ASSESSING UDOM EMMANUEL’S VALUES
By Emmanuel Nicholas
Over time the political awaken among the
masses is enormous and people of Akwa Ibom
State are alert to their ebullient responsibility of
ensuring the next leadership of the State is not
given to a man who will ruin their common
heritage but to a prudent leader who will
advance the spectrum of their economic and
social development.
It is easy to tell who a man is. Even, the Holy
Book says that by their fruit, you shall know
them. The characteristics of a man are what
stand him out among people. If his works are
negative, he will certainly be rejected one and if
his actions and deeds are upright, he or she will
be celebrated.
Moral values rank highest among all natural
values. The Goodness, purity, truthfulness and
humility of a man ranks higher than genius,
brilliance, exuberance, vitality; than the beauty
of nature or of art, than the stability and power
of a state and this why the people of Akwa
Ibom State have chosen Udom Emmanuel over
others aspirants .
Assessing the habitation of Deacon Udom
Emmanuel passes him for a model of leadership
who is a reformer and transformer. A man
whose integrity is not in doubt, He is free from
this egospasm, from pride and concupiscence.
He does not fill the world with his own ego, but
leaves to being the space which it needs in
order to unfold itself. He understands the
dignity and nobility of being as such, the value
which it already possesses in its opposition to
mere nothingness.
Thus there is a value inherent in every stone, in
a drop of water, in a blade of grass, precisely as
being, as an entity which possesses its own
being, which is such and not otherwise.
It is easily comparable that as the wind cannot
be stopped by any man so is Deacon Udom
Emmanuel not susceptible to intimidation and
distraction by any man. Not even the torrents
of his self-attainment have been enough to
make him ‘puff’ as a satiated achiever.
He is like dynamite that fears no asunder; and
a lion that fret not in the presence of a night
lone hunter. He roars in his path of destiny
without any thought of the titans or warriors.
His vision is his mission and accomplishment
is his goal. Not even the mountains before him
for they will be no more when he is on the move
to materialize his vision. He works like a rocket
that knows his target and no apparatus can
stop his mission. He is an eagle for eagles fly
without failing in its mission. No other bird that
can stop it from achieving its goal. Today his
works speaks volumes that the whole State
says he is the best suitable candidate for the
governorship position comes 2015.
Mandate is a command or authorization to act
in a particular way on a public issue given by
the electorate to its representative. It means
the people have a reciprocal right to ask or
demand for accountability So, when the people
voluntarily give a leader their mandate to
govern them, the leader is indebted to them in
many ways. One must ensure the trust imposed
on the leader is not betrayed or destroyed. It is
therefore unnecessary to try to satisfy the elite,
who do not form 5 percent of the population
against the 97 percent downtrodden, who voted
for the leader, in anticipation of a better life.
The ordinary man expects a change in his or
her standard of living through human
empowerment, good policy for Education,
healthcare and economic enhancement that will
grant jobs, quality amenities like good roads,
which will further boast their economics
activities , hence making them self-sufficient. It
is therefore imperative to state clearly, that
Governor Akpabio was not made the governor
to protect the selfish interest of the elites, who
believe the wealth of Akwa Ibom State should
be shared amongst a few, while others languish
in penury.
Udom Emmanuel, having been able to
distinguish his position by becoming a great
manager had all the virtues of becoming a
transformative leader. A transformative leader
is in other words a manager with charisma who
can make his followers feel passionate about
the success of the reign. The benefits of
transformative leadership are seen in nearly
every aspect of governance. Understanding the
positive aspects of transformational
management will make a leader to become a
transformative leader. And you can find out
that an inspirational leader, which is believed
to be one of the numerous attributes of Udom
Emmanuel is a cultivated virtue.
Because it is only when you have followers –
people who have placed their trust in you - that
you know you have moved into that leadership
realm. And the way you see it is that your
organization is transcending all previous
qualities, productivities, innovations and
achievements. You are operating at such a
high level of efficiency which the people’s belief
in you will grow. Akwa Ibom as a state needs
men of reputable record of experience who are
selfless and also committed to purposeful
leadership of breaking ‘Adamic’ history books
and creating new ones.
Udom as a humble man has the bent of
becoming that great leader; for great leaders
are men of humility whose vision is to develop
the people not self because he knows when his
people are developed, he will become greater.
The phrase “humble leadership” is not an
oxymoron. While many people immediately
conjure up an image of the ever-so-confident,
bombastic extrovert without an ounce of
humility as the picture of what constitutes a
real leader; nothing could be further from the
truth that a humble leadership comes with
character and experience.
The civilisation and elevation of a people and
society is determined by how well they take
care of the poor and most vulnerable within
their society . Poverty is man -made and we
all , without exception are
diminished by any that are left poor or destitute
in our society. No individual is elevated in a
society where so many suffer the pangs of
poverty and deprivation . Our collective
humanity is diminished by such a
phenomenon . Udom with his experience in
international financing knows we must create a
humane society and civilisation that recognises
that the best outcomes are achieved when we
are all in solidarity with all within our society.
Udom acknowledges we must strive for social
justice by eradicating poverty and creating a
society with basic social security that provides
for the unemployed , the disabled and the sick .
The future lies in formulation of strong financial
policies. So, Through progressive taxation and
contribution by all that is able , we
must create a system that removes the poor
and most vulnerable from the extremes of want
and penury through provision of social welfare
payments, social housing , free medical care
and other vital social aids for those in need .
Our society will be better for it , when in
brotherhood and solidarity ; we fulfil the divine
duty of eradicating poverty by
Providing for those amongst us who stand in
need through structured government welfare
programs. Those who know Udom, are aware he
holds this principles close to heart. That is an
edge he has there.
Udom has seen people who are much less
educated that make a success of life. He knows
the best place to start is small technological
products, that is the easiest way to catch up in
the world today. The small state of Israel, like
Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, China, etc,
started some years ago to encourage its youths
to go the same way (of small, technology goods
– the so-called knowledge industries), and now
Israel is beginning to enter the world market in
full force. Udom dreams of Dubai for Akwa
Ibom. He knows ‘we can’ and great powers will
come to our aid! Oliver Wendell Holmes once
said that “Once a mind has been stretched by a
new idea, it never returns to its original
shape” . It is in the same vain that the English
publisher, Lady Catherine argued that “Nothing
ever built rose to touch the sky unless some
men dreamt that it should; some men believed
that it would, and some men willed that it
must” . Udom is convinced that God has willed
that this dream is one whose time has come:
there is no going back!

