized. Besides, I stood for effective leadership; that was why I supported the emergence of Akpabio as the governor from 2007 and the whole world has seen that I was right in that wholesale support. On that note, I call on all reasonable people of Akwa Ibom State to keep on supporting Gov. Akpabio, to keep on showing solidarity to the Commander of the Order of the Niger, to keep on supporting equitable distribution of amenities in the State as this support will encourage us to do more. At the national scene, I implore the people to shun ethnic bigotry and unfounded religious antagonism and team up with the Jonathan/Sambo administration and make Nigeria greater than what it is today. For those who are aspiring for one political office or the other, I charge them as a mother, to put God first. They should not see the race as the proverbial rat race; rather, they should see it as a democratic race. And in a democratic race, the dividends should affect the lives of all in the home constituency in the final analysis.