Umo Eno: Stakeholders endorsing me for 2023 know my capacity, competence and character
By Tom FredFish
A leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Akwa Ibom state, and preferred candidate of Akwa Ibom stakeholders, Pastor Umo Eno has revealed real reason he is being supported and endorsed by various persons, groups and communities.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard Newspapers, Umo Eno expressed delight with his endorsement by the elders and leaders of the state led by the Governor Udom Emmanuel, describing it as an outcome of careful and thorough assessment of all aspirants in the race.
He noted that the decision was credible because those endorsing him are high profile individuals in the state who know all the contestants personally and have been in the field in Akwa Ibom long enough to know the capacity, experience and expertise of everyone.
The seasoned entrepreneur and foremost employer of labor in Akwa Ibom explained that Akwa Ibom is like a village where everybody knows everybody, thus, it is easy for the leaders of the village to know everyone and be able to attest to their capacities, he asserted therefore that Akwa Ibom leaders endorsed him because they can vouch for his capacity, competence, and character.
He said: “As you know, those endorsing me are high profile individuals, they are stakeholders in the State and they know all of us closely and they have been in the field in Akwa Ibom long enough to know everybody and, as we say in the village, everybody knows everybody.
If you are a thief, the villagers know you and if you are a good person they know you. I want to believe, with all sense of humility, that they know every one of us, they know our capacity, competency, and character.”
He further explained that the elders are visioneers with a high sense of integrity who have seen the great developmental strides of Governor Udom in the last 7 years and envisage that for Akwa Ibom to get to where it ought to be after him, only someone peaceful, accommodating, who can secure the state and take the youths off the streets by empowering them with skills and jobs should take over from him from 2023.
“The stakeholders are beyond those you will say you want to manipulate, they know the kind of leadership they want in the State, at this point. They know the past and present history of the State. They know full well that the present administration is a complete departure from the past in terms of security of lives and property.
And today, we have peace, our businesses are thriving and our infrastructures are beginning to attract national attention. I think these stakeholders who are the custodians of our values know the difference between good and bad. They prefer peace, stability, and sustainability. A deep sense of modesty and humility, that’s why I believe they all prefer me and endorsed me,” he stated
Recall that on the 30th of January 2022, at the Government House, Uyo, elders of Akwa Ibom state led by a former governor, Obong Victor Attah and Governor Udom Emmanuel had in a meeting unveiled Pastor Umo as the preferred choice to take over leadership from Governor Udom come 2023.
Since the endorsement which had a vast number of PDP stakeholders, traditional rulers, and clergymen in attendance, virtually all key political stakeholders in the state such as the legislature, state cabinet, all LGA chairmen, political appointees, highly placed individuals in the state, and a cross-section of church leaders have aligned with the decision of the elders to support Pastor Umo based on his extraordinary credentials.