By Udeme Ankott
“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky
It's all over. Until the second leg anyway. A brilliant game. Paris St. Germain started and finished magnificently, but missed a stack of chances. Barcelona were defensively suspect, but made their host pay for their profligacy with a fortuitous Messi goal and two clinical volleys by Coutinho, giving the Catalan giants a lead to take back home for the second leg. Tonight had it all: great goals, bizarre goals, early goals, late goals, headed goals, mesmerising skill, several lollipops, defensive fragility, a confusing red card and ultimately a hugely satisfactory result for Ernesto Valverde and co. Lionel Messi runs towards Neymar Jnr, the PSG talisman and says, “o my mentor, my leader, it was a great game and I always look up to you for inspiration.”
The above analogy is a typical end game setting of a superlative soccer match where competing teams exchange pleasantries after a feisty duel. The part that would obviously shock anyone with any inkling of sanity is that of Lionel Messi, a five time Ballon D’Or referring to Neymar, a comparative upstart in the Hall of Fame as his mentor and leader. Messi, when compared to Neymar is a genius, a whiz kid, a prima donna, thus the act of vesting upon the latter, the enviable status of a mentor could be viewed as sarcasm, mischief or bare face stupidity. The three options can be synced into one context- self deceit.
Self-deceit or self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument. Self-deception involves convincing oneself of a truth (or lack of truth) so that one does not reveal any self-knowledge of the deception.
One of the most common types of self-deception is self-enhancement. Psychologists have traditionally argued that we evolve to overestimate our good qualities because it makes us feel good. But feeling good on its own has no bearing on survival or reproduction. Another assertion is that self-enhancement boosts motivation, leading to greater accomplishment. But if motivation were the goal, then we would have just evolved to be more motivated, without the costs of reality distortion.
The season of politics in Nigeria has brought to the fore the character behind the flaunted personas of otherwise respectable figures in the society. It is pardonable if the sin of self-deceit is committed by a low life, street urchin or an overzealous subordinate who is constantly striving to impress. It is rather unfortunate that after the mandatory duration of five years in the Deparment of Law in the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, added to the compulsory stint at the prestigious Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem can condescend so low to refer to Deacon Udom Emmanuel as his mentor. Crass madness!
Emmanuel Enoidem who interestingly is the National Legal Adviser of the People’s Democratic Party, in a political rally that marked Deacon Udom Emmanuel’s declaration to run for a second time, even in the face of his too low for zero performance and stealth wickedness against the good people of the State, shamelessly addressed the inept governor as “my leader and my mentor”. This action by Emmanuel Enoidem, who on record is an ordained pastor in one of the popular Christian bodies in the State, can best be described as free hearted sycophancy as there are no indices to bring to bear to support the disgraceful abuse of English language.
It is on record that Barrister Enoidem ventured into politics in 1992 when he was appointed as the Legal Adviser of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Etim Ekpo Chapter. He later contested elections and served as the Executive Chairman of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in 1997. This was at the time Mr Udom Emmanuel had spent one year at Zenith Bank after he left Diamond Bank in 1996. The Deacon Governor ventured into politics passively in 2013 when he was appointed Secretary to the State Government of Akwa Ibom State in July 2013. From the simple arithmetic, a primary 3 pupil can deduct that Pastor Emmanuel Enoidem is politically older than “his mentor” by 21 good years. Emmanuel Enoidem Esq. should please explain to the world where the touted mentor/protégé relationship sets in.
It is on record that the learned man served as State Treasurer of the PDP from 2001 – 2007.
It is also on record that it was the same Emmanuel Enoidem Esq. alongside Hon. Nse Ntuen who took the green horn Udom Emmanuel to Onna to facilitate his registration at the ward level in the PDP. The dynamics of that expedition is reserved for another day.
It is rather unfortunate that our learned brother has joined the Sycophancy Hall of Shame and done so in style. His actions and utterances in recent times portray him as a man with non-existent value system. Yours truly was privileged to listen to Pastor Enoidem sing praises of the good works of His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio when the former celebrated his 50th birthday. He seized the occasion to bless Godswill Akpabio for transforming lives during his tenure. He openly declared on the pulpit that God will continue to strengthen the Distingushed Senator and that all the plans of his enemies would be truncated by God. How on earth can he undo such prayer?
History records that in 2015, during an interview, Barrister Enoidem said, “All those who were in government and after leaving the government they betrayed and blackmailed the Governor are traitors. Once you are in government, you owe that government the duty to respect, protect the interest and keep the secret of that government else you are a betrayer. But here in Akwa Ibom State, the day people leave office, that same day, they will want to bring down the government.” The same man today out of emptiness is ranting against the same government he served and the man he worked under for eight years as Commissioner.
In a bid to form a perceived formidable pair, Deacon Udom Emmanuel offered Emmanuel Enoidem to be his running mate for the 2019 Governorship Election. The latter declined and it behooves any good thinking Akwa Ibomite to ask him why he turned down the offer because in a build up to the 2015 election, Pastor Emmanuel Enoidem said, “However, I can serve in any capacity and I am qualified to be the Deputy Governor having served Akwa Ibom State for 7 years. So if I am appointed the Deputy Governor, I will accept it”.
Udom Emmanuel, our Deacon Governor, in his classic naivety, offered the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial ticket of the PDP to the same Enoidem on the illusive perception of being able to match the sitting Senator politically. For a second time, Enoidem ducked. It is clear that he knows he can never match Senator Akpabio, in this lifetime and the one to come, if there is any such thing.
Emmanuel Enoidem may be a brilliant lawyer and a seasoned politician but his utterances exude emptiness and moral bankruptcy. Can he please explain his role in the N300 million amnesty imbroglio? Innocent lives were lost yet the perpetrators of the dastardly acts still move around freely because of one spurious amnesty. Can he please tell us who was the former Commissioner for Special Duties in Akwa Ibom State that was, moved to Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, in connection with the series of politically-motivated cult killings in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State under the watch of Deacon Udom Emmanuel?
The Lawyer cum Pastor should cease this self-deceit because it will surely not help him. He should use his good experience to tell his non performing “mentor” that power has changed hand and how to save what is left of his ludicrous integrity. Barrister Enoidem should remember that as a Pastor, he has a flock to shepherd. The youths of Etim Ekpo should not be used as pawns in his self-aggrandizement scheme. He should know that he would face the full wrath of the law if he does not cease in his devilish ploy to pit brother against brother just to justify the N300million he withdrew from the latest most efficient human ATM, none other than his Excellency Deacon Udom Emmanuel.
Udeme Ankott writes in from Uyo
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