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Gov. Akpabio Parleys Mediamen
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(Contd. from last week)
They started listed people they claimed have been kidnapped,
and how Gen. Akpan had been kidnapped. It was on the
internet two hours before. So somebody called to say ah what
happened. We found this on the internet, and I said nothing
like that; only for me to wake up to hear that what they put
on the internet was actually true.
So for those who want to do politically motivated
kidnappings and murders and all that, and think they can
rise to political power through violence, I want them to
note today that I am alerting the whole world to their evil
plans, and that we will be ready to meet fire for fire. I
will not sit as a governor and run a government that people
will come and intimidate, or come and do all sorts of
things.
I know also that, yes, our abilities may be limited, that
was why I went to God. So I am going to make sure that with
God's assistance we will ensure stability of the state, and
we will bring peace to our people. Let the agencies know
this.
Some of those plans may have worked in other states but they
will not work here. Anybody who thinks he can go and murder
somebody to frame (up) another person should know that he
will have the ultimate judgement from God. I hope you know
that I am saying their plans will not work in Jesus' Name,
amen.
So that story I told you about The News Magazine in those
days, they used to say: “Today they came and killed Gen.
Akinfetowa…” something like that, and somebody will say
“thank God I am not a general.” The other day they came and
killed Kudirat Abiola, you say “thank God I am not married a
presidential candidate.” Then they came down for Pa Rewane,
then you say “thank God I am not an oil magnate.”
And so one by one…, they kept eliminating, then The News
used to say “Shout now because one day they will come for
you and there will be nobody to shout for you.” I hope you
remember that quotation. So when they arrested a journalist,
you said “thank God I am not a journalist.” They came for
the market trader, you said “thank God I am not a trader.”
They killed the army officer, you said “thank God I am not
an army officer.” When they came for the teacher, you said
“thank God I am not teaching, and none of my children is
teaching.” Then one day they came for you. And because you
refused to shout when those things were happening. When they
came for you there was nobody alive to shout on your behalf.
So I am imploring all of you that it is the time to shout
out against organized political kidnappings going on now in
Akwa Ibom so that it will not come to your doorstep in
Jesus' Name, amen. Have I made a point?
This is the time for you to shout….
Let me also thank the Nigerian journalist for the
recognition accorded me. National dailies gave me the honour
of “Man of the Year 2009”, and Daily Independent also
honoured me with Chief Mike Adenuga as “Man of the Year
2009”.
I thank you for accompanying me there and for the
solidarity.
I also understand that ThisDay Newspapers as part of their
50th Independent Anniversary for Nigeria has also slated me
among the people they will honour, and that is coming up on
Sunday. And for every honour, I say the honour is not mine.
It goes to the Akwa Ibom child who probably had no future
but today has a future. The small orphan that lost the
parents and was a housemaid in Gabon and returned to go to
school courtesy of the free and compulsory education policy,
and will finish secondary school and take examination
because we are paying all NECO and WAEC examination levies.
And then in addition to abolishing Parent/Teacher
Association levies, we are giving subventions to the
schools. We have also approved the fact that free textbooks
should be given out. Soon they will be arriving in loads in
the state, and then on each of those textbooks is written
“Not for Sale”. It is for the free and compulsory education
for the Akwa Ibom child.
So for such an orphan who had no hope, but today is sure to
have primary education free, can have junior secondary
education free, can have senior secondary education free,
and is sure that the state government will pay the WAEC
fees…, and look forward to possible scholarship or bursary
grant to assist the child in future, that is the real
champion.
It is that child that is the man of the year 2009, no
Godswill Akpabio. That orphan is the 2009 man of the year.
And for me I get too emotional about it because I know many
of us were just lucky. It was a question of being between
the devil and the deep blue sea. It's God that rescued some
of us. We would not have been standing in front of you to
address you. And so the opportunities we did not have, we
must create those opportunities for our children, so that
tomorrow people can look at us with pride, and look at us
with respect, and not come to Akwa Ibom to search for
housemaids.
You know, now we have finished out airport, a lot of women
in Lagos would have been flying in to search for “Ekaette”
or “Akpan”, or “Udoh” as drivers and housemaids. Now they
can't do that. If they fly in they can only come to relax in
Le Meridien and play golf. We are no more going to be hewers
of wood and fetchers of water, in Jesus' Name, amen.
So I congratulate you for the award. There was one that was
given to me by the Methodist Church, Prelate Sunday Makinde
and he called it “Joshua of our Time”, and there was one
that was given to me by The African Church, and they called
it “The Nehemiah of our Time”. But of all those awards, I
have not seen any from the NUJ (laughs), and even Pioneer
did not make me Man of the Year (laughs). Even Insight did
not recognize me as… Man of 2010 (laughs).
On the whole you must take a cue. Sometime they say a
prophet is not celebrated at home. But I thank you because
this particular prophet you celebrated him. You did not
celebrate me, you celebrated the little achievement that God
has used us to do. Are you getting my point? When you move
on some of these tarred roads and then you see the prospects
of where they say we'll get to.
And finally, as we leave here go to Nung Udoe-Okoi Ita road,
it's completed and is ready for commissioning. They will go
there and visit the road, and see Iyere Bridge which is
fully done. So you can move from this Ikot Ekpene Road and
go through that Nung Udoe, all the way to Okoi-Ita now, it's
completed. Then the Iyere Bridge, that's the name of that
bridge, is fully finished.
When you go there and come back you discuss with the SSG
when you will like to go and commission it. Because I know
that by the time you are going toward that Nung Udoe you
would have passed through the beautiful fly-over that is now
becoming clear how concentric it will be, and tell me
something, can the landscape ever be the same again? …I want
you to answer me, can it ever be the same again?
So what was my promise? I told you your lives will never be
the same again. Those things you are seeing, can your life
ever be the same again? Can Uyo ever be the same again? To
God be the glory! (The end)
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