By Ernest Akpan
Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, former federal lawmaker, former Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and proprietor of Ritman University, has thrown his weight behind Governor Umo Eno’s declaration of a state of emergency in education, describing it as a timely intervention that could redefine the future of education and human-capital development in Akwa Ibom State.
In an exclusive interview with ARISE STANDARD, Essien, who has invested decades in education and founded Ritman University, said education remained the most potent instrument for emancipating the people and transforming the fortunes of a society. He commended the Eno administration for its interventions across the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, including the establishment of model schools, expansion of programmes at Akwa Ibom State University and the conversion of the State College of Education into a university.
The former senator, however, went beyond education to assess Governor Eno’s performance under the ARISE Agenda, declaring that the Governor had “over-delivered” on his campaign promises and possessed what he called the “Finisher’s Anointing.” He also spoke extensively on Ritman University’s entrepreneurial model, his decades-long political struggle for resource justice, the evolution from the old “Abuja Front” to the present “Akwa Ibom United” philosophy, and the implications of the emerging political alignment ahead of the 2027 elections.
Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, former federal lawmaker and proprietor of Ritman University, has described Governor Umo Eno’s declaration of a state of emergency in education as a timely intervention capable of repositioning the sector and strengthening the human-capital base of Akwa Ibom State.
Essien, who spoke with ARISE STANDARD in an interview, said he was particularly excited by the declaration because, as an education investor, he believes education remains the most potent instrument for emancipating people and transforming the fortunes of communities and nations.
He commended successive administrations in the state for sustaining the free and compulsory education policy introduced under former Governor Godswill Akpabio, but said the Eno administration had expanded the scope of educational development through investments in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
According to him, the construction of model primary schools across the 31 local government areas, accommodation for teachers, the development of model secondary schools across the three senatorial districts, expansion of programmes at Akwa Ibom State University and the conversion of the State College of Education into a university were evidence of the administration’s commitment to education.
“I personally cherish education as the only vehicle that can emancipate the people and change the lives and fortunes of people of any nation, community or state like Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
“That’s why, when the governor declared a state of emergency in education, I was very excited because it shows that the governor is ready and willing to put the education of Akwa Ibom children on the front burner.”
Essien said the declaration also showed that the Governor had identified gaps in the state’s education system and was prepared to address them systematically.
He urged parents and students to take advantage of the educational institutions and opportunities being created by the government, stressing that the ultimate objective should be to build the human capacity required to sustain the state’s development.
▪️Three priorities for education emergency
Asked what recommendations he would make if invited to participate in designing the implementation framework for the education emergency, Essien identified teacher training, adequate funding and effective supervision as three immediate priorities.
He argued that no education reform could succeed without qualified and properly trained personnel to drive it.
“The training and retraining of the operators, that is, the teachers that are going to drive this educational sector, must be taken as a priority,” he said.
“If you don’t have good resource persons in the education sector, you will not be able to deliver. It is garbage in, garbage out.”
The former senator also called for increased budgetary allocation to education, warning that declaring an emergency without adequate funding would not produce the desired results.
He added that government must strengthen supervision to ensure that investments and policies in the sector translate into measurable outcomes.
Beyond the three priorities, Essien advocated continuous improvement of school infrastructure and urged local government councils to replicate the model primary schools being constructed by the state government.
He noted that while one model primary school in a local government could provide a benchmark, the ultimate objective should be for other public schools within the local government to gradually attain comparable standards.
“If they consistently follow these, within the next five to 10 years, all the schools will be like the present ones that the Governor has built,” he said.
▪️Why Ritman University is different
Speaking about private-sector participation in tertiary education, Essien described private universities as complementary partners to government rather than competitors.
He said his decision to establish Ritman University was not motivated primarily by profit, but by a lifelong dream to contribute to society through education.
According to him, the dream began when he was about six years old after his father took him to school for the first time.
He recalled seeing a school standing in front of a forest and wondering why his family’s own forest could not also become a school.
That childhood dream, he said, stayed with him for decades.
Essien eventually acquired the property in his early twenties and began developing it, initially using the land for agriculture while working towards establishing an educational institution.
The original plan, he disclosed, was to establish a polytechnic, but after an assessment by the National Board for Technical Education, the institution’s facilities were considered more suitable for pursuing a university licence.
Ritman eventually evolved from the primary and secondary schools into the university it is today.
“It is not just that I woke up to do a school. It is a process. It is a vision. It is a dream of 64 years,” he said.
Essien said the institution had awarded scholarships to more than 3,000 beneficiaries over the years, with his scholarship model supporting beneficiaries from their early education through first degree.
He described the investment as a social responsibility rather than merely a commercial venture.
▪️’Ritman is training entrepreneurs, not job seekers’
Essien said the defining feature of Ritman University is its entrepreneurial orientation.
He explained that the university seeks to equip students with the skills to create businesses and employment opportunities rather than merely prepare them to search for jobs after graduation.
“We are an entrepreneurial university. We train people on how to become entrepreneurs and not job seekers,” he said.
He cited examples of Ritman students who had developed technology-driven businesses, including a transportation application designed to connect passengers travelling on the same route.
