PRESS CONFERENCE OF ARCHITECT (OTUEKONG) NYA-ETOK EZEKIEL
2019 GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE OF YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY, IN AKWA IBOM STATE AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, UYO ON FRIDAY THE 14TH OF DECEMBER, 2018

www.nairaland.com/attachments/8324004_aki1_jpeg4ceade8d907de20cfc4764b4052a5150

I feel honored to be here today to effectively rub minds with my family members!
Today’s press conference would have been to announce my formal withdrawal from the governorship race following the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to decline presidential assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill (2018) recently passed by the National Assembly.
This is because my eventual decision to contest the governorship race in Akwa Ibom state was predicated on my faith in the said electoral bill to give us free, fair and credible elections.

However, since Mr. President declined assent to the Electoral Bill, I have had various consultations with my support base, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the highest level who have reassured me convincingly that there has been some major adjustments to the electoral process that will guarantee credible elections. Of particular reassurance is the elimination of the ‘incidents forms’, and the instant recapture of the biometrics of those who will encounter challenges bordering on PVC related issues, and card reader authentication.

That said, let me again formally welcome you to one of the significant beginnings of my campaign for the 2019 governorship race in Akwa Ibom state.

Below are the fundamentals of my campaign:

Ideology – SOCIAL GOVERNANCE
Now is the time for us to come to terms with the prevailing realities in the country, and in our dear Akwa Ibom state, and to have appropriate understanding of what properly constitutes governance.

Chapter 2, section 14, sub-section 2b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides that, “the security and welfare of the PEOPLE shall be the primary purpose of government.” The need to revisit and implement this constitutional provision is strengthened by the fact that over 80% of our country’s population are living below the poverty line, hence the report by Brookings Institute which placed Nigeria as the world’s capital of poverty.

After 30 years of advocacy in the problem of housing for the poor., which led to my being crowned ‘Mr. Social Housing in Nigeria’, I am poised to champion governance with a Bottom-Top approach. This is the true essence of ‘Social Governance’. Social Governance therefore targets and aims to benefit the No Income earners, Low Income earners and Lower-Medium Income Earners, with special emphases on women, workers (particularly teachers), youths (particularly students), children, physically challenged, rural dwellers and the elderly/senior citizens.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/8324006_nyat_jpeg23547cfc88bf555895c44684eb254e67

The Hashtags


To actualize the Social Governance mandate, we have four (4) hashtags.

#ChangeTheMusic underscores the imperative of a change in direction. Successive governments in Akwa Ibom state have generally lived and acted in the most wasteful, extravagant, financially reckless and irresponsible manner. Our priorities have been anything but responsible. And that has brought us to this regrettable destination and thus, the inevitability of change in our governance musical style.
We must therefore change the music and #GoLowProfile, which is our second hashtag. Also, in practical terms, we must #ShutDownAndShutOut. We must shut down all the drainpipes and wastages which include but are not limited to: unproductive travels, retinue of redundant aids, ego and vanity projects, governor’s lodges, obscene convoys, etc. We must also shut out the leeches and parasites that account for the massive and unacceptable capital flight. This will free funds to embark on projects that will benefit the people.

That leads us to our last hashtag #ItIsPossible.

It is possible to pay living wage instead of minimum wage. It is possible to pay bursaries and give scholarships to our students. It is possible to undertake social housing for the generality of our people. It is possible to undertake universal basic healthcare delivery where the poorest has access to qualitative healthcare without consequential hardship.

On account of the above, social governance seeks to recreate the middle class not by pulling down the rich but by pulling up the poor through qualitative basic education for the children of the workers, healthcare for the rural dwellers and social housing for the generality of our people.

Zoning


Two of the most frequent comments that I have received are: ‘I wish you were from Eket zone’; ‘I wish you were not from Ikot Ekpene’. On second thought, I consider this a significant blessing in disguise as it will be a good referendum on our people to place fundamentals beyond legalities.

Today, we will choose between convention and destiny; we will choose between core values and prejudices; and we will choose between the life of our people and political correctness. The office of the governor is the office that defines our destiny as a people and the choice of who should be the occupant of such a sensitive office must be based strictly on character, competence and capacity as in the FIFA World cup where in a bid to qualify as a country we sought for a coach with no consideration to his race or nationality.

