2015: ACA AND THE 3 WISE MEN

From:	(Itohowo Williams)

God works in a mysterious way. ACA (Akwa Ibom Consolidated Alliance) has been variously criticized for being a body set up as a government machinery to promote Mr Udom Emmanuel's campaign for 2015 governorship. That was a small truth. There was a big picture which God has in mind. In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth. The big picture which God had in mind came out in their billboard which removes all the confusion.

Anyone that has driven through Uyo in the last few days would have seen some billboards tagged "Three Wise Men". In that billboard created by ACA we have the picture of His Excellency President Goodluck Jonnathan, His Excellency Gov Godswill Akpabio and Mr Udom Emmanuel. If you know the history of any of these three distinguished persons you cannot agree more with ACA. These are indeed 3 Wise Men.

With an estimated GDP of $14 billion Akwa has an economy larger than at least 30 African countries including Gambia, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia etc. But a UNDP survey in 2010, has it that Akwa Ibom had the third highest poverty rate of 27.1 per cent in the South-South Zone. 

According to the NBS as at 2010, the state's unemployment rate was the second highest in the zone with 25.8 per cent. It also generates a paltry 8 per cent IGR indicating lack of vibrant private and informal sectors. In any economy with these features there is bound to be "relative deprivation". This is why Akwa Ibom needs a change - an economic messiah from 2015.

This is not to say present and previous administrations have not tried their best. Infact like John the Baptist they have set the pace though the messiah must come and finish the economic redemption work.

Sectoral analysis shows the state scoring well in some sectors. In education within the South South zone, Akwa Ibom has the highest JSS enrolment of 156,761. The 2010 National Literacy Survey also showed that it has a literacy rate in any language of about 79 per cent.

In the area of infrastructure, some real giant strides have been made.

However some key human development index like 

1. Life expectancy at birth (as an index of population health and longevity)

2. Knowledge and education (as measured by the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio)

3. Standard of living (as indicated by the natural logarithm of gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity)

remain at unacceptable levels.

It is in view of these that God has selected Wiseman Goodluck Jonnathan, Wiseman Godswill Akpabio and Wiseman Udom Emmanuel as indicated on the ACA billboard to do their job. The three wise men, even in the holy book has a simple mandate to identify the messiah represented by a star. The word didn't say any of the three wise men was himself the messiah.

They should therefore commence the work of locating the star. For like Julius Caesar said "the sky (Akwa Ibom) is painted with unnumbered sparks; they are all fires and everyone dot shines. But there is but one that is fixed; that unassailable hold on its rank un-shake of motion" and who would that be?

Would it be Star Nsima Ekere or Star Helen Esuene or Star Umana O. Umana or Star Chrisabasieyo or Star Ekpenyong Ntekim or Star Sam Akpan or Star Okpolum Ette or Star Victor Iyanam or Star Albert Bassey or Star Arc Otu Ita or Star Okpo or Star Effiong Abia?

The answer is left for the three wise men who should act selflessly to locate the "2015 Star" and inform not King Herod but Obong Paul Ekpo - Akwa Ibom State Chairman, PDP. They should also support him with gold ( Federal resource), Myrrh (state resource) and Frankincense (LG resource).