Others, he said, had established businesses in areas such as photography, hospitality and food services.
Essien said the entrepreneurial philosophy was necessary because the government could not employ every graduate.
He referenced the large number of applicants for recent state employment opportunities as an illustration of the challenge.
According to him, more than 60,000 people applied for available positions, while only a fraction could be employed.
He therefore advocated a shift from a job-seeking culture to an enterprise-creation culture.
“If you create jobs, you become an employer of labour,” he said.
Essien disclosed that more than 800 people were currently employed at Ritman University, including professors and other highly skilled professionals.
▪️University expands postgraduate programmes
The Ritman proprietor also disclosed that the university was preparing to commence postgraduate programmes, following resource verification by the relevant regulatory authorities.
He said the institution would begin offering postgraduate diploma, master’s and doctoral programmes.
He further disclosed that Ritman was developing its research capacity and exploring opportunities to commercialise some of its specialised facilities.
According to him, experts who recently assessed the university’s facilities observed that some of its equipment compared favourably with, and in some instances surpassed, what was available in public universities.
He also highlighted the institution’s mass communication facilities and expressed plans to establish a community radio station subject to regulatory approval.
▪️On his political legacy: ‘I didn’t go to the National Assembly to make money’
Turning to his political career, Essien spoke extensively about his years in the National Assembly and his involvement in the struggle for resource control and the abolition of the onshore-offshore dichotomy.
He said his advocacy was driven by the conviction that Akwa Ibom and other oil-producing communities deserved a greater share of the resources extracted from their territory.
He recalled confronting the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the issue and said his position attracted considerable opposition at the time.
Essien maintained that his political activism was not motivated by personal financial gain.
“I didn’t go to the National Assembly to make money,” he said, adding that he never made money from the National Assembly beyond his legitimate salary and allowances.
He also recounted his role in the South-South struggle and his leadership involvement in PANDEF, stressing that his political activities were focused on securing greater benefits for the Niger Delta.
▪️’Eno has over-delivered’
Assessing Governor Umo Eno’s performance under the ARISE Agenda, Essien gave the administration a strong endorsement.
He said the Governor had, in his assessment, exceeded many of the promises made during the 2023 election campaign.
“This present governor, God is with him. God is with him because he has, I would say, over-delivered on the promises,” he said.
Essien cited the ongoing development of the Ikot Ekpene International Market, road construction and the completion of inherited projects as examples.
He described Eno as a “man of his word” and said the Governor’s willingness to fulfil campaign promises had strengthened his confidence in the administration.
“He has the finisher’s anointing. That’s why I say God is really with him,” he said.
The senator also defended the Governor’s emphasis on entrepreneurship, particularly his reference to his experience selling akara before entering public service.
Essien argued that Nigerians sometimes underestimate the earning potential of small businesses because of a weak entrepreneurial culture.
He drew from his own experience as a former partner in Mr Bigg’s in Ikot Ekpene, saying the business generated substantial daily revenue during its most productive period.
He also cited his palm plantation as another example of how long-term investment could provide sustainable income.
▪️’Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District will give Eno bloc votes’
On the 2027 elections, Essien said the political tradition of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has historically been characterised by bloc voting.
He recalled that the district had supported political leaders across different eras, including former governors Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel.
He said the district’s support for Governor Eno was similarly based on its assessment of his performance.
“We looked at the Governor; he is doing well, so we invited him to tell him that we are ready to give you a good vote because of what he is doing in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
Essien expressed confidence that the district would deliver strongly for Governor Eno in 2027.
He said the district had a substantial voting population and maintained that its leaders had the structures required to mobilise voters.
“Governor Umo Eno doesn’t have anything to fear about, since we in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District are solidly behind him,” he said.
▪️From Abuja Front to ‘Akwa Ibom United’
Essien also reflected on the political tensions that characterised the early years of the Fourth Republic, particularly the so-called Abuja Front and the struggle surrounding the administration of former Governor Victor Attah.
He said he was one of the politicians who stood firmly behind the state government at the time, despite pressure and opposition.
Comparing that period with the present political environment, he attributed the relative political harmony in the state to the relationship between Governor Umo Eno and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
According to him, the two leaders have prioritised the collective interest of Akwa Ibom over partisan differences.
He said he personally supported Akpabio’s emergence as Senate President despite belonging to a different political party at the time because, in his view, the position presented an opportunity to advance the interests of the state.
“The interest of Akwa Ibom is paramount, not our individual interest,” he said.
Essien described this cooperation as the foundation of the emerging “Akwa Ibom United” philosophy.
“We needed to leverage on the number three citizen to be able to see what we can attract to Akwa Ibom rather than fight. That is why we have Akwa Ibom United,” he said.
He maintained that the current political alignment between the Governor and the Senate President had created an environment in which the state could pursue development rather than political confrontation.
For Essien, the lesson from the past is clear: political differences should not be allowed to override the collective interest of the state.
And as Akwa Ibom moves towards another election cycle, he believes the combination of performance, political cooperation and grassroots mobilisation gives the Governor a strong platform heading into 2027.