udom is right

NDA YE UDOM 2015

UDOM AND THE NEW PHASE OF AKWA IBOM STATE

By Emmanuel Nicholas

A leader is one who knows the way, goes
the way, and shows the way-John C. Maxwell
Lord James Robin in his celebrated book, The Ancient Book of Romans government opined that when you know the curator of power, you can foreknow the grandeur of a better future or the ruse of a doomed reign. Leaders hold the greatness and the ruin of their domain, as a merchant who has the franchise of a product. For the survival of the brand depends on his virtues. These words of fine counsel has over the years has helped groups and states to fashion out clear cut parameters in assessing anyone who intends to become their leader. First is to know who your would be leader is.

The man Udom Emmanuel, is the son of Ete Teacher Gabriel Emmanuel Nkenang a native of Awa Iman in Onna Local Government in present day Akwa Ibom State. He (Udom) rose from being a Sunday school leader at the Qua Iboe church to become a bank director and his greatness is propelled my humility, honesty, prudence and hard work. Again i ask, Do know Udom Emmanuel? He means different things to different people. He is a man of goodwill with good works, a who man who values others' plight more than his.
A leader who believes in team work, a financial manager who can translate a little income to collective fortunes. His work experience reveals that he is an excellent developer.At Zenith Bank, he was always sent to develop new branches across the globe for his employers knew his capabilities of making a dead stream an ocean. He developed the Zenith Bank in United Kingdom; Zenith Bank – Gambia; Zenith Bank – Sierra Leone; Zenith Insurance; Zenith Pensions and Custodian; Zenith Securities; Zenith Trustees , Zenith Registrars and turned all these positions to the treasure base of the Zenith Bank group. It was his uncommon performance that earned him the position of a director in a Bank that he is never a shareholder. His loyalty, humility and honesty are unequalled and this makes every man that comes in contact with him to accept him without any sense of doubt about his personality and capability.

Again i ask, Who is Udom Emmanuel? He is a man of honesty, this why the Zenith Group could commit the entire loan unit for his management and he did justice to the department. He did leave the section with EFCC on his prowl but with promotion to international units. So having an honest man like Deacon Udom Emmanuel as a leader in Akwa Ibom State means state funds will not be laundered and there will no misuse of funds. Leaders are always encouraged to exhibit confidence, competence and omniscience but Mr Udom Emmanuel is not such a leader as he already has these virtues as part of his being , and what is in you is not borrowed . The cognate experience and competence of Udom Emmanuel in the international business world means he will make Akwa Ibom State an investors hub being a trusted hand within the private and the public sectors . The seemingly difficult task of turning Akwa Ibom from a civil service state to a private sector-industrial driven economy will be made possible in months of his leadership.

