By Emmanuel Mogbede
Mr Nathan Ekpo, a former Trustee of Abuja Akwa Ibom Community, said that Sen. Godswill Akpabio as the country’s next Senate President would be a perfect fit for the incoming administration of Sen. Bola Tinubu, the President-elect.
He said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja on the in-coming 10th National Assembly and the leadership it deserved.
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, recently said that APC Governors and its inner caucus had endorsed Akpabio as the party’s concensus candidate for the Senate President of the incoming 10th Senate.
Ekpo, who was also the Pioneer President of Annang Community and Pioneer Chairman and Trustee of Ati Annag Abuja branch, said Akpabio deserved the position because he had paid his dues as a loyal party man.
He said the former two-term Governor of Akwa Ibom had also served well in the Senate and other areas and had proved his doubters wrong through his impeccable character and antecedents.
He expressed optimism that Akpabio who is the current Minority Leader in the Senate, would lead an all inclusive National Assembly to compliment the proposed Unity Government of Tinubu, the President-elect, if given the opportunity.
“He played a pivotal role in advocating for the interests of Nigerians, cutting across all regions and worked tirelessly to promote peace, security, and unity among Nigerians.
“If there is any politician of South South extraction that has built bridges across ethnic groups in the country, that man is Akpabio, his passion for the Nigerian project is undiluted, he doesn’t discriminate against any group, region or religion.
“With his plethora of achievements, there is no doubt that Akpabio will lead an all inclusive National Assembly to compliment the proposed Unity Government of Tinubu, the President-elect,” he said.
He added that the incoming 10th National Assembly needed a democrat like Akpabio who was poised to raise the bar in governance by bringing in his wealth of experience and expertise to bear.
“A good man is known by the track records of his antecedents, little wonder the Bible says a good name is better than silver and gold, a typical and apt illustration of the man, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
“Akpabio is a household name in Nigeria’s politics, his antecedents in good governance and people-oriented policies as a former Governor of Akwa Ibom speaks volume of hard work, selflessness and uncommon developments,” he said.
According to Ekpo, the former Akwa Ibom governor has touched many lives and had consistently put smiles on people’s faces anywhere he goes by turning many boys to men by empowering them.
Ekpo said that Akpabio’s story could be compared to that of Tinubu, the President-elect who had the penchant for human capacity development, cutting across all parts of the country.
“Tinubu and Akpabio will make a difference in the history of Nigeria because birds of a feather flock together, their record of performance is unprecedented and uncommon in this part of the world.
“Akpabio does not look back once he sets his hands on something, he must ensure that he leaves the place better than he met it, this is no mean record if compared to his peers in politics.
“The measure of his loyalty and ability to go through a rough path in life, and come out of it without losing his mind and integrity, determines his level of character and knowledge of life and governance.
“Akpabio, having been exposed in different skills of managing humans and their diversities, knows their demand and what is expected,” Ekpo stressed.
He added that on the home front, Akpabio’s footprints in Akwa Ibom had left an everlasting memory in the minds of everybody following his development antecedents.
He recalled that as governor, Akpabio upgraded Akwa Ibom to a destination of choice, transforming the old civil service state to a tourists centre and industrial hub in West Africa within eight years.
He noted that before he assumed office as governor of Akwa Ibom, previous administration had engaged a contractor, mobilised him with huge sum of money for the state airport project.
“But what Akpabio met as Ibom airport project was a mass land with just the site cleared, he wasted no time in salvaging the project and completing it on schedule.
“Today, Ibom International Airport is reputed to have one of the longest runways in Nigeria and international flights have already commenced from the airport,” Ekpo said.
He added that as a man of vision, Akpabio also moved to complete the second phase of the airport which had the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities to serve the West African sub-region.
He further added that as a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, he repositioned the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for effective service delivery to the people of the region and completed several projects.
This, he said, made the National Headquarters of the NDDC to be completed within a year. (NAN)