Hunger has taken our people captive, poverty has defied all boundaries, deprivation and want lurks from all nooks and cranny, and Akwa Ibom people today are in dire need of a man on whom they can entrust their corporate destiny as a people.

I therefore offer myself not as a man from any tribe or section of the state, but as one knowledgeable about our challenges and vested with the capacity to break sectional, ethnic, religious and social divisions as well as work for the generality of our people.

For those to whom tribal sentiment is paramount, I respect their position and right to vote based on such sentiment. I also appeal that they also respect my fundamental right to contest as a legitimate son of this state as I vie for the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom.

For those who feel the pain of the present reckless, visionless and complacent disposition of the rulership class against the plight of the generality of the people, I humbly request that they undertake an elaborate scrutiny and profiling of all of us that seek the exalted office of governor and consequently do the needful. It is within that context that my chances of earning your vote is very bright.

Fundamentals[/b

[/b]Mindset


During a recent interaction with the senate of University of Uyo students’ union government, one of the questions that a distinguished senator asked me was, “if you had 24 hours to be governor, what is the one thing that you will do”? My answer to his question was: “Address mindset”.
Notwithstanding my extremely critical disposition to the current government, I believe that one of the noblest initiatives of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration is the Dakkada revolution, although in my own opinion, the essence of such revolution has been lost.

I find it difficult to believe that APC, YDP and other political parties have not produced outstanding sons and daughters worthy of celebration. Dakkada revolution which should be ‘Excellence Revolution’, and excellence unfortunately, is blind to party and any form of division.

I believe in the greatness of Akwa Ibom sons and daughters and intend to attack their minds with vengeance to the end that, the very best of them is discovered, recovered and uncovered. For the bible says, “As a man thinks is in heart, so is he”.

Unity


I will probably go down in history as the first man that beats the law without breaking the law – by way of being an effectively independent candidate and yet satisfying or meeting the terms for electoral participation as stipulated in the constitution. My independence status is informed by the peculiar situation in our state.

We have been broken, fragmented and divided with the APC and the PDP having almost equal strength and running on principles where the winner takes all and the loser is confined to ‘four years in Siberia’. Politics has become a do-or-die affair. Within this context, it is practically impossible to have peace in the state.

We therefore need a new political paradigm where a relatively fine line is drawn between being indigene and being a party man. The resources of the state should benefit every member of the state. This paradigm is alien and impossible to achieve by the two dominant parties. Fortunately, it is exactly what I intend to achieve and the wisdom underlying my independent candidature.

It should therefore be expected that my cabinet will be populated by YDP, APC, PDP, and APGA members, and the unifying factor will not be party but character, capacity and competence.


Education


Education will definitely engage the best of my attention. Budgetary allocation for education will be between 15 to 20 percent, even as there will be consistent provision of subventions so as to meet UNESCO’s budgetary recommendation of 25% for education.

Also, teachers will rank amongst the best paid in the state. Students will be on special salaries/bursary schemes. Internet facility will be made available to our tertiary institutions. Special programs will be embarked upon by government to encourage our young ones to get interested in and innovative with IT and much premium will be placed on Information Technology in a bid to shape the future of the state.


Security and Welfare


I consider security to be the bedrock and fundamental requirement for progress. Therefore, my approach to security will be in two different dimensions. The first will be to guarantee Inclusive Governance. Nothing provides security like attaching a sense of importance to the citizens that is devoid of discrimination. This is the beginning of peace.

Furthermore, creating an atmosphere in which every citizen particularly the youth is given wings to fly makes for meaningful engagement and by extension, eliminates idle minds which are usually the recruitment ground for agents of destabilization.

Besides inclusive governance and meaningful engagement of youth, no price will be too great to pay in adopting technology including satellite tracking and the use of drones for security surveillance purposes. Those are preemptive measures that discourage violence and acts of criminality.

The most effective tracker, however, would be when we establish brotherly love and oneness that will in turn engender neighborhood watch. Then, robbers and other actors of the underworld will be dissuaded from carrying out their nefarious activities. The ultimate result will be absolute peace, which is fundamental to attracting investors and job creation.

The Call


I find myself in the midst of people I call brethren. I find myself in an extremely familiar territory. I find myself in the midst of people to whom, beside God, I can attribute a substantial part of my success.

