by crossriverwatch admin
On the 10th of July, 2013 Senator Liyel Imoke, the Cross River State governor and his younger brother, Efa Imoke would mark their birthdays.
Senator Imoke as the axiom says would hit gold plus two, Efa would hit the gold mark. That is, while Imoke who was born on July 10th 1961 would be fifty two years, Efa born on July 10th 1963 would be fifty years.
What a coincidence one may exclaim. This is however outside the confines of the ordinary coincidence that we may be accustomed to but extraordinary in certain ramifications.
It may be common for twins or friends to share a birth date but for siblings of the same mother and same father to be born on the same day the same month two years apart is extraordinary and that may account for the uncommon strides that these two men have made in their five decades on earth.
Though both are often described as shy by those who are close to them but they are by no means timid. The two, one a public figure the other a private business man, they both have accomplished so much in life particularly for Senator Liyel Imoke whose life has been a study in selflessness and commitment to the well being of other human beings.
Fifty two is a golden age where one can stand tall and tell the world how he made it to the pinnacle of the mountain or why he floundered and remained at the base for the one who might not have been so successful.
The successful sometimes often never get tired of telling what delicate arts and deep moralities they climbed up to that great place. They often would explain the process and dwell on those particulars with intense rapture.
No one, it is often said can get to the pinnacle by plodding along another man’s road that perhaps account for the excitement when one gets to the top but it would be fair to say Senator Imoke, though became highly successful and accomplished several decades ago by attaining greatness has not been too anxious and excited to blow his own trumpet, it is left for onlookers to make their assessment and explain to the whole world how this great figure has stamped his indelible feet in the sands of the age.
Last year, 2012, his 51 birthday was over shadowed by the Supreme Court judgment which for some uncanny reasons or coincidence chose the date to deliver its judgment on the 76 disputed oil wells between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states effectively souring up the events outlined for that day.
This year, 2013that ruling though still fresh, he has taken it in his strides and has taken vital decision which has seemingly boosted the states’ economy and brought it back on its feet to be able to do without oil money.
As man in whom all the elements of excellent human qualities are imbued: humility, intelligence, forthrightness, humanness and compassion has in the past six years of taking the reins of power silently and purposefully transformed the political landscape as well as impacted positively on the lives of several millions of people of the state and as the days ad months gradually wind down to 2015when he shall by constitutional provision exit after eight years in power, many are at a loss if the state would be blessed again to have someone so selfless and passionate for the good of the state.
Every direction one looks in the state, the marks of good governance these past six years are all too conspicuous: good roads, electricity, transformed schools, rehabilitated hospital infrastructure, peace and security, economic empowerment and agricultural transformation.
With over three hundred new schools blocks built across the state, laboratory equipment in all the major science subjects of physics, chemistry, biology fitted in public secondary schools across the state, ten thousand teachers provided with laptops, over two hundred primary school blocks across the state, Imoke has breathed a new lease of life to the educational sector.
His economic blueprint has brought potentials which translate into jobs and economic empowerment for hundreds of people across the state. His vision by creating the Investment Promotion Bureau has brought in three hundred new private investments to the state with investment portfolio in excess of two billion dollars. Investments with big time businesses like WILMAR, General Electric, Dangote Cement, Arti Group.
Wilmar which is Asia’s leading Agribusiness Group which has taken over the CALARO and Ibiaye palm plantations is investing $400 million in agro- cultivation and processing and twenty thousand jobs would be created for the people with three hundred already working with the company.
General Electric which recently carried out its groundbreaking ceremony at the Export Processing Zone has an investment portfolio of $1 billion in a manufacturing and assembling plant and here too, over two thousand jobs would be generated.
Oriental Energy Resources Limited is building a factory to manufacture pipe and is investing $300 million and over a thousand jobs would accrue from this investment alongside generating internal revenue to the state to the tone of $120 million dollars.
Nigeria’s major industrial conglomerate, Dangote Group is also investing in the state through the establishment of a cement manufacturing plant worth $800 million while Essar Power has concluded arrangement for establishing an energy and power plant with a capacity to generate 250 megawatts of electricity.
Above all governance which was once a spectacle of cartoons and toys has taken on a somber and deliberate direction for the enhancement of development.
Imoke has transposed his personable and calm personality on the quagmire which used to characterize politics and election in the state by enthroning peace and calm especially on the process of electing candidates for his party, the PDP which he is leader in the state.
He has re-defined the concept of leadership and effective governance and effectively re-oriented the mindset of the political class to see and take politics as a call to service not as game of war with the intention of patronizing self interest.
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