By Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON
There are three kinds of people. In the first category you have those who make things happen. In the second category you have those who talk about those who make things happen. And in the third category you have those who do not know what is happening. God has ordained for me to make things happen, and I am grateful to Him. That is my ministry.
Those who talk about the people who make things happen also have this as their ministry. They constitute the Gossip League. If I have been a major gossip commodity in their “enterprise”, I bless the name of the Lord. There is one thing worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about. But when they take their trade (gossip) to embarrassing heights of absurdity, one painfully has to undertake the task of reining them in and ensuring that lies and falsehood do not flourish in our State and invoke God’s wrath. It is not about me, but about the law of sowing and reaping. Rest assured that every idle and malicious talk would be judged by God Almighty.
My movement from the PDP to the APC overshadowed every discussion in Akwa Ibom State and cast a spell of fear over the Peoples Democratic Party. In their desperation, they told many lies against me and I would not bother to talk about all of them. I, however, would want to refer, for now, to four of these false claims and a few others . (1) That I said I was god or carried on like God.( 2) That I said, “Where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel Governor.” (3) That I contrived to sell the state to Moslems for the establishment of cattle colonies. (4) That I left the PDP and joined pigs and now eat in piggery. ( Credited to Prelate Emeritus Sunday Mbang and co)
My story is the story of grace. My father died when I was quite young. But my mother made me to believe that my FATHER left for HEAVEN because he was sure that I am not only strong but have the strength of character and resolve to take care of her and my SIBLINGS as well as generations of our people. I am a working person’s person. I became a Solicitor, Honourable Commissioner for years and the governor of Akwa Ibom State in actualization of God's benevolence. God made me governor. The forces I faced in that election (2007) were daunting and no pundit gave me a chance. God lifted me from grass to Grace to send the message to all Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians that whether you travel by bus or by bicycle, whether you were born in affliction or in affluence, God’s will shall certainly and without fail be done in your life.
As a Governor I appreciated God at every opportunity and shall continue to do so as long as I live. My love for God and reverence of Him led to my partnership with the Church. On assumption of duty as Governor, my first act in office was the donation of a N100 million (one hundred million Naira) grant to the Church community to use as a revolving loan scheme for the poorest communicants in the church. I also extended a grant of N10 million (Ten million naira) to the Muslim community in Uyo Central Mosque to be utilized as a revolving interest free loan to the poorest Muslims in our State whose businesses confronted financial hindrances. The idea was to lift the enterprising children of God out of poverty and misery. I did this because of my conviction that we all worship the same GOD. This I did, not only because I have always been pro-poor but because of God’s injunction in James 2:15-16. I like it better in the Message Bible: “For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, ‘Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!’ and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you?’
It was because of my fear of God, love of God and gratitude to Him for all He has done for me that I brought down the old chapel and I built the current Chapel in Government House – an architectural masterpiece in honor of God. It was because of my love of God, fear of Him and gratitude to HIM that Government started the compulsory monthly prayer meeting at the said chapel for Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria which held throughout my tenure, and I am happy to note that the tradition is still continued by the present administration. My love for God was also made manifest in my interventions in the renovation/construction/reconstruction of various churches across the State and Nigeria. My heart was so overwhelmed with God that I did not pay him back enough hence my commencement of the award- winning Carol Festivals which were watched live in more than 59 countries across the the World through out my tenure. It is a thing of pride that it is still being continued by the present administration. It is also my reverence to GOD and love for Him that made us to work together as Akwa Ibom people to break the GUINNESS BOOKS OF World RECORD by convoking the largest choir group on planet earth since the world was founded - the Godswill Akpabio Unity Choir (25,272members) to sing to the glory of God. Is it right for a LEADER who did all these to be referred to as anti- Christ by a tiny clique of self acclaimed "fathers of faith" because of mere change of political party ?
In 2016 my wife, was in a coma for months and the best doctors in the world with the help of the best life-support equipment gave her less than five percent chance of making it. Doctors and science gave up on her. The press wrote that she had died. But we held on to God and God brought her back to life. Science could not explain this awesome testimony.
In 2015, I was involved in an accident, which details are still suspect. I survived against all odds, because God showed up for me.
Can a man who has seen so much favour from God, turn around to blaspheme him? Can such a man seek to play God or seek to share His glory with Him? Such a man can never say “where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel governor?”. I neither made such blasphemous statement nor conceived it in my heart. I met Udom Emmanuel in 2012 or thereabout performing the duties of a deacon in Qua Iboe Church, Surulere. I immediately took a liking to him and adjudged that as a deacon, if given the opportunity, he would superintend over the affairs of our people with the FEAR of God. Whether I was right or wrong is for history to judge. Nevertheless I picked him to succeed me and by the grace of God and the votes of Akwa Ibom electorates, he won the election 2015. So God made him governor.
