The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate in Akwa Ibom State Pst. Umo Eno on Thursday February 2, 2023 slammed presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for his now famous ” Small boy” jibe at Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Pst. Eno, while addressing the crowd of party faithfuls at the PDP Governorship campaign in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State said it was an “insult” on the people of the state for the APC presidential candidate to address Governor Udom as “that boy who calls himself a Governor.
“Somebody came here this week and had the temerity to insult our common patrimony. Somebody came here and had the guts…before any political party, we are first of all Akwa Ibomites. And when someone insults our common heritage, it doesn’t matter your political party,” Pst Eno.
“The person has insulted Akwa Ibomites and every right thinking Akwa Ibomite must understand that it is not the governor who called himself. He was duly elected by the Akwa Ibom people. And this governor, yes he may be a boy, but that boy has done roads. That boy did the airport, the airport that their plane landed was built by that boy.
“The stadium that they used was given by that boy. The 21 storey building is built by that boy. The network of roads in Akwa Ibom is constructed by that boy. The Ibom Air that is the pride of the country was brought by that boy.
“There are some states they go to, they stoned them, they could not campaign. The peace in Akwa Ibom is brought about by that boy. We love that boy; we love that boy. Do you love that boy?
“I don’t have a problem with calling my governor a boy. But if that small boy can bring about peace, if that small boy can do the things he has done, if that small boy can do the metering and syringe factories, if that small boy can bring agriculture, if that small boy can build the second runway, if that small boy can do the international airport. Oh, I love that boy!
“If that small boy can bring Eket stadium, if that small boy can bring Ibom Deep Seaport. I love that boy. If that boy can build the fourth largest bridge in Nigeria, I love that boy. Akwa Ibom does not live in the backyard of anybody’s house.
“It was Mitchelle Obama that said ‘the presidential campaign does not change who a man is. The presidential campaign or any campaign whatsoever brings out who the man is.’ Whoever we are, this campaign will expose us. If we are area boys, this campaign will show it. If we are drunks, if we smoke cocaine, this campaign will show it. Whoever we have been over the years, this is the platform to exhibit it and people are exhibiting them.
“They still see an average Akwa Ibom person as the person who stays in the boys’ quarters, as the person who is still a house boy, as the person they call Okon, Etim. Those eras are gone. We are no more houseboys. Only houseboys live in backyard. Maybe you don’t understand. That is what they mean.
“If you make the mistake of bringing them to office, that is what they think you are. They want to make you houseboys. Do you want to be houseboys again? Are we living in their backyards? No. What they do to Udom Emmanuel today, God forbid they have power, that is what they will do to every Akwa Ibom person.
“Our people have sold us. They go to Bourdillon and collect money. They have pledged the common patrimony of Akwa Ibom to one man. So when derivation comes, money comes, they share in Bourdillon and give us 5%. Will you allow that to happen? Look at the states where they have held sway. Look at Osun and Ogun States. We will not be colonized by anybody,” he concluded.