I’ve no successor, I’m only interested in completing my agenda – Emmanuel

Ini Billie, Uyo

Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has said completing his agenda for the state was his focus and not who becomes his successor.

Governor Emmanuel told those pressuring him to reveal his successor to leave him alone to complete what he was elected to do, vowing that he will not reveal any successor now even if God has revealed one to him.

He said the noise about succession in the state is becoming too loud, adding that people cannot only be talking about the next election without talking about the next generation.

Emmanuel stated this while responding to a request by the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Nduese Ekwere, to name a successor who would preserve his legacies in the state at a breakfast meeting with the state chapter of CAN held at Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo on Sunday.

The Governor urged Christian leaders to de-emphasise succession matters and support his administration with fervent prayers to achieve his vision as encapsulated in the 8-point agenda to the people of Akwa Ibom, noting that his successor will be chosen by God.

“It’s only in Akwa Ibom State that you hear of the call for a successor, in Abia, Cross River or Rivers states I have not heard, why is it only in Akwa Ibom day and night, governor successor, successor, they should leave me alone.

“The vote that you gave us, let us give the dividends of democracy, let us even account for it. We cannot be a country where we think only of elections and not the next generation.

“Please the noise is just too much, show me successor; even if God has shown me, I am not going to show them yet, let’s work,” he stated.

The Governor advised fathers of faith in their various churches to create the consciousness of the emergence of the third wave of COVID-19 to their members to adhere to the safety measures, maintain a high level of hygiene to reduce the rate of contracting the virus.

He encouraged Christian leaders to create the awareness and sensitization about Voters’ Registration Exercise in their congregation, maintaining that Christians ought to take advantage of the exercise including registration of National Identification Number (NIN) to put the state ahead in data collection.

He said, “Please continuous voters’ registration is going on please can we endeavour to register, so many Christians are not registered voters. All these ones we are saying will not make meaning if we don’t go out to register. When you are preaching in church, ask your members, “Have you gone to register? “

“We keep cheating ourselves as a people, this National Identification number if I check inside this room so many pastors do not have it, so let us not take these things for granted because some of these things are used as indices for revenue sharing but we don’t know. Population is one of it’’.

Earlier, State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigerian, Rev. Ndueso Ekwere, affirmed the support of the Christian community in the state for the Governor in his industrialization drive and the peaceful disposition of the state, pledging to stand by the governor in his succession plan.

Ekwere appealed to the Governor, on behalf of CAN, to name a Christian successor that will preserve the legacies he has bequeathed to the state.

‘’Your Excellency, we want to say emphatically that our major issues and reason for this meeting with you today is to appeal to you to preserve the legacies you have bequeathed to all Akwa Ibomites through industrialization, massive infrastructural development, you must not allow anybody who will worship God in pretence to succeed you in 2023,” he said.

In his exhortation, Bishop Emma Isong, who spoke on the topic, “The Aaronic Legacy” from Hebrews 5: 4, said it was God who made leaders.

“It is God who makes leaders despite our efforts and campaigns, but once God’s grace singles you out, He qualifies you for the position,” he said.