The Media

While others may need to pay an arm and a leg to be here, I have this kindness at no cost to me. This has been your disposition to me over a period of not less than 15 years.

Today, however, I wish to make a special call. It is a call to conscience. You all know me, you know what I believe in and exactly what I stand for. You all can tell without an iota of doubt what this state would become under my watch as Governor within twelve (12) months of assuming the leadership of this state, with respect to my commitment, definite vision, incorruptibility, integrity and accountability.

It is on account of this and more that I asked you all to look beyond sentiments and the human element. By the time that the election result is announced sometime within the first week of March 2019, you will either live with the regret of having not done what you could have done, having gone against your conscience or the satisfaction and fulfilment of having followed your conscience.
I speak with all boldness because I represent what the state needs at this time

Good Conscience


Let me state categorically that I have come to give justice to the people of Eket Senatorial District. As ironic as this might sound, I believe that justice is served to the Eket person when money is saved from frivolous spending and such money is used to pay the backlog of his salaries. Justice is served to the Eket woman when she is paid living wage as opposed an infinitesimal wage that cannot meet the basic needs of her household. Justice is served to the students of Eket Senatorial District from poor homes when they are paid bursary, given scholarships and provided with comfortable learning environment.

Above all, as I did in 2007, I wish to pledge that one of my first bills to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as governor will be for the creation of the Akwa Ibom State Oil-bearing Communities Development Commission to which a special budgetary provision will be made. This is intended to replicate the 13% derivation fund that is usually allotted to the Niger Delta states by the federal government due to oil exploration activities. While a local government like Ikot Ekpene enjoys the dividend of such derivation fund, oil-bearing communities like Mbo, Ibeno, Esit Eket and the likes are not adequately compensated. That is injustice! There must therefore be a mapping of all oil-bearing communities and a commission set specially and exclusively to develop those areas. THAT IS JUSTICE BEYOND WHO IS THE GOVERNOR.

Arc.(Otuekong) Nya-Etok Ezekiel.
AKS2019 Governorship Candidate
YDP (Young Democratic Party)

[s][author=NyaEtok2019 post=73859358]PRESS CONFERENCE OF ARCHITECT (OTUEKONG) NYA-ETOK EZEKIEL
2019 GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE OF YOUNG DEMOCRATIC PARTY, IN AKWA IBOM STATE AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, UYO ON FRIDAY THE 14TH OF DECEMBER, 2018

www.nairaland.com/attachments/8324004_aki1_jpeg4ceade8d907de20cfc4764b4052a5150

I feel honored to be here today to effectively rub minds with my family members!
Today’s press conference would have been to announce my formal withdrawal from the governorship race following the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to decline presidential assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill (2018) recently passed by the National Assembly.
This is because my eventual decision to contest the governorship race in Akwa Ibom state was predicated on my faith in the said electoral bill to give us free, fair and credible elections.

However, since Mr. President declined assent to the Electoral Bill, I have had various consultations with my support base, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the highest level who have reassured me convincingly that there has been some major adjustments to the electoral process that will guarantee credible elections. Of particular reassurance is the elimination of the ‘incidents forms’, and the instant recapture of the biometrics of those who will encounter challenges bordering on PVC related issues, and card reader authentication.

That said, let me again formally welcome you to one of the significant beginnings of my campaign for the 2019 governorship race in Akwa Ibom state.

Below are the fundamentals of my campaign:

Ideology – SOCIAL GOVERNANCE
Now is the time for us to come to terms with the prevailing realities in the country, and in our dear Akwa Ibom state, and to have appropriate understanding of what properly constitutes governance.

Chapter 2, section 14, sub-section 2b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides that, “the security and welfare of the PEOPLE shall be the primary purpose of government.” The need to revisit and implement this constitutional provision is strengthened by the fact that over 80% of our country’s population are living below the poverty line, hence the report by Brookings Institute which placed Nigeria as the world’s capital of poverty.

After 30 years of advocacy in the problem of housing for the poor., which led to my being crowned ‘Mr. Social Housing in Nigeria’, I am poised to champion governance with a Bottom-Top approach. This is the true essence of ‘Social Governance’. Social Governance therefore targets and aims to benefit the No Income earners, Low Income earners and Lower-Medium Income Earners, with special emphases on women, workers (particularly teachers), youths (particularly students), children, physically challenged, rural dwellers and the elderly/senior citizens.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/8324006_nyat_jpeg23547cfc88bf555895c44684eb254e67

The Hashtags


To actualize the Social Governance mandate, we have four (4) hashtags.

