1.I recently spoke at Channels TV on the importance of a system.
2.While praying for Nigeria, the Lord revealed to me that a System is like that straight Peg or stick we use to control the growth pattern of Yam in the farm.
3.When the stick is properly fixed besides the Yam.. Without anyone saying a word or touching the growing Yam, it follows the stick .
4.That also ensure there is no clash between one Yam and another or else the growth will be stunted.We have seen clashes of systems, Education, Health Care, Security, Agricultural and Banking.
5.These systems are connected.They are interrelated and dependent on one and other.For example ASUU strike affects businesses around campuses...House rent, food vendors, business centres, recharge cards..People selling clothes and many other businesses suffers as a result of the strike.That is how system works.Electricity contributes to security.Quality of Education contributes to productivity.
6.When yam growth is properly controlled using that stick, as wind pushes the plant left and right, it helps the plant to release an hormone called Auxin which helps to stimulate the growth of a cell in plants which is responsible for Stability.This will also determine the size of the Yam you get eventually.
7.I flew from Lagos on Tuesday 20th September, 2022 to Uyo via Ibom Air but before my trip, Major Gen.Henry Ayoola told me the flight has zero tolerance for lateness to check in counter even 1 minute after, they will not allow you and they do not delay unnecessarily.Wonderful...In My Country...Glory to God.
8.As a Subject Matter Expert in Economic Development and Good Governance, I paid attention to all details every step of the way so as to document my findings.
9.From Lagos, they kept to time.As it was said, the Ibom Air took off at exactly 7 :30am.
I landed in Uyo to witness great projects executed by Udom Emmanuel.
10.I met a new Friend who is a Fulani man and he said to me, Akpabio has done well for them in this state and the new Governor is doing well too.
Everywhere, there is one project or the other.Uyo is a good place to go for Holiday.
11.My 4 hours in traffic on 19th September, 2022 penultimate evening of my trip in Lagos was very fresh in my memory and I was admiring those who dwell in this city call Uyo as everything seems so calm for Holiday.
12.In fact the Federal Government Agency I went to work seems to be operating under another spirit of excellence different from what you see elsewhere.Very Professional and friendly people. Hospitable and Intelligent people.Even the Police in Uyo seems not to be like Police elsewhere.Very friendly.Thet assist you with good smiles on their faces.Ethics of my profession does not permit the mentioning of names and entities.
These friends may be reading this article...I say God bless you all for telling the world we still have hope of a great country.
13.At the Hotel in an area called 4 Lane, when it was time for dinner, there was Value for money. I ate fresh fish, dry fish, local chicken spiced with vegetable and natural juice and here life seems to be different and the bill is less than 20% of what you will be charged in Lagos yet the quality is super and natural.
14.I observed the tricycle in Uyo are well covered with leather.Unlike other parts of the country.If it rains, it may not touch the passengers.
15.I was surprised when a young lady who was at Lagos Campus of Nigerian Law School in my set was getting into one of the tricycles where two men were seated plus the rider.I questioned the audacity of the young lady who I needed to commit some work to in Akwa Ibom; she laughed and in her words..."Dr.Gbenga Adeoye; This is not Lagos.Am safe"
Wonderful place to be.Secured that much without fear that the two men could harm her ?
16.While heading to the Airport on my way to Abuja, I recalled my last trip over a decade ago to Eket for a wedding.Continuous development can be seen everywhere.Where Akpabio stopped, Udom Emmanuel picked it.
I asked my driver about the state and the progressive developments and he explained the continuity of many projects from Attah to Akpabio and to Udom Emmanuel.
From building the Airport to setting up a viable Airline .In fact a new terminal was shown to me.These are not Federal Projects.Wonderful.Even Federal Government does not have Airline...What a contradiction in terms of capacity comparison.
17.So it means with two Airports coming up in my State( Cargo Airport at Ikenne & Wasinmi Airport) in Ogun State....We can have "Gateway Air".This is a good dream for me and for my State.
Lagos can have "Excellence Airline too.( Someone just need to think out of the box)
Yes I believe it.We only need to plan and be focused.
If Akwa Ibom Can do it, we can do it too
18.What I saw this week reminds me of how Wike was named Mr. Project..When Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President then, visited River State and commissioned so many projects to the extent that he could not help it but named Wike Mr Project.
I heard so many project were also commissioned recently when Right Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila was there.
19.In Ogun state..From Osoba to Gbenga Daniel and from OGD to Amosun and now from Amosun to Dapo Abiodun; progressive developments can be seen...Forget about the fights between all of them. .I still value all of them.They have done their best at their times.If not for OGD, there will.be no TASUED and so many other projects .Amosun was Fly over man.He did what no one tried tried before.
