Umo Eno and the Power of Dressing
By NTA EFO
Yesterday, the internet went on fire over the fashion statement made by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State at the presentation of a book, International Trade and Carriage Of Goods By Sea: Texts, Cases Materials, authored by an illustrious daughter of the state, Mrs Mfon Usoro, a lawyer, and former Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
Tens of people posted the pictures of the handsome Governor whose attire shone brighter than the dark illumination of the hall where the event took place.
Clad in a well tailored grey coloured business suit with a matching purple tie over a crisp pale- pink shirt, Governor Eno was dressed not just to fit the occasion but to convey a message about confidence, charisma and authority.The clean and polished shoes, the multi-coloured but complimentary socks, and good quality wrist watch added extra vibes to the statement.
In another breathe, the photographs of the Governor conveyed a look of intelligence, especially when he jotted points on a note pad he held, elegance, composure, style, class, and everything good all rolled into one.
The choice of colour, especially the loud purple tie, Nigerians would say, killed it for him on the occasion. In ancient Britain, the privilege of wearing the purple colour was reserved for the very highest echelons of society -only bishops and those of royal birth. In actual fact, if anyone else was caught wearing purple, they could be fined an entire year’s wages. Governor Eno is royalty.
Governor Eno literally stood out of the crowd for his looks. But he didn’t dress to stand out. He was just himself, and standing out is his second nature.
Governor Eno is a power dresser who understands the necessity and advantages of dressing powerfully. Every power dresser is a person with a high self esteem who commands respect. It doesn’t matter if the dressing is formal, casual or traditional.It speaks from the level of confidence of whoever uses it.
Long before he was Governor, he had been a power dresser. His favourites had always been business suits which, on his way up, paved the way for good contacts, good contracts, professionalism and credibility.
As Governor, he has shown that he understands the expectations of the people. People expect some distinguishing features from their leaders. Their leader’s dress sense is one. A leader who understands the power of appearance has already won the hearts of his people. He also understands cultural norms and the expectations of his followers. No citizen would expect his Governor to wear a sports wear to a dinner. On this score, he has not disappointed Akwa Ibom people.
For Governor Eno, style is everything. It could be bold, daring, sophisticated, and trendy but must be very conservative. You will never find him dress like a showy music star with all the bling bling. He prioritizes simplicity over the sophistication always. And he always turn out well groomed.He is not given to dressing as a symbol of wealth or flashy displays but does it to fit his personal comfort.
His clothings are always elegant, made up of high quality fabric from a rich blend of refined colours.
His appearance is always smart, sharp and iconic.
The Governor’s dressing does not only reflect the grandeur of his office, it tells of a gentleman who commands respect.
There is no piece of clothing he hasn’t worn in the two years he has been Governor. From the Ibibio traditional ofong is in ye ofong idem, complete with itam obong, to the Igbo isiagu top with trouser together with the okpu agu red cap, with walking stick; from the Ijaw etibo adorned with colourful ornamental brooches, to the flowing agbada and babariga of the Yoruba and Hausa people, Governor Eno has worn them all.
He has also worn nearly all pieces of western wears. He’s as comfortable in jeans and polo, as he is in suits and blazers. Sports wears also come in handy amongst his selections.
His choices signifies his versality, his multi-personality and his accommodating nature. He respects the culture of his Ibibio people, same way he respects that of other tribes.
A lover of people, Governor Eno also loves people around him to dress well and look good. He once spotted a security personnel in his office with a good sense of dressing, especially for the kind of shoes he wore. A ‘connoisseur’ of shoes himself, he gave the personnel a cash award, to encourage others to dress well too. He equally approved and paid wardrobe allowances for teachers, first of its kind in the history of the state.
Always cleanly shaven, he abhors men keeping untidy looks around him, and is known to have asked some officials to go trim their rough beards.
Akwa Ibom people are always proud of their Governor for his class, style and candour.
Jackson Aniedi, a youth enthusiast and fan of the Governor, posted one of the photographs of the Governor at the Usoro book presentation on his Facebook page and tagged it Photo of the Day.
I rather will tag any of the photographs from that event, Photo of the Year, for the attention they drew to, and the views they generated for, the Governor’s spectacular dress sense.