“A man of integrity does not climb to the mountain to shout with trumpet to gain votes, but his pedigree and virtue will honour him with the needed mandate to lead”. John C. Maxwell
Carefully examining the above philosophical thought by John C. Maxwell really describes the kindly nature and the leadership qualities of Rt. Hon Okpolupm Etteh, the House Leader/member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, which endears him to the people of the state as the most credible and acceptable choice to succeed Chief Godswill Akpabio in 2015.
Analyst and political pundits have reached a common consensus that this dynamic leader is the best and capable hand that can steer the ship of a new Akwa Ibom State, a state where peace, unity, harmony and peaceful coexistence will be the order of the day, to a safe shore as a Governor come 2015.
He is generally assessed to own the right temperament, steadfastness, experience, comportment, contacts, wide acceptability and common grassroots touch to make great impacts as a Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2015.
Other attributes that qualify him are his credibility and passion for service. As a leader with exceptional strength, ability and vision, he lives his life honestly and with integrity. The Etteh that I know has never been afraid to roll up his sleeves and get dirty in order satisfy his people needs, a spirit that is hardly seen this days.
The people of Akwa Ibom State have been blessed with a resourceful, energetic, focused and committed leader, a good father, amiable, enterprising, creative, a friend of the needy and supporter of men. He is a product of fate and hard-work. His fame has spread far and wide through his dint of hard-work, vision and resilience.
As the saying goes “a diligent man is not only an asset to himself but to his community”. Rt. Hon Etteh’s performance and commitment to the development and wellbeing of the people of the state surely portray him as a man of value and accomplishment. His life personifies the saying that “some individuals are born great, some had greatness thrust upon them by fate, while some also work their way through hard-work to become great.”
His success and value did not just drop on his laps. He achieved them through hard-work, resilience and hunger for excellence. These, and his tenacity of purpose as well as his total dedication to whatever assignment either at private or public level, differentiates him from his peers. His unequalled achievement definitely speaks volume of this highly experienced and astute lawmaker. Etteh’s style of piloting the affairs of his constituency confirms the fact that he is a strategic leader.
He is a distinguished management expert and an accomplished leader by all standards. Born into the royal family of Chief Ikpong Ikpong Etteh of Upenekang in Ibeno Local Government Area, this icon of hope began his journey to prominence at Central School, Upenekang, Ibeno and Secondary Grammar School, Ibeno, before proceeding to the prestigious Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, where he bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing. He later attended the Galilee International Institute of Management, Israel, for his Post Graduate Degree (PGD) in Public Administration and Civil Service Management.
Having served with Genesis Motors, Enugu as a Youth Corps member and joined Courdeau Limited, an offshore oil service contractor to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, as Dispatch Supervisor and later Jena Industries Limited as Operations Manager; Ikang Conglomerate Nigeria Limited as Director, Operations, before incorporating a limited company called – Olgette Project Ltd, OPL, where he served as the Chairman, Board of Directors until his voluntary resignation to be in active politics, Rt. Hon Etteh, an accomplished professional and a zealous public servant has brought his vast wealth of experience and proficiency from the private sector into developments and building of the state with potent dynamism and a refreshing huge commitment to service delivery.
As the only longest serving lawmaker in the State House of Assembly who has acquired more experience in the process of serving the people, Rt. Hon Etteh has what it takes to leads us to that land of fulfillment. He kept his heart close to God and consequently God’s timing has come to beckon upon his life. His leadership is motivated by love for God.
Since his emergence into the House of Assembly, starting from the Third Assembly in 2007 to the Fifth Assembly, he worked hard to recorded several milestones of achievement. His notable accomplishments in terms of developments have been in the areas of infrastructural development, human capacity building and participatory governance, all of which shows him as a politician of excellent breed.
He has re-defined leadership through his excellent performance and high vision that has transformed the political system of the state. Etteh’s developmental strides and interest in the welfare of the people of the state is legendary. His simplicity, humility and his selfless service to humanity makes him generally acceptable by the people.
According to the Bible, in Jeremiah 1:5, God told Jeremiah that before he formed inside the womb he knew him, and before he proceeded to come from the womb he blessed him as the prophet to speaks to the nation. God further told Jeremiah according to verse 10 of that Bible portion, “Go, I have commissioned you this day to be over the nations and over the kingdoms, in order to uproot and pull down and to destroy and tear down, to build and to plant.”
The Scripture says God did not consider the beauty or height of Jeremiah before choosing Jeremiah to lead the people of Israel, but because he was credible, and Jeremiah at the same time did not hesitate to answer the called. Today, as the Biblical Jeremiah, Etteh has proceeded to answer the called to lead the people of the state come 2015. God’s will always stand forever in every man’s destiny and in any society. Now, that God’s will has positioned Rt. Hon Etteh, a man whose influence and skills, for the future of Akwa Ibom State.
I will like to end with the instruction, according to the Bible in Psalm 62: 11. It says “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this, power comes from God.”
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