20.Same in Lagos from Tinubu to Fashola and then Ambode and now Babajide Sanwoolu.Forget about the fights...They have all done their best.Jakande cannot even be compared with any of them.Just as Awolowo was with no comparison in South West.
21.We can do more if we block the leakages and hold leaders Accountable while we stop celebrating wealth without work.
22.My hope is rising daily over Nigeria.
I pray we get it right in 2023.God will help us.Amen.
23.Let me return to my Akwa Ibom Experience .
The staff of the airline are well trained.
There is nothing like anything for the boys.They are so professional.When they check you in before you get into the plane, before you know it, they already help to lift up your laptop bag and other hand luggage you dropped while they search you.
24.When they say enjoy your flight, their faces were not with begging codes like some "Welcome Sir" you get around the country.There is nothing like your boys are here ooo.We know what that means anyway.Isn't it?
25.I have hope of a better Nigeria.Yes...Nigeria where people can serve with smile always. The young man that checked my bag in at Uyo while heading to Abuja seems like one trained out of Nigeria.The work ethics was super.
The last time I witness that kind of service was in US.It reminds me of Mr Folusho Phillips experience at Nigerian Immigration ..How he got his Passport with ease.Ww are going somewhere as a country.FIRS with Tax Pro Max and online filing of VAT and other returns is also an assurance of better days ahead of us.
26.Guess what, they are all Nigerians, yet they proved excellence in Quality Service delivery.Even the crew are all Nigerians.
27.Their announcement inside Ibom Aircraft is in different Nigerian Languages.I heard Yoruba Language..English and Hausa as well as their own native language in Akwa Ibom....inside the Ibom Air...What a pleasant flight experience.
28.I enjoyed my experience in Uyo and I say thank you to Udom Emmanuel and others before him.
29.Some may say, what do you expect from them; there is oil money now....I see progressive developments which is not because of oil money but because of men of Vision.
30.Someone built the Airport, another person set up the Airline .These are the foundations you lay to attract investments to your state or country.
31.Enough of this strange culture of abandoning good projects simply because it was initiated by someone else.
Proper system allows for continuity.
32.Let me commend the Professional Bodies that trained most of the people doing well.
UP ICAN, UP NBA and Council of Legal Education.
Yes...It shows clearly that an Accountant and a Lawyer are trained as Good Governance Experts .Yes...If you don't believe me...Go and Verify like Peter Obi will say.Of course Obi though not an Accountant but also a trader with a difference .Master of Figures. I call him moving calculator but he is not part of the people am appraising or commending today.
33.Just check these facts.
The state I used as my yardstick and those I referred to were governed by Accountants and Lawyers.
34.Akwa Ibom..Akpabio.. A Lawyer...He must attend the next NBA conference and sponsor young Lawyers oooo....Tell him if you know him...
Udom Emmanuel..An Accountant in fact a member of ICAN...
Let people tell him..he must attend 52nd Annual Conference of ICAN in Abuja in October, 2022 and sponsor people from Akwa Ibom...If you know him, tell him ooo.
35. Wike, a Lawyer in River State...Mr Project.That man is a book on his own.I must not start a story about about Wike...From his voice..to his audacity..He is a book.
36.In Ogun with the exception of Otunba Gbenga Daniel who to me though an engineer but over time has become more than an Accountant and an expert in Education.
Amosun, an Accountant and Dapo Abiodun ..I heard is also an Accountant trained in the US.
37.Look at Lagos.
Tinubu, an Accountant trained in the US.
Fashola a Lawyer and SAN for that matter.
Ambode, a First Class Accountant from UNILAG and a Fellow of ICAN.
38.If you want to talk about an Erudite Professor of Law with extra ordinary competence in administration, you must refer to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
39.My conclusion,
In the next election; anywhere or any state you see an Accountant or a Lawyer contesting election..Please vote for them. ..Yes.. Vote for them.You should vote any well trained Professional who is a member of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria too...Era of Voting illiterates should end now.
40.Am I bias? I think not....
God bless Akwa Ibom State.God bless Nigeria.Ibom Air..Keep it up.
The Author,
Dr.Gbenga Adeoye holds a Bachelors Degree in Law, a Master of Science Degree in Banking & Finance, a PhD in Management Accounting.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
He is an Arbitrator of UK and Nigeria.
He also holds a Diploma in Criminology and Security Studies.
He is passionate about Social and Economic Development of Africa in General and Nigeria in Particular.
He is of the firm belief that National Development is a function of the quality of people in leadership and Systems in place.
He can be reached on dga@gbengaadeoye.com
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