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Fellow Akwaibomites
Tomorrow Nigerians will troop out in millions to exercise one of the civic rights bestowed on a citizen: the right to vote and be voted for, in a fair, credible and transparent electoral process.
The candidates for tomorrow’s election have sold their manifestoes persuading you to hire them to work for you.
Akwa Ibom State is universally acknowledged as a safe, peaceful and secure State. I beseech you to ensure that in exercising your civic right as a citizen, you maintain the peace and harmony that form the building blocks of our identity as a people.
I enjoin our youths to eschew violence. We are all brothers and sisters who are wholly invested in the Akwa Ibom Project. No political office should cost the life of a single Akwa Ibom person or a visitor to the State. Let us abide by the biblical injunction in Proverbs 1:10 “My son if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” Putting it in our dialect, “Eyen mi mme idiok owo ekpetap fi, kunyime” My dear people, please do not participate in any act that will cause the breakdown of law and order.
It was the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton who made this deeply moving exhortation that “We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more”. Let us tell the world that even though we may have political differences, in Akwa Ibom State, the elements that bind us as brothers and sisters matter more than the temporary fault line that politics engenders.
To our leaders, let me also quote the eternally aptly reflective words from another US President, John Quincy Adams “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” May the actions of our leaders inspire us to dream more and become more law abiding citizens, knowing that the future of our children is ours to keep and sustain.
Let me welcome all visitors and observers who have come to our State to witness this democratic process. Akwa Ibom people are known for their friendly disposition to strangers and they will bring this unique quality to bear as you interact with them. Your safety is assured.
God bless Akwa Ibom State, God bless Nigeria.
May the peace of God be with us all.
