EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL REPRESENTATION: THE STORY OF MICHAEL ENYONG



The name Rt. Hon.(Dr). Michael Enyong, Member representing Ibesikpo Asutan/Nsit Atai/Uruan/Uyo Federal Constituency resonates hope for the hopeless; reverberates people's oriented leadership and re-echoes strength for the weak and downtrodden. In fact, the name is synonymous with effective representation.

Leadership is about taking a people from a place of despair to a place of hope, perhaps pointing to and leading them to where they would heave a sigh of relief. This is what Dr. Enyong, popularly known as Baba Ntan, lives for.

From childhood, he has been portraying the rare attributes of defending the oppressed. He made himself the only voice that spoke for the forsaken then. He cared for the street children. He provided for those who never had hope of the future. He was known for speaking the truth and standing for what is right. Maybe, no one really knew that divinity had chiseled a pathway that Dr Enyong would follow to liberate God's people from the bondage and shackles of poverty.

Like Moses in the Bible, Dr. Michael Enyong at different occasions, has through several initiatives and pet projects tackled the twin evil of poverty and unemployment. It is on record that he has secured not less than 83 job opportunities to his constituents, spread across the four Local Government Areas of Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Atai, Uruan and Uyo. In the last six months, Baba Ntan has gainfully employed 17 of his constituents in different federal agencies, a feat that no Federal lawmaker, past and present has attained. This is laudable.

Dr. Enyong whom I recently discovered to be a silent achiever is not only vocal and very influential at the Green Chambers, but has brought to bear his wealth of experiences in the discharge of his duties. As business man cum politician, he has sponsored several bills that have make the Nigerian business environment conducive for business growth and entrepreneurial development. Yet, he has not blown his trumpet. He is a silent achiever.

No wonder why he is the Chairman House Committee on Solid Minerals, a seven-in-one committee that gives him the ample opportunity to traverse different agencies, meeting with expatriates and other stakeholders in that sector. With one man overseeing such enormous responsibility, one wonders whether he even has time for himself and family. But he never complained, because the zeal of representing his constituents effectively has eaten him up. And now, Dr Enyong breathes, feels and dreams of eradicating poverty completely from his constituency. This is the essence of representation.

Since assumption of office as a federal lawmaker in 2015, Dr Enyong has not left any stone unturned in putting smile on the faces of his constituents through various empowerment programmes. He is one man that generosity connotes his name. He gives passionately. He gives with love. He gives sacrificially and above all, he gives to the people that need it most. He is one liberal soul whose kind is rare to come by in this part of the clime.

He has not gone to the House of Representative to sleep. He has not gone there to loot. He is not only there for his immediate constituency, but for the entire Akwa Ibom people. When you see Baba Ntan at the National Assembly, you see Akwa Abasi Ibom State. You see a great people bundled up in one gentleman who is not always afraid to speak the truth, even in the face of oppression. He abhors injustice and fraud.

Time will fail if I attempts to tell what Baba Ntan has achieved so far in one piece, but to make you to be abreast with his representation, I will be giving you a "sip" of the wine of his representation, each time, for your satisfaction.

The truth is, Dr Enyong represents what is right, what is true, what is of good report, what will make the people rejoice and what will make Akwa Ibom great.