"To pretend to laugh with one you despise is to chain yourself with unseen burdens. Speak your truth if reason allows, but if your hatred is without cause, heal yourself—for the weight of unjust contempt is yours to bear, not theirs."
—Prince Uduak Pedro

Neglect of Nigeria’s Only FIFA-Accredited Stadium: Successive Akwa Ibom Governments Fail to Complete Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
By Prince Uduak Pedro

The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, remains one of Nigeria’s most prestigious sporting infrastructures. It is the only FIFA-accredited stadium for international matches in the country and serves as the official home of the Super Eagles. However, despite its significance, successive administrations after Sen. Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, including the present Governor Umo Bassey Eno-led administration, have failed to complete the stadium.

When Governor Godswill Akpabio initiated the stadium project, it was envisioned as a world-class facility that would serve as a multi-purpose sports complex. The main pitch and a few core facilities were completed and put to use, but several sections—including training pitches, athletes’ hostels, indoor sports halls, and other essential units—were left abandoned.

Under Governor Udom Emmanuel, little attention was given to completing the remaining aspects of the stadium. While his administration focused on aviation, industrialization, and infrastructure in other sectors, the stadium suffered from neglect. This lack of commitment left many critical sections in disrepair, diminishing the full potential of the facility.

Now, under Governor Umo Eno, there has been no significant move toward reviving the abandoned sections. Despite the stadium being Nigeria’s premier international football venue, it remains underdeveloped beyond the main pitch. This neglect affects not only the aesthetics but also the stadium’s ability to host a wider range of sporting activities beyond football.

The continued abandonment raises questions about the government’s commitment to sports development in the state. A fully completed stadium could attract more international events, generate revenue, and boost tourism. With Akwa Ibom's rich history of supporting sports, it is disappointing that the stadium has not received the necessary funding and attention.

For the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to truly fulfill its purpose, the government must prioritize its completion, ensuring that all abandoned units are revived and made operational. This would not only strengthen Nigeria’s position in global football but also create economic and sporting opportunities for the state.

The Lost Legacy of Ibom e-Library

Once a symbol of innovation and enlightenment, the Ibom e-Library stood tall as a beacon of knowledge in Akwa Ibom State. Built to serve as a hub of learning for all residents, it was envisioned to foster education, research, and creativity in the community. Equipped with modern facilities, internet connectivity, and countless books and resources, the e-library became a haven for students, researchers, and anyone seeking knowledge.

However, during the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, the vision for the Ibom e-Library began to waver. Slowly but surely, its doors that were once wide open to the public started closing. The bustling halls grew silent as access became increasingly restricted. Instead of nurturing the minds of Akwa Ibomites, the e-library was repurposed as a private training center. Public use was deprioritized, and its vast resources became unavailable to those it was built to serve.

For years, students stood outside its gates, their aspirations dimmed by locked doors. Researchers who once thrived within its walls were forced to seek knowledge elsewhere. The heart of the e-library—a public treasure—was transformed into a corporate enclave, catering only to specific training programs and organizations.

Today, the Ibom e-Library serves as a painful reminder of what could have been. Its original purpose, to educate and empower the people of Akwa Ibom, has been overshadowed by exclusivity and neglect. The promise of enlightenment has given way to disappointment, leaving the community yearning for the library’s restoration to its rightful place as a sanctuary for all.

"Depend not on another, rather lean upon thyself; trust to thine own exertions: Subjection to another’s will give pain; True happiness consists in self-reliance."
—Manu

"He only does not live in vain who all the means within his reach employs - his wealth, his thought, his speech – to advance the will of other men."
—Sanskrit

The entire system conspired against him.

Comedians mocked him.
Presidents ridiculed him.
Corrupt politicians impeached him. Bureaucrats investigated him.
They indicted, raided, booked, and mugshot him.

He was even shot, survived, and they still tried to make you forget.

Guess what; Donald J. Trump is the 47th President of the United States of America.

This is a good example of resilience and never giving up on your dreams.

"In some dispositions there is such an envious kind of pride that they cannot endure that any but themselves should be set forth as excellent; so that when they hear one justly praised they will either openly detract from his virtues; or, if those virtues be, like a clear and shining light, eminent and distinguished, so that he cannot be safely traduced by the tongue, they will then raise a suspicion against him by a mysterious silence, as if there were something remaining to be told which overclouded even his brightest glory."
—Feltham

"Speak but little, and that little only when thy own purposes require it. Heaven has given thee two ears but only one tongue, which means: listen to two things, but be not the first to propose one"
—Hāfiz

"Men hail the rising sun with glee, they love his setting glow to see, but fail to mark that every day in fragments bears their life away. All Nature’s face delights to view, as changing seasons come anew; none sees how each revolving year abridges swiftly man’s career."
—Ramāyāna

The center of equator

Homemade bread, do it yourself.