The Holy bible says that there is time for everything under the sun; going ahead to cite the transient nature of life and living. In the same vein, there is time for every government to come to an end; when office holders will look back at the years spent in service and beat their chests in pride or become downcast at the fluffed opportunities and efforts wasted, which could have translated into better lives for the people or greater service.

For Nigeria, that time is now. In a matter of days, elected and appointed officials at the state and national levels will cease to hold office and will only have memories of what was and what could have been. As the country witnesses another transition on May 29, there is no doubt that many present office holders would officially become yesterday men, with only the memory of the good or bad they had done lingering. The evil [or good] that men do, they say, lives after them.

It is also time for the today men, those taking over different offices, bearing in mind posterity and the transience of political offices, to set their sights on good governance and selfless service [or rejoice over the opportunity to enrich themselves]. Whatever way it goes, whatever has a beginning will always have an end. But that end doesn’t always have to be regrettable or viewed with disappointment.

This is the case in Akwa Ibom State, where the outgoing governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has spent the last eight years in office building infrastructure and developing human capacity in different ways. Though opinions may differ on the performance of the outgoing government in the state, there can only be one conclusion; that Akpabio is leaving the state better than he met it in 2007 and that Akwa Ibom people do, indeed, have a reason to rejoice about the state in the areas of physical development, education, agriculture, fiscal discipline and infrastructure.

Today, Akpabio can only look back and retrospect on what he has achieved for the state and it is sure that posterity will speak well of him. Also, the brand new governor and the man who receives the baton from Akpabio can beat his chest for being part of the state’s success stories in the last few years,   having occupied the office of the SSG before this call for higher responsibility. But Mr Udom Emmanuel has more reasons to beat his chest in pride. He is the man saddled with the responsibility of taking the state to the next level; he is the one who God’s will has fallen on to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

For anyone who knows the ex-banker governor, his humble disposition, pedigree and good personality should be enough to convince one that the people of the state did not choose wrongly on 11 April. He has promised to deliver and the expectations are high, while optimism brims that he will not fail.

During his declaration, Udom hinged his plans on a five point agenda, which include to build on the uncommon transformation of the present administration, transform the economy of Akwa Ibom State for industrialisation and sustainable public private sector initiative and to open up many opportunities, among others.

“I am passionate about wealth creation for our people and economic development. Above all, I am passionate about the well-being of our people. I hereby present myself as that force of change that will galvanise Akwa Ibom irrespective of ethnic, tribe, religion, and political affiliation which our people will ride on to unprecedented economic destiny of development,” Udom Emmanuel had declared at the Uyo Township Stadium. On May 29, 2015, he will begin a journey, which many have stated will be another story in success, given his experience and versatility as a financial expert and a godly man.

As the curtain will be drawn on the eventful two terms of Chief Akpabio, the angry man who vented his anger to develop the state and transform the lives of its people, many have begun to have raised hopes that his successor, Udom will carry on from where he is anchoring . Without a doubt, governance is a continuum and one would be exaggerating to say that Akpabio has or can do it all. What is clear and incontestable, however, is the fact that Akpabio has done his part well; serving the state meritoriously in the last eight years and one can only expect Udom to do more and probably outdo his predecessor so that the people of the state can continue to say:

Akwa Ibom Ado Okay!