I have received the open request on several platforms from the Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Nigerian Students, my brother Moses Jackson to pay school fees of some of our students in Akwa Ibom.
In his request, he had asked that I pay the school fees of some of his members which have become quite distressing as a result of the continued hardship they face and the struggle to meet this very critical requirement in securing their future.
He stated that some of his members have approached him in tears which in turn made him cry.
He now ‘spoilt’ it by hinging his request on the very strong possibility of my seeking elective office in Akwa Ibom at some point in my trajectory.
While the basic requirement for education is a right by every free born Nigerian, the need to work assiduously to entrench sustainable initiatives by all stakeholders in achieving a much more democratized system cannot be over emphasized.
Pandering to the emotive push to support a few of our students because I am coming into politics will not solve the larger issue of indigent educational pursuit in our state.
I make bold to state at this juncture, that when the time comes, we will not pander to the freakish pressure of prependal politics which is that of rent and which continues to permeate our political system.
If we rail against the current system where resource control at the center is driving poverty thru our state, why would I now be pushed to the same strategy from my lean pockets cos I seek the support of a very powerful and well respected Students’ body.
I will not play that kind of politics and will drive an issue based politics which I am well aware of would be almost an impossibility in our state.
What this request means to me is the fact that we seek to exchange over lords. So we fight to remove the Udom led fiasco and replace it with an Akan or Edgar led type of Udom administration where state resources are concentrated within a cabal who apportion along very selfish and primordial lines.
Why we chose to work with Akan Udofia was because of our very strong belive in his intentions. He has made it very clear that when he emerges, he will ensure a private sector driven economic revolution.
He will decentralize economic control and even out access to resources such that prosperity will be spread even while putting in place sustainable socio- welfare policies that would touch the feeble members of society including the students.
It is in this regard that I will reject this request because it doesn’t seat with my principles and will not give me a justifiable platform to work for the removal of the Udom led overlords in our state.
But instead, I will work with very key stakeholders that would put in place an enduring endowment fund that would pull resources from private individuals and organisation’s and push the much needed funds towards a larger community of Akwa Ibom students as they pursue their dreams.
This is what we are doing in the Health sector with the recent registration of the Uboho Foundation which would be securing medical solutions to as many Nigerians as possible.
So my brothers and sisters of NANs my politics is differnt. Elective position for me is not at all cost. I will appeal to the passion of Akwa Ibomites as they seek for a better deal for our people but if in the event that my inability to push ‘ stomach Infrastructure ‘ type politics will not give me the position I seek, so be it.
We will impact Akwa Ibom independently.
Thanks
Joseoh Edgar
Duke of Shomolu