WAKE UP: Pastor Umo Eno – Congratulating my boss the Akwa Ibom Governor-elect

*”The simplicity of Pastor Umo Eno is beyond a word of the mouth. It is practical, practicalised and practicable”

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

“The Akwa Ibom State-born boss saw me a Muslim and Yoruba, neither Efik nor Ibiobio but simply an Isolo, Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State young Yoruba boy, yet, he magnanimously approved my employment into the Akwa Ibom people-owned company without special influence. I have been looking at him since that time as a special man.”

In my WAKE UP column article titled, “The Pastor Umo Eno that I know” and published by The DEFENDER of June 23, 2022 edition, I had expressed my mind about the personality that Governor Udom Emmanuel had anointed and who at that time had just won a governorship primary election to represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a general election to come in 2023. That election happened yesterday, that is Saturday March 18, 2023. And the result is “Umo Bassey Eno is Governor-elect”.

This is gratifying and can be so consoling because, amidst elections process that was marred with widespread of violence in other parts of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State voters, not only conducted themselves in an orderly manner but also, resisted the will to be suppressed and the result is what we have gotten; a brand new governor that we can proudly claim is worthy of the new status. In that article in June 2022 I had said:

“At a time like this that the reality has dawned on all why peaceful co-existence among people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds in Nigeria is much required as a driver for security and development, the coming into the limelight of Pastor Umo Bassey Eno becomes a vital consideration, as one of those unputdownable tools that the country needs at hand. It is no wonder, therefore, that his emergence as “anointedly” elected candidate to succeed Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa State came without a kick.”

I said: “The simplicity of Pastor Umo Eno is beyond a word of the mouth. It is practical, practicalised and practicable. The banker and investment expert came into my life – or (do I say?) I came into his life – in January 1992 when I came to him as a job seeker at Norman Investment Limited in Lagos, where he was General Manager. The Akwa Ibom State-born boss saw me a Muslim and Yoruba, neither Efik nor Ibiobio but simply an Isolo, Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State young Yoruba boy, yet, he magnanimously approved my employment into the Akwa Ibom people-owned company without special influence. I have been looking at him since that time as a special man.

“Just like the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who is President General, Jama’atul Nasir-il Islam (JNI), Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Chairman, National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria (NTRCN) co-chaired by Ooni of Ife and Co-President, World Regions for Peace headquartered in New York, United States of America and who saw me same a Yoruba boy but took me up and announced to my state leaders “Bashir is our son and he has been doing well with us”, Pastor Eno’s role in placing my feet on the access road to where I find myself today cannot be wished away in a hurry…Wishing my boss the best of luck!” I wrote.

To this end, I say to you, boss that your victory did not come to me as a surprise because you have always been worthy of the exalted height that you have just achieved, considering the fact that you once told us a story of your background that propped some of us, who listened to you, up to the kind of confidence and boldness we have today in doing things, not only properly but more importantly, with the will to excel and belief that he who does the right thing ends up reaping goodness.

I congratulate Your Excellency because you merit your victory. I congratulate Madam because without a goodhearted such woman, I know to have a successful man could develop a clause. I also congratulate all your children and the entire Eno family, while also congratulating myself because your emergence is source of pride to some of us, who passed through your leadership of the industry that brought us together. Since your means to this end has been great enough to justify the end that we have had at hand, there can be no doubt that your time as Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State will be of immense benefits and vast achievements for the state. So it will be by God’s grace, Amiin.