By Kufre George
Divinity had dignified Barr. Otobong Bob from birth. Greatness has always been his apron string and success his birthright. A cursory look at his track record will convince you that Shakespeare in his piece Twelfth Night was not wrong when he opined that some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. However you view it, Barr Otobong Bob is a bundle of greatness.
Many have attributed his recent rise to political limelight to his father’s influence and political structure, and that has been his only offence. People have continued to “accuse” him of flying on his father’s wings. Wait a second, is there a father with large feathers that wouldn’t allow his son to fly on them to any height? If there is, then he is more of a demon than human. Frank A. Clark said, ‘A father is a man who expects his son to be as good as he meant to be”. No one should blame distinguished senator Effiong Bob for playing his card well to raise his boy to become a revered man. One wise man said, you don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they grow to be heroes.
Barr. Otobong Bob’s greatest offence has been to be born to a father who was a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former House of Assembly member, a former commissioner in the state, and so many other political positions. The truth is, the blood of political history is sufficient enough to purge him of this political sin.
Don’t forget in a hurry that Abubakar Olusola Saraki was a senator of the Nigerian Second Republic, a ranking nobleman of the Illorin Emirate. His son Bukola Saraki was governor of Kwara state between 2003-2011. He is the present President of the Nigerian senate.
In far away America, George Herbert Walker Bush served as the 41st President of The United States. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush was the 43rd Vice President of the US from 1981-1989. Years after, his son George Walker Bush became the 43rd President of the United States (2001-2009). Before then, he served as the 46th Governor of Texas(1995-2001).
Even in the Bible, who was David? Who was Solomon? Which lineage was Jesus Christ born into?
Needless of unearthing more father-son political history.
If this is Barr Otobong Bob’s only sin, then he is cleansed. It is rather very irrational to attempt to view his representation to be his father’s. Barr Otobong Bob has his own strength, talent, initiative, grace and unique approach to issues different from his father. If that is his only offence, then he is vindicated.
Focus on his strength. He is vibrant, articulate, intelligent, experienced, resourceful and possesses unequalled entrepreneurial capacity. The combination of these traits will give him the capacity to represent Nsit Ubium people effectively in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
