Like Udom, Like Akpabio

 A litany of projects in Oil Rich Akwa Ibom state and you will say wow. But I

refuse to be carried away.

I am happy that I have been a keen observer of Governance in Nigeria for more than 30 years. Like in government, like in big institutions, patronage is the name of the game.

No doubt, there are honest Politicians but the setting is less than honest. To get elected, you have to be sponsored either by the Party or by an individual or a group or groups.

Whichever one does it, would need to reap something in return. To give back, it cannot be straight forward but by subterfuge.

A contract is awarded and padded with something for the stakeholders. No wonder, Chinua Achebe observed in his book, 'The Trouble with Nigeria' that Nigeria has the highest cost of projects in the World and why not?

I refuse to be carried away because not too long ago, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka was carried away by Akpabio's bogus uncommon transformation and Governor Udom Emmanuel, was Akpabio's man Friday as Secretary to the State Government.

Corruption element, apart, Government is been proven repeatedly, has no business in Business. Over time most of the projects today, like the Airline would start draining the purse of the government.

The government should concentrate on social services like roads, schools and hospitals while encouraging the private sector to invest in the state with land and tax holidays as incentives.

The product of the schools could constitute a pool of workforce to engage.

The governor should learn from Akpabio, the euphoria of uncommon transformation is over. For relevance and Political survival, Akpabio is gasping in spite of his much trumpeted giant strides.