#ChangeTheMusic underscores the imperative of a change in direction. Successive governments in Akwa Ibom state have generally lived and acted in the most wasteful, extravagant, financially reckless and irresponsible manner. Our priorities have been anything but responsible. And that has brought us to this regrettable destination and thus, the inevitability of change in our governance musical style.
We must therefore change the music and #GoLowProfile, which is our second hashtag. Also, in practical terms, we must #ShutDownAndShutOut. We must shut down all the drainpipes and wastages which include but are not limited to: unproductive travels, retinue of redundant aids, ego and vanity projects, governor’s lodges, obscene convoys, etc. We must also shut out the leeches and parasites that account for the massive and unacceptable capital flight. This will free funds to embark on projects that will benefit the people.

That leads us to our last hashtag #ItIsPossible.

It is possible to pay living wage instead of minimum wage. It is possible to pay bursaries and give scholarships to our students. It is possible to undertake social housing for the generality of our people. It is possible to undertake universal basic healthcare delivery where the poorest has access to qualitative healthcare without consequential hardship.

On account of the above, social governance seeks to recreate the middle class not by pulling down the rich but by pulling up the poor through qualitative basic education for the children of the workers, healthcare for the rural dwellers and social housing for the generality of our people.

Zoning


Two of the most frequent comments that I have received are: ‘I wish you were from Eket zone’; ‘I wish you were not from Ikot Ekpene’. On second thought, I consider this a significant blessing in disguise as it will be a good referendum on our people to place fundamentals beyond legalities.

Today, we will choose between convention and destiny; we will choose between core values and prejudices; and we will choose between the life of our people and political correctness. The office of the governor is the office that defines our destiny as a people and the choice of who should be the occupant of such a sensitive office must be based strictly on character, competence and capacity as in the FIFA World cup where in a bid to qualify as a country we sought for a coach with no consideration to his race or nationality.

Hunger has taken our people captive, poverty has defied all boundaries, deprivation and want lurks from all nooks and cranny, and Akwa Ibom people today are in dire need of a man on whom they can entrust their corporate destiny as a people.

I therefore offer myself not as a man from any tribe or section of the state, but as one knowledgeable about our challenges and vested with the capacity to break sectional, ethnic, religious and social divisions as well as work for the generality of our people.

For those to whom tribal sentiment is paramount, I respect their position and right to vote based on such sentiment. I also appeal that they also respect my fundamental right to contest as a legitimate son of this state as I vie for the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom.

For those who feel the pain of the present reckless, visionless and complacent disposition of the rulership class against the plight of the generality of the people, I humbly request that they undertake an elaborate scrutiny and profiling of all of us that seek the exalted office of governor and consequently do the needful. It is within that context that my chances of earning your vote is very bright.

Fundamentals[/b

[/b]Mindset


During a recent interaction with the senate of University of Uyo students’ union government, one of the questions that a distinguished senator asked me was, “if you had 24 hours to be governor, what is the one thing that you will do”? My answer to his question was: “Address mindset”.
Notwithstanding my extremely critical disposition to the current government, I believe that one of the noblest initiatives of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration is the Dakkada revolution, although in my own opinion, the essence of such revolution has been lost.

I find it difficult to believe that APC, YDP and other political parties have not produced outstanding sons and daughters worthy of celebration. Dakkada revolution which should be ‘Excellence Revolution’, and excellence unfortunately, is blind to party and any form of division.

I believe in the greatness of Akwa Ibom sons and daughters and intend to attack their minds with vengeance to the end that, the very best of them is discovered, recovered and uncovered. For the bible says, “As a man thinks is in heart, so is he”.

Unity


I will probably go down in history as the first man that beats the law without breaking the law – by way of being an effectively independent candidate and yet satisfying or meeting the terms for electoral participation as stipulated in the constitution. My independence status is informed by the peculiar situation in our state.

