OPINION: On the night Governor Umo Eno gifted the blind singer Chris Vic a house, a N100m music studio and an allowance of N100m, the Governor was so moved he had tears in his eyes. Some Akwa Ibomites went on facebook and called it executive theatre.
Permit me to address those individuals.
There is, regrettably, a troubling degree of intellectual shallowness, historical ignorance, and moral insensitivity evident in some public commentaries emanating from sections of Akwa Ibom’s social media space. At times, one is compelled to wonder whether certain commentators are engaging contemporary governance discourse from the vantage point of the twenty-first century or from an era long past, when civic consciousness and ethical reasoning were yet to emerge.
The tone, content, and confidence with which some individuals articulate profoundly uninformed opinions reveal a distressing absence of research, reflection, and critical reasoning. A number of self-styled Akwa Ibom content creators appear to possess Iphones but lack the educational depth, exposure, and intellectual discipline required to use social media platforms responsibly. Public discourse is daily inundated with poorly constructed arguments, deficient analysis, and commentary wholly divorced from empirical inquiry or contextual understanding. Opinion, unmoored from research, becomes mere noise often amplified by sponsored opposition with token inducements that incentivise outrage rather than thoughtful engagement.
It is therefore deeply perplexing that anyone could witness Governor Umo Eno visibly moved to tears while assisting Chris Vic and conclude that the Governor’s emotions were contrived. One must ask: for whose benefit would such tears be manufactured? To what electoral or political end? Does a sitting Governor whose political future is already secured require theatrical displays of emotion to curry favour or legitimacy?
Such conclusions betray not only cynicism but a profound misunderstanding of human empathy. They reflect hearts hardened by personal histories of emotional deprivation, from environments where kindness was absent, affection rare, and compassion neither modelled nor taught. From such contexts, it is perhaps unsurprising that genuine emotion is misconstrued as manipulation. Yet it must be stated unequivocally: the Governor’s tears were neither contrived nor performative. They were human.
When Governor Umo Eno sheds tears, he ceases, in that moment, to be merely the holder of a constitutional office. He becomes simply a man unadorned by power, stripped of ceremony, dust, as scripture reminds us, fashioned by God. That moment reveals Pastor Umo Eno in his natural state: a man of uncommon empathy and lived experience.
Chris Vic’s story resonates deeply with the Governor because it mirrors aspects of his own journey. He understands marginalisation, exclusion, and the pain of being overlooked. He recognises what it means to persevere against overwhelming odds. Persons living with disabilities embody a struggle that those born without such challenges can scarcely comprehend. Yet, through resilience and faith, many continue to excel. This is not sentimentality; it is lived truth.
Some critics have alleged that the Governor’s acts of generosity constitute public relations theatre. Yet had these interventions occurred privately, the same voices would have petitioned the EFCC and almost certainly have accused the Governor of financial impropriety, alleging covert enrichment, nepotism, or misuse of public funds. Transparency, paradoxically, has become a liability in a climate addicted to suspicion.
Governor Umo Eno has consistently articulated his commitment to transparent governance. Those uncomfortable with openness may persist in partisan ignorance, but accountability to the people of Akwa Ibom remains paramount. Moreover, it bears emphasising that the publicly visible acts of empowerment represent only a fraction of the Governor’s interventions. Quiet assistance, unpublicised and undocumented far exceeds what is seen on Akwa Ibom public platforms.
Public acts of compassion also serve a pedagogical function. They remind society that transformation is possible, that grace can intervene at any moment, and that leadership can be humane. They also issue a moral rebuke to affluent Akwa Ibom elites who hoard wealth while neglecting vulnerable individuals. We have Akwa Ibom leaders who move around with the Governor everywhere he goes, these men and women live in mansions in Ewet Housing; maintain fleets of vehicles, educate their children abroad, yet refuse to extend modest assistance to those seeking a foothold in life.
Contrary to claims that the Governor’s compassion is narrowly directed, the record demonstrates a sustained and structured commitment to persons living with disabilities (PWDs):
- Education and Scholarships:
The establishment of a ₦100 million Education Trust Fund for students with disabilities. - Social Protection:
The facilitation and commendation of ₦2.1 billion in federal cash transfers to 28,000 vulnerable citizens, including PWDs. - Economic Empowerment:
The ARISE Farmers’ Grant empowering 276 PWDs with ₦492.7 million in agricultural and trade support. - Inclusive Development Initiatives:
Empowerment packages under the Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), benefiting rural indigenes including PWDs. - Political Inclusion:
Mandatory representation of PWDs in PDP Local Government Congresses across all 31 LGAs. - Skills and Entrepreneurship:
Training of over 800 participants, including PWDs, through Ibom-LED, supported by ₦400 million in grants.
To those who ask, WHAT ABOUT ME? WHEN WILL THE GOVERNOR NOTICE ME? WHEN WILL HE CHANGE MY STORY?
The Governor responded that night with honesty: no leader can personally attend to nearly 7.9 million citizens. Is the Governor expected to visit each house? He went on to say, if you pray to God and you are diligent God will reveal you to him. He gave a testimony how God showed him a man’s name he had never met and the very next day the man was standing before him. “If you run after God, God will cause men to run after you”, he concluded.
Opportunity often emerges through diligence, faith, and preparedness. As he aptly noted, “If you run after God, God will cause men to run after you.” Didn’t you hear what the Governor said, “Seest thou a man diligent in his work, he will not stand before mean men, he will stand before Kings.
The beneficiaries of public empowerment under this administration were not idle. They had demonstrated excellence, resilience, and commitment prior to recognition:
• The NYSC GRADUATE whose father received a house.
• The PROFESSIONAL sign-language interpreter appointed as Special Assistant
• The international spelling CHAMPION awarded ₦10 million
• The abandoned child who became a university GRADUATE and civil servant
• Sir Chris Vic, a PROFESSIONAL blind singer who honed his craft long before he was discovered
These were not acts of charity to indolence, but investments in demonstrated potential.
The ₦100 million music studio granted to Sir Chris Vic is not personal indulgence; it is an infrastructural intervention capable of transforming the state’s creative economy, empowering countless artists, and generating sustainable livelihoods. What occurred was not a gift, it was a generational transfer of wealth.
If, within eight years, Governor Umo Eno produces even two such success stories in each local government area across diverse sectors, Akwa Ibom State would have achieved irreversible socioeconomic transformation.
Therefore, rather than ridicule the Governor’s tears, embrace them. They are tears shed for the forgotten, the gifted, the marginalised, and yes, for you. Give thanks that Akwa Ibom State is led by a Governor who feels pain, recognises dignity, and governs not only with authority, but with the heart.
Ata Ikiddeh
