ABANDONED PROJECTS, THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF ADOPTION

by Imo Ben

When a thing is forgone for another, economists say it is the opportunity cost for the valued one. In this case, abandoned projects are cost of adoption of

Deacon Udom Emmanuel's preferred aspirant, Pastor Umo Eno which is more valuable to him than development. He has traded development for fanfare called adoption of one of the most unpopular aspirants which he has consripted to succeed him in 2023.

In the name of adoption of his unpopular choice, billons of naira meant for infrastructural projects have been diverted to empty into pockets of the campaign promoters of succession project, MPM and in that of contractors. This is the reason why there are so much abandoned projects here and there across the state which the adoption train cannot deny anymore of not seeing and even driving on such roads to take them to venues of their adoption drama to market their controversial politician.

It makes mockery of MPM and Pastor Umo Eno's team for standing up in crowd of people to say the aspirant should be accepted because the Governor knows the best that worthy for Akwa Ibom people to adopt. Are his abandoned projects the best for citizens of the state? Indeed if he has disappointed electorate in his two terms, why does he believe that people are so stupid to accept his planned successor. Has he forgotten that people say, show me your friend, l tell who you are. If as a Governor he has abandoned projects meant for the development of the state, what will he use to convince delegates and electorate to vote for his preferred choice as better than other aspirants, especially those who have been tested and trusted.

Good enough, the admittance that there exist abandoned projects by no less a person than Mr. Ephraim Inyang Eyen who presided over the ministry of works before now finally nailed the administration that is fond of denying there are no abandoned projects. His confession dismisses the Governor's Complection Agenda slogan as smokescreen to give citizens false belief that the abandoned projects are on course. 

Whereas, it is clear that he can't compete these projects within the very limited time remaining if he could not in about 7years of being on seat collecting the highest allocation plus loans, Paris Club refunds do so; still his administration keeps deceiving vulnerable electorate that it is achievable. Who is fooling who? Not delegates or electorate who have eyes to see his planned successor as another mistake,like himself.

Already with very limited time for him to exit, everything is on stand still as he has launched his succession project while he has abandoned projects everywhere. Setting campaign on when it is not time tells us he is done definitely with development. Campaign period usually terminates serious work on projects, this is why electorate are annoyed with him for flagging off campaign prematurely to stall development.

The confession of Mr. Inyang Eyen has set fire in Onna local government area where the Governor and the ex-commissioner hails from. Some sychophants of the Governor expected the sacked Chief of Staff to die for the sins the of Mr. Udom Emmanuel, whereas according to him he never stole a dime as alleged, rather he pointed out that questions on the abandoned projects visible around should be for the Accountant General and contractors to answer. What wrong did he commit?

He further exonerated himself when he boldly asked that  EFCC should be invited for investigations to unravel who is with funds for road construction which are left abandoned. Unfortunately, rather than act to prove his innocence and that of those mentioned, the Governor sacked him unceremoniously to punish him for loose tougues. Did he want an innocent friend that never eat delicacies from diverted funds to shut up? If he did join in the conspiracy, then rope him in. Simplest thing to do.

However, the question still remains who is with  diverted funds and why the Governor finds it reluctant to ask questions from contractors and his accountant general. Why has there been conspiracy of silence on the issue? 48 hours after, no word of defense or probe has been said! Instead, his adoption cohorts have loud voices to  threaten the ex-commissioner. 

Moreover,  his Commissioners are still parading and shouting the  Pastor Umo Eno's adoption slogans shamelessly as if the revelation of Mr. Inyang is of lesser importance to the Governor's desperate moves to impose on citizens his unpopular aspirant. Sychophantic politics of the highest order. Nobody amongst them to tell him the truth of his unpopular actions?

Some allege that monies for contracts paid to construction companies ended up being withdrawn by contractors to pay back to political leaders shortlisted on the instructions of "oga at the top". Meaning some contractors are conduit pipes for government to siphon  funds use for adoption scam. What a cycle of corruption at the expense of development in Akwa Ibom. Besides spending billions underservingly, it is a costly exercise by the Governor to shut down operations of government in the name of adoption. 

Why should the. system drag out Commissioners, Special Advisers, Board members, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants and aides to run round pseudo adoption venues on work days even when campaigns have not been kicked started by INEC or party directives. He does it without recourse to the negative leadership orientation he is impressing on the political class. 

It is time the mockery called adoption should be ignored by the electorate because the purpose is to create false impression using the media that the choice of Pastor Umo Eno is popular, especially to the party leadership  in Abuja. Whereas those there like us here know he is lest known and most unpopular amongst the aspirants, just as his mentor is the least in popularity amongst all pasts governors.

The next nomination and election shall be an eye opener that it is the plot of a sit tight cabal that urged him to sack Mr. Ephraim Inyang Eyen to get his dependable friend off his row of defense so they can have easy access to manipulate him and open him up to sucker punch. 

All ther interest is about how to use the succession agenda to transit to the next administration, then they will give the Governor when out of seat a dose of what they did to Chief Godswill Akpabio'who turned them from boys to men. 

The entire adoption is a scam, a game played against the Governor which time will definitely tell, but at the expense of Akwa Ibom State funds wasted on senseless adoption, funds which could have been used to complete the many abandoned projects to put the Governor's record in positive side of history. If he has no skeletons in his cupboard, why not allow a level playing ground for one of the popular aspirants from the favoured zone, Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency to contest and win while he gives decent support to anyone you prefer rather than ambushing electorate using billions of State funds to intimidate them to vote  for Pastor Umo Eno. This is not right.