By Clement Warrie
A certain 19th-century king in far away Myanmar, Asia, had found a clever way to punish his enemies and bring them to ruin. He did this by giving them a white elephant as a gift. On the surface, a white elephant gift appears honorable and extravagant, but it was a Greek’s gift. The intention was to ruin the recipient.
Here was the trick: White elephants were sacred animals and could not be used for labour and the cost of maintaining them were so high it led to the ruin of the recipients.
This also means, the king’s enemies could not kill them either. It was a burden.
This may have been the reason, the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State Mr Udom Emmanuel in one of his live interactive sessions with the media named Ibom Tropicana a white elephant project, explicitly implying that the project was not viable; meaning it was a burden on the treasury and the commonwealth of Akwa Ibom people.
But despite his insightful observation, the forward-thinking governor, to his credit, pressed on and completed one of the key components of the Tropicana complex-the Mall.
Obong Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio’s predecessor, had reasons to be worried about the same project when it was conceptualized. He noted that the project raised environmental concerns, structural concerns and even siting concerns. Not given to repressing his opinion on topical issues then, he had written a lengthy letter to that effect to then-Governor Godswill Akpabio who, as it turned out, did not think he was deserving of such a letter. What followed was a media blitzkrieg against Obong Attah which eventually birthed a scathing riposte from the then-governor’s media handlers. “What does Attah really want?”
The brief recollection is not intended to “dig up bones” or exhume contentious issues surrounding the 16 year old project.
It is not in any way to suggest that Godswill Akpabio’s vision was faulty, but rather to provide a brief backdrop to the project’s unfolding story.
As a matter of fact, dug-up bones are not necessary, not with Governor Umo Eno at the helm of affairs. He is a conciliator, a unifier and a peacemaker. In fact, he stated during his campaign that his administration is “a ministry of reconciliation.” His words were not empty rhetoric.
“We have resolved to put the past behind us. We have structures on ground, what I am doing now is to see all of the vision, what it was all about, how we can link them together and how we can revive it. This can give several thousands of jobs to Akwa Ibomites. Said the Governor when he inspected the 82 hectares of the project site.
“This is Akwa Ibom money and so my duty as Governor is to protect the assets of Government, life and property of the people. Government has sunk in so much money here and so I believe we can look at it.”
The Governor has kept that promise. He has announced that a new contract for a world class conference centre that will be integrated into the abandoned 14-storey hotel project is underway.
“For me, what is important, going forward, is how we can reclaim this place and make it functional”
It is worth recalling that Governor Umo Eno has consistently demonstrated his ability to convert waste to wealth. Evidence of this abound. The Arise Recreational Park for instance, which was started on a ravine is transforming into a thriving recreational park with completion date set for April 2025.
Wrote Ekemini James, the hardworking aide to the Governor on media. “When completed, (ARISE PARK) will become a global tourist attraction with such features as: an artificial lake, a nine-hole golf course, sports facilities, children’s playground, restaurants, 1000-capacity conference hall, bars, restaurants and chalets”
At this rate, and with the momentum building, it is reasonable to expect that the Tropicana project after struggling and staggering for 16 years, will soon be brought to conclusion.
More importantly, the project is shedding its reputation as a white elephant gift to the people of Akwa Ibom State. Neither will it blight the landscape nor be a source of financial and emotional burden for the people.
In addition, Governor Umo Eno has announced that the project will undergo a rebranding, with its new name being Ibom Convention Center and Hotels, a move aimed at cementing Akwa Ibom presence as a global brand in both commerce and tourism.
When this writer asked an Uyo resident about his opinion on the project’s name change, he had echoed Shakespeare famous phrase “A rose by any other name will smell sweet “ he then added. “For me, the key takeaway is that Governor Umo Eno is committed to completing this project “