Yes, your guess is right. I met enemies out of 28 other aspirants who desired that same office. That remains my cross.
So for anybody to believe that I would question where God was when we made Udom Emmanuel Governor is the height of mischief. Of course God used me and Akwa Ibom people to make Udom Emmanuel Governor, just as He used Samuel to anoint Saul king of Israel. If King Saul departed from the expectations of God and God sent Samuel to communicate the message to him , no one can accuse Samuel of playing God. For me and my household, we shall forever love God and reverence Him.
I am happy that God is not like some of His pastors. Ever since I moved to APC, they have been preaching falsehood against the party, APC and joined politicians in peddling lies about me and the APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Very well known Church prelates and Bishops that dined with me for 8 years while I was governor, despite my benevolence to them and their families joined the fray calling me killer herdsman for being a part of APC. But some of these "men of God" were in this same Country in 2012 when the farmers/herdsmen clashes claimed the lives of over 1000 people in the Benue/Plateau/Mambilla axis. At that time, a Christian was the President but was not accused of being a killer of Christians. The farmers/herdsmen clashes predate Nigeria's Independence. The clashes have occurred under various leaderships. Yet the "men of God" have been unconscionable and insensitive in accusing the current President of masterminding genocide against Christians because he is a Muslim. I am happy that God does not condemn a man based on one man’s testimony, but He sees our heart and judges our motives and intentions accordingly. Whether one is a Christian or Muslim, we all worship the same God WHO will at the appointed time judge us from our deeds in words and actions.
But these misguided acts by a section of prejudiced Christian leadership seem to know no bounds. Otherwise, how can Christian leaders led by a former CAN President be sponsored to describe me in a televised press conference as "a foolish prodigal son who went to join pigs in a piggery and eat the food meant for pigs?". May I ask the sponsored "men of God", is my party, the APC a piggery? Is the ruling party in your Country made of pigs? Are your sponsors happy with this appellation? Is God happy with your twisted involvement in partisan politics? I would like to advise the "fathers of faith" to stop the hate speeches no matter how profitable and rather speak more to us about SALVATION, LOVE and UNITY.
Some of the lies are unfathomable and ridiculous. That it could be suggested
that I would seek to undo the transformational work I did in Akwa Ibom by mortgaging Akwa Ibom interests or entering into alliances with anyone is another wicked lie from the pit of hell.
In the course of this election, I had been photo-shopped by the same propaganda merchants who told the lies about me. My letterhead and signature had been forged by the same propaganda merchants to write falsehood and circulate same on the internet purporting to be a letter from me to the PRESIDENT through the Chief of Staff to Mr President . During the election they conscripted certain women from South Africa who claimed to be foreign observers and paid them to lie that I detained them using thugs even when such incident never occurred. I am yet to come across any of these phoney female foreign observers who claimed to have been detained by the said Akpabio and his gang of thugs. Such blackmail can not be allowed to peter out without a whimper. I have therefore instructed my solicitors to write to the South African Embassy with the view to bringing the purveyors of those lies to justice.
But in all these, I have often reflected on what happened to our Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST when some of the multitude who celebrated Him in the triumphant entry into Jerusalem were fooled by the Pharisees to shout, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” at his trial. Yes they crucified him. But because the Bible says in Job 20:4-7 “Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?" .
When Matthew Henry was robbed, he said “Let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” Let me say, I am thankful because it was I who was lied against and maligned, not I who lied and maligned. My dream for Akwa Ibom lives on. My love for Akwa Ibom and Nigeria waxes stronger. I call on those who have been sucked into this axis of evil to stop the lies, the smear campaigns, the propaganda and the deliberate falsehood. I wish to serve notice that I would remain undaunted and focused in serving humanity.
Let me place on record my deep appreciation to hundreds of thousands of Akwa Ibom people who ignored the innuendos, falsehood and campaigns of calumny against me and the APC, trooped out in their numbers to vote Mr President and I on 23rd February and Obong Nsima Ekere on 9th March, 2019 respectively. You voted to join the centre politics of Nigeria. Be assured that no "conspiracy" can deny you the desires of your heart.
For the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State and Nigerians,continue to pray for our best is yet to come.
God bless Akwa Ibom State, God bless our Nation, Nigeria.
His Excellency,Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON.
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