Misconceptions and Hearsay:
An Aftermath of Inoyo’s NUJ Outing
 
By David Abakasanga
 
To begin with, I acknowledge that I am an Akwa Ibom indigene in diaspora. But let me be clear that my current location has not shielded me from activities back home in Akwa Ibom State, and that should apply to all of us out here. I have been active in the affairs and leadership of AKISAN-USA which has also allowed me to stay abreast of happenings back home, interacting with many government officials and dignitaries, especially when they come over to the United States . As should be expected, more news is being churned out daily, especially on the political front, but I wish there will be more discussion on policy issues, especially such that target the predicament our people are facing with regards to poverty and unemployment. While I salute Governor Udom Emmanuel’s efforts so far, I do worry about what would befall us if there were termination of his focus on industrialization. I will comment on this in my subsequent write-up. For now, permit me to reflect on just one aspect of our culture, which in my opinion has left many good people bruised and scared of supporting the state, even here in the USA. It is rumormongering or hear-say.
 
I was proud of Mr. Udom Inoyo for his bravery to engage hundreds of media practitioners recently in Uyo. I was even happier at some of the positive comments that followed his outing, especially by those who had previously misunderstood, despised, and demonized him without any prior contact. The other reason is that I felt vindicated that the man we had invited to Chair the AKISAN- USA National Convention in 2019 (while I was National Vice President) had engaged us in a very simple down-to-earth manner, supported our course financially, and has shown so much concern for the lives of our people back home, especially on education through the Inoyo Toro Foundation, cannot be what some people say on social media. There is yet another, which may not be known by many, and which made me have high regards for this gentleman. It has to do with the COVID-19 Pandemic!
 
As we all know, in 2020 the world was taken unawares and subsequently devasted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even here in the US, we were in confusion. Towards the end of March 2020, a good friend of mine back in Nigeria, Charles Edelduok, called to request a favor in sourcing for COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing equipment on behalf of an Akwa Ibom indigene who wanted to donate same to help the state prepare to curtail the increasing cases of the virus. PCR is a laboratory technique used to detect the genetic material of the virus. I was also informed that there were very few testing centers in Nigeria - and having one for our State would be a huge tool to contain the impact of the virus. While he did not mention the name, I was so delighted at such thoughtfulness from an individual for the wellbeing of our people. I suspected if this was not the government, then such a person must be relatively comfortable. But truth be told, these were not normal times - as people were more anxious about how to stay safe and secure their savings and earnings in a period of uncertainty.  Moreover, in situations such as this, there is always a tendency for well-to-do Nigerians to escape to developed countries with proper medical facilities and personnel. I was still pondering why an individual could be this thoughtful and selfless when I received from my friend a long list of PCR test equipment and associated accessories. No vendor, I was told, had any of these items in custody, and even if they were available, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would take priority.
 
The problem of sourcing PCR test equipment during the pandemic was multi-faceted. Apart from the huge foreign exchange required, the original equipment was in short supply as developed nations, out of sheer nationalism, mopped up every available piece of these items. Some countries even restricted the exportation of PCR equipment. There was also the problem of logistics during a near-total lockdown; meaning that shipping costs would be astronomical if at all you would find any cargo flights going to Nigeria. Even if you could get one to Nigeria, how would you move the items to Uyo from either Lagos or Abuja when all state borders were closed? According to my friend, the sponsor was fully aware of these challenges and was working multiple fronts for a safe passage of the items to Uyo whenever they arrive at either of the ports. He nevertheless insisted that the equipment must be sourced from the original manufacturers for quality.
 
That there was a sense of urgency is an understatement, and I, therefore, proceeded to go to work immediately. I was lucky to locate components from different dealers across the United States. It was only on April 2, 2020, that I received a call from Nigeria, and the unknown caller started not by introducing himself, but by expressing his profound gratitude that I would expend enormous manhours to help source the PCR equipment for use by our people and that he was very proud of my patriotism. He then demanded my account details so that they could process the necessary transfers. When I mentioned that I did not even know who I was talking to, he responded: ‘Oga, AKISAN Officer, I know you and the family. My name is Udom Inoyo’.
 
I was completely surprised, not only because of his sheer humility to apologize to me for the inconveniences but against the backdrop of some comments that I have read about him and other prominent indigenes on social media, especially for not being ‘givers’.
 
Thereafter, we worked as a team, with some medical personnel in the USA and Canada providing advice, as we needed to ensure that the components were not only within specification, but the machine could also take care of testing other viruses beyond Covid-19 and most importantly, that taking it out of the US would not be a problem.  Mr. Inoyo was always in all those meetings and asked probing questions. A decision was subsequently taken to source the PCR machine from Europe through a reputable local vendor, and this was delivered to the Akwa Ibom State Government. The PCR equipment was delivered in the heat of the pandemic, complimenting Government’s efforts in saving lives in Akwa Ibom. I am sure some of such lives include those sometimes critical of the man. How I wish they knew!
 
My testimony: the simplicity was profound. The hunger to help the people of the state was palpable. That a top-tier bank in Nigeria would agree to partner with Inoyo Toro Foundation to deliver a top-end PCR equipment plus other accessories in Akwa Ibom, especially at such a crises time, speaks to the credibility of this man.
 
It was not surprising to me and others who worked closely with him that within that same period in 2020, the Concerned Akwa Ibom Professionals in Lagos (CAKPIL), a group coordinated by Mr. Inoyo, donated over 11,000 PPE units to Akwa Ibom State medical workers through the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), in an attempt to mitigate risks borne by medical personnel in the fight against coronavirus.
 
I pray that as a people, we learn not to condemn any person from afar without getting close to knowing what he/she is doing, believes in or stands for.
Just A Thought !!!
 
David Abakasanga
A Concerned Akwa-Ibomite
Houston,Texas, USA