Dr Charity Ido has a very intimidating and inspiring CV. She is well educated without any dint of doubt. With 14 years post doctorate experience under her belt, she is obviously well enfranchised with knowledge and understanding of both academic and legislative processes. As a first timer in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Dr Ido desires to run for a second term to become a ranking member and possibly emerge as the speaker of the State Assembly in 2023. Constitutionally and under the Electoral Act, she is eminently qualified no doubt.
Despite Dr Ido’s inspiring CV, her ambition is obviously bugged down by huge obstacles , the toughest of which is the general belief that she is attempting to scuttle the age long zoning arrangement and usurp the turn of Afaha people in 2023. Many people particularly those from her community also feel that by neglecting Nkek her village in infrastructure development, her Charity does not really begin at home.
In analyzing her sound educational background in line with the capacity or lack of it to bring good governance, there is a raging debate among experts with the conclusion which suggests that, sometimes carriers of intimidating academic CVs are the worst flops, while holders of weak academic qualifications could also wind up as the best managers.
Without prejudice to the essence of good education, I hold the view that any educated person without the capacity to think creatively and translate thin ideas on paper to thick actions on ground is still operation in the realm of running by impulse, thus confirming the saying that goes: the hood does not make the monk
Looking Dr Ido’s CV and her desire to run for a second term, certain truths must be confronted.
- Constitutionally and under the electoral Act, she is eminently qualified to runs for a second term.
- By waiting all this while only to indicate her interest in running for a second term barely six months to the party primaries after many other aspirants from Afaha bloc have emerged, she has just succeeded in raising a ragging political storm against herself.
I have said it before that you cannot force or forge consensus in politics, you can only build and nurture it.
If Dr Ido was well advised from 2020/21 to start building bridges, holding talks and securing a buy in from the elites and royal fathers on the need for Ukanafun to have a ranking member in the state House, her second term bid would not have been viewed now as an ambush against the political future of the Afaha people. This is a grave political miscalculation on her part and indeed a very heavy cross she must carry straight.
OTHER OBSTACLES
1. ABANDONED UKANAFUN GENERAL HOSPITAL:. Apart from the zoning headache, the abandoned Ukanafun General hospital is another major albatross on her path. I can’t recall her ever raising a motion to that effect on the floor of the State Assembly on this critical matter and securing a resolution from the House. I have heard quite a lot of lame arguments, including such excuse claiming that the case is already in court. I have not heard for once , whether she has ever taken steps to initiate an ADR medium to resolve the legal logjam or seek advice or hire an expert to assist her to secure lean compromises or reciprocal concessions from both sides in the court case. It is called a win-win strategy.
As an elected official, I strongly believe that if Dr Ido goes extra mile to fight for her people to the annoyance of the executive arm of government, there is basically nothing they can do to her except she has things she is afraid of which we do not know.
2. NKEK CIVIC CENTER: Dr Ido is from Ikot Ibekwe and married in Nkek in Southern Ukanafun ward 3. Nkek without controversy is the most powerful community in Ukanafun with a very large population, three primary schools and one secondary school. How comes then that she cannot build a Civic center in Nkek as her constituency project like Hon Saturday Michael did in Ikot Akpa Nkuk and Otobong Akpan in Ikot Udo Mbang? If this had been done, the idea of kicking out pupils from classroom to hold Maintain Peace Movement (PMP) meetings in ward 3 will not be necessary.
3. URUA UKO (market) NkEk: The people of Nkek over the years are known to be so business oriented. They produced the first sets of millionaires in Ukanafun based on monetary value then such as Aleximy, Ukowo, ABC etc. They had Attorney general in Eno Udo and later a Justice of the High court. Elder Ediongsenyene Udom was a permanent secretary in those days. They even had a community bank back then.
A typical Nkek person that I knew then such as late chief Inana, Late bank manager Ido, and the living legends such as Mr Okongko, Dr Ofonime Akpan and many others is always concerned about transforming his community into a great place.
If I may ask now. What is the State of Urua Uko now which use to be a bubbling commercial center for trading next to Akpan Assiek market in those days?
CONCLUSION
Her CV notwithstanding
1.Dr Ido’s major problem has to do with her lack of community driven and sustainable development vision.
2.Perhaps her ground crew, advisers or kitchen team are not good enough to assist her to accomplish enduring legacies beyond mere yearly perishable empowerment items.
3. She seems to lack the sagacity to stand for her people and the skill to lobby to get things for her constituents
POSTSCRIPT:
Those rooting for her second term bid should note that I once said:
“You can only stand on the towers of your achievements to ask for votes, not sitting on the ashes of your failure to beg for votes “–by Ufok Ibekwe (development activist)
Dr Charity may still weather all the storms to secure a second term, but the journey will be like embarking on a rocky mountain trip. To be coy about it, will amount to whistling through the grave yard, instead of being afraid ..
