Dakkada campaign, created to revive the personality of the Akwa Ibom person.
Dakkada, literally meaning arise is the high point of this year’s 28th Anniversary Celebration of the State held at the renowned Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on September 23, 2015.
Aniekan Umanah, State Commissioner for Information and Communications, said “Dakkada is a campaign the governor is passionate about. He comes across as a prophet kept for an appointed time. Governor Udom Emmanuel is that prophet. And the time is the time of economic down turn. A time for creativity. A time for innovation.
A time for ingenuity. Even within this time of adverse economic conditions, Governor Emmanuel has mapped out a five-point agenda and is poised to see them through. For these to happen, he needs the cooperation of his people and for them to have the same mindset. That, basically is the philosophy behind Dakkada. A clarion call for the people to rise up, motivate themselves and be all they never were.”
Umanah said it is about arising to greatness; having faith in God that all things are possible; exchewing cleavages like ethnicity, religion and gender; and bonding together in unity. “It is also about rising to chart a new course in development; rising to task our creativity; rising to dare so we can do anything we set our minds to do; rising to the faith that Akwa Ibom was created to be great and that greatness is in all of us”
The campaign, according to the commissioner, is about the elevation of “the consciousness of every son and daughter of Akwa Ibom State, transforming same to think out of the box and recreate in themselves several Ufot Ekongs, several Vincent Enyemas, Ray Ekpus, several Paul Usoros, several Nsikak Eduoks et cetera”. The Commissioner further said the concept is deep and will totally change the psychic frame and mindset of Akwa Ibom people. Why? “It is a more than a mere affirmative declaration. Dakkada is deeper because it is a call to action and is action itself”.
The campaign will see a float of young people move round the town with the message of the campaign.
Dakkada is a chant of motivation for every son and daughter of Akwa Ibom. It goes beyond words, it is a state of mind, a consciousness far beyond the ordinary. Dakkada is a promise to one’s self, state and the nation at large.
We want to mobilize the people of Akwa Ibom to achieve extraordinary feats, and create platforms to ensure they can make their dreams come true. With a Dakkada mindset, sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom will never give up, but will pursue dreams with passion and exemplary conduct.
Twenty-eight years after its formation, Akwa Ibom has joined other Nigerian states to set an agenda for its own rebranding and development. It is a narrative that unveils the roadmap of how the state can metamorphose into a community of people ready to take charge of their destinies.
One way the state has sought to achieve this is a rebranding campaign tagged “dakkadaism” – a project which seeks to first awaken the spirit of its indigenes to the possibilities and miracles that abound in the sky for those who chose to “rise” with the vision. Dakkada is a mass movement that seeks to purge the mind of its penchant for excesses and empower citizens to become what they truly should be.
The State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, succinctly captured this recently while speaking at a rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to mark the 28th anniversary of the state’s creation. “For too long, our core value of honesty and integrity became our undoing. Nigerians could only trust Akwa Ibom people with their homes and kitchens; children and jewellery. So we served the rich and the powerful and took care of their culinary needs,” he said.
The governor’s declaration is a reminder of the fast eroding “servant” status earned by most citizens of Akwa Ibom extraction in social discourse. Udom added: “Servitude became a badge pinned on us by the nation.
I Rise to a Faith of Greatness
Akwa Ibomites, Arise to the faith of greatness
Rise to the faith that with God all things are possible.
Rise to the faith that Akwa Ibom was created by God out of greatness
Rise to the faith that as a people, we can move beyond ethnicity, biases, religion, and gender. Rise to togetherness
Rise to the faith of resources, beyond what others see, human and intellectual.
Rise to chart a new course for us, our children and a generation of Akwa Ibomites unborn
Rise to the faith that one day; we shall be counted as great people of a great state with great minds
Rise to the faith that all these are possible and many more
Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful
I rise to the faith that Akwa Ibom was created to be great
I rise to the faith that Akwa Ibom is destined to be great
I am an Akwa Ibomite and I rise to a faith of greatness
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We are the voice of every son and daughter of Akwa Ibom. We are the unsung voice of hope and vision of a brighter future in each and every Akwa Ibomite.
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We are the voice of the state, reminding every son and daughter of Akwa Ibom of the true potential they truly possess. We are here to get them to get up and be counted on this journey to greatness.We are a platform/movement, a force that inspires and helps enable Akwa Ibomites be the best they can be. We are the unsung voice of hope and vision of a brighter future in each and every Akwa Ibomite.