Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has called on God to put to shame all those who have made elaborate plans to convert the state to a theatre of violence ahead of, and during the 2019 general elections.
Governor Emmanuel said the people of Akwa Ibom State who have collectively enjoyed peace in the State during the past three and half years are only interested in rising to the faith of their greatness and those of their children, by promoting peace.
In his Christmas broadcast message to the people of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday, Emmanuel said: “As we celebrate Christmas, the birth of the Prince of Peace, my prayer is that may those who wish to unleash terror on our people, may those who have made elaborate plans to allow our State become a theatre of violence as in ‘Warsaw saw war’ be put to shame by the collective will of our people who have all embraced peace.
“Politics will come and politics will go, but Akwa Abasi Ibom State will remain non-negotiable and sacrosanct. May we have a peaceful and violence-free electioneering campaign and elections come 2019 and may the might and the will of the people supersede every other “might” and our people say “Amen”.
Emmanuel said that during his three and half years as Governor, no one had been kidnapped for political reasons, no one had been assassinated for holding a different political view point and no one has been harassed for speaking his or her mind.
“I have been insulted, called all manner of names but I have taken it all in the chin, knowing full well that our people who enjoy the peace and security in this State are with us. Do you, my dear Akwa Ibomites, want to go back to the days of horror, of killings and of kidnappings?
“The same people who brought you those years of horror are back together and they have promised you and the entire world that they will unleash violence upon you in the fashion of ‘Warsaw saw war’.
“As we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, may their plan to unleash violence on our peace-loving people never come to pass; may the peace and progress we currently enjoy continue to be our portion in Jesus name, and you my dear people say Amen!” he said.
He declared that his approach to the development of Akwa Ibom State is futuristic and realistic as he had carefully avoided building monuments that have no direct impact or meaning to the everyday lives of the people.
“We are not grandstanding with the construction of white elephant projects, we are not on a course for fleeting applause, we are not here to create a cult of personality or to play God or to define ourselves as the sole repositories of knowledge and power; we are not here to sell our State on bended knees or to cut deals that will imperil the future of our State or our children.
“We are not here sorely to protect our selfish interest while sacrificing the collective good; we are not arming people and sewing fake army and police uniforms to unleash terror on our innocent children just to win elections.
“We are here, because we genuinely care about you, your children’s future, the place of our State in the socio-political calculus of our nation. We are here because we believe the resources God has so generously endowed our people with, should be used to develop Akwa Ibom State and empower our people to rise further to the faith of their greatness,” he said.