We have been broken, fragmented and divided with the APC and the PDP having almost equal strength and running on principles where the winner takes all and the loser is confined to ‘four years in Siberia’. Politics has become a do-or-die affair. Within this context, it is practically impossible to have peace in the state.

We therefore need a new political paradigm where a relatively fine line is drawn between being indigene and being a party man. The resources of the state should benefit every member of the state. This paradigm is alien and impossible to achieve by the two dominant parties. Fortunately, it is exactly what I intend to achieve and the wisdom underlying my independent candidature.

It should therefore be expected that my cabinet will be populated by YDP, APC, PDP, and APGA members, and the unifying factor will not be party but character, capacity and competence.


Education


Education will definitely engage the best of my attention. Budgetary allocation for education will be between 15 to 20 percent, even as there will be consistent provision of subventions so as to meet UNESCO’s budgetary recommendation of 25% for education.

Also, teachers will rank amongst the best paid in the state. Students will be on special salaries/bursary schemes. Internet facility will be made available to our tertiary institutions. Special programs will be embarked upon by government to encourage our young ones to get interested in and innovative with IT and much premium will be placed on Information Technology in a bid to shape the future of the state.


Security and Welfare


I consider security to be the bedrock and fundamental requirement for progress. Therefore, my approach to security will be in two different dimensions. The first will be to guarantee Inclusive Governance. Nothing provides security like attaching a sense of importance to the citizens that is devoid of discrimination. This is the beginning of peace.

Furthermore, creating an atmosphere in which every citizen particularly the youth is given wings to fly makes for meaningful engagement and by extension, eliminates idle minds which are usually the recruitment ground for agents of destabilization.

Besides inclusive governance and meaningful engagement of youth, no price will be too great to pay in adopting technology including satellite tracking and the use of drones for security surveillance purposes. Those are preemptive measures that discourage violence and acts of criminality.

The most effective tracker, however, would be when we establish brotherly love and oneness that will in turn engender neighborhood watch. Then, robbers and other actors of the underworld will be dissuaded from carrying out their nefarious activities. The ultimate result will be absolute peace, which is fundamental to attracting investors and job creation.

The Call


I find myself in the midst of people I call brethren. I find myself in an extremely familiar territory. I find myself in the midst of people to whom, beside God, I can attribute a substantial part of my success.

The Media

While others may need to pay an arm and a leg to be here, I have this kindness at no cost to me. This has been your disposition to me over a period of not less than 15 years.

Today, however, I wish to make a special call. It is a call to conscience. You all know me, you know what I believe in and exactly what I stand for. You all can tell without an iota of doubt what this state would become under my watch as Governor within twelve (12) months of assuming the leadership of this state, with respect to my commitment, definite vision, incorruptibility, integrity and accountability.

It is on account of this and more that I asked you all to look beyond sentiments and the human element. By the time that the election result is announced sometime within the first week of March 2019, you will either live with the regret of having not done what you could have done, having gone against your conscience or the satisfaction and fulfilment of having followed your conscience.
I speak with all boldness because I represent what the state needs at this time

Good Conscience


Let me state categorically that I have come to give justice to the people of Eket Senatorial District. As ironic as this might sound, I believe that justice is served to the Eket person when money is saved from frivolous spending and such money is used to pay the backlog of his salaries. Justice is served to the Eket woman when she is paid living wage as opposed an infinitesimal wage that cannot meet the basic needs of her household. Justice is served to the students of Eket Senatorial District from poor homes when they are paid bursary, given scholarships and provided with comfortable learning environment.

Above all, as I did in 2007, I wish to pledge that one of my first bills to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as governor will be for the creation of the Akwa Ibom State Oil-bearing Communities Development Commission to which a special budgetary provision will be made. This is intended to replicate the 13% derivation fund that is usually allotted to the Niger Delta states by the federal government due to oil exploration activities. While a local government like Ikot Ekpene enjoys the dividend of such derivation fund, oil-bearing communities like Mbo, Ibeno, Esit Eket and the likes are not adequately compensated. That is injustice! There must therefore be a mapping of all oil-bearing communities and a commission set specially and exclusively to develop those areas. THAT IS JUSTICE BEYOND WHO IS THE GOVERNOR.

Arc.(Otuekong) Nya-Etok Ezekiel.
AKS2019 Governorship Candidate
YDP (Young Democratic Party)

[/quote][/s]