Akwa Ibom: The Building of an "International State"

Friday, November 07, 2014

Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo

I am enjoying watching the live TV coverage of some of the events at the commissioning of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo. I just wish AIT would control their volume so that I don’t have those periods of almost no audio punctuated by other periods of deafening noise.

Once again, the man called Godswill Akpabio has given Nigerians reason to be proud. I can relate to his claim of “Uncommon Transformation” in Akwa Ibom state, having experienced some of it first-hand. There are bound to be questions regarding the relevance of an international stadium to the needs of ordinary Nigerian citizens who hail from or live in Akwa Ibom. Those questions may arise from people who fail to take into account the several kilometres of beautiful roads that now criss-cross each other in many parts of the state that is otherwise known as the Land of Promise, never mind Promised Land, all those roads constructed by his government.

The "Nest of Champions"

Now that Akwa Ibom has an international stadium, an international airport, an international hangar, several international schools – one of which I had the rare good fortune to have worked in – international hotels, international resort centres, roads and an electronic library of international standard, well, I think the state might just be designated Akwa Ibom International State, governed by an international governor, whose claim today that the Annangs made a migratory stop-over in Ghana makes the Annang people an international tribe.

Thank God (it’s) International Friday.


PostScript: I have a fervent hope and a sincere prayer that this international stadium will not in the coming years be turned into an international cathedral through the hosting of international crusades. That would be an international embarrassment to the memories of today, November 07, 2014.