Do you know Udom Emmanuel was part of the Agro-Allied Economists Group who was saddled with the responsibility of building internationally accepted Agro –Allied concerns across the globe through World Bank initiative of eradication of food shortages in the world With this Agro-Allied experience, Udom Emmanuel will turn around the agricultural sector from a mere primitive and subsistence farming to a mechanised farming where the right agricultural machines will be imported for farmers in the State and they will also be trained on how to use them. There will be Agro-Allied industries whose production would be food based. They will purchase the farm produce from farmers and turn them to food products both for local use and for export. The living Standards of the rural dwellers will certainly be upgraded as the vast majority of them are farmers. It will also stall the migration of the dwellers to the urban centers for greener pastures.

Who Udom Emmanuel ? He is a detribalised gentleman who isn't interested in your tribe, language or ethnic group. As long as you can render the service(s) needed he will avail you the opportunity and he does not also use tribal sentiments whenever he wants to render help to a person. What are the benefits of this detribalized leader? He will be able to unite all the ethnic groupings in the State devoid of segregation, and it is only through unity Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State can develop rapidly. Where there is war, there is no development but destruction. Where there is, crises there is restiveness and where you have restiveness , there is no room for development as development is only made possible by unity and peace . Udom will be able to provide development equally to all sections of the State with no marginalization of any ethnic group .

Deacon Udom Emmanuel knows that Education plays a key role in the progress of every nation. Going down history lane, it is proven that only those nations that place education in their first line of priority and make it a national target survive in the world. That is why in his private capacity, he has awarded scholarships to hundreds of youths. The absence or the poor quality of basic education not only becomes visible in illiteracy but also shows its effects among people who do finalize secondary school and university. Ministries, factories, hospitals and farms in developing countries often work inefficiently, not because the people working there are not capable but because they lack the right knowledge and skills. Primary school teaching is the single most important profession in the world. Teachers pass on knowledge and values to children, prepare them for further education and for working life and are main contributors to good education. This most important profession however does not get the recognition it deserves. In the developed world, young people don’t want to become primary school teachers anymore. In most developing countries the profession does not attract qualified and ambitious people because it is poorly remunerated.

The Awa Iman Son knows the value of education and knows it is through education that he rose from a common position of a no man to whom he is today. As a loyal and faithful follower of Chief Dr Godswill Akpabio, he will sustain the free education policy and improve upon it by extending it to the higher institutions of learning and also build more educational facilities in the State. There can be no escape from poverty without a vast expansion of education. This is a minimum entitlement for equipping the youths with the knowledge and skills they need to secure decent livelihoods in today's globalized world. This is who Udom Emmanuel is

Udom Emmanuel's days at Zenith Bank saw the emergence of over 200 Akwa Ibom people as staffers in the Zenith group. He met 3 staffers of Akwa Ibom origin but his passion to empower and develop Akwa ibom persons drove him. Passion is the energy that comes from within, bringing more of you into what you do. Simply put, it's being who you are and doing what comes naturally. This is the fuel that drives Deacon Udom . When what you do is in alignment with who you are, you get energy from doing it. It's like water flowing along its natural riverbed. It actually gains energy from the path it's taking (compare that to what most people experience in their work, which is more like trying to force it up and over a mountain).

Gathering the resulting insights in one place gives you a passion-focused decision tool. Think of it as an internal compass that takes the heart-based passion decision and puts it in the realm that the analytical mind can understand as well.
Passion is the essence of commitment, Passion is that which deeply stirs us. It's the fire from within and that which motivates us. When passion is missing, our actions lack meaning and we don't get the results we want. Without passion, our actions are obligatory and lack velocity. Commitment emanates from passion. Passion is the seed from which commitment blossoms , so the fire that burns within Udom Emmanuel is how he can turn around the fortunes of Akwa Ibom State and importantly , that of the citizens and he is willing to do anything in support of this commitment. Udom’s Commitment is conscious , with insight and self-awareness and then he is ready to make conscious decisions in visions that will benefit the people.

Udom knows that Finding opportunities for young people and women is a critical challenge for Akwa Ibom State, where 40 percent of the population which is more than two million, are youths and women. With no signs that population growth will slow in the decades to come, it is imperative that Akwa Ibom State Government leverages the talent and energy of its youth and women to create dramatically higher levels of prosperity and equality and avoid the latent risks of unemployment and social instability.

Udom Emmanuel who a strong supporter of empowering of the women, advocates at all times, that When women are supported and empowered, all of society benefits. Their families are healthier, more children go to school, agricultural productivity improves and incomes increases. In short, communities become more resilient.
Udom a great mixer with the youths, is committed to serving our youth hesitated by his belief that if we can facilitate the empowerment of youth, we can make an exponential impact on social justice and environmental issues. Our young people are our future leaders, one of the best places to invest our time and resources. Young people who do not have adequate support around them are often considered “at risk.” They are at risk of engaging in criminal activities, drugs, joining gangs, violent behaviour, or being victims of violence. Psychologically they are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and mental illness.
I will lead you more to who is Udom Emmanuel. The future of Akwa Ibom State will be better secured if Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel Nkenang stepped into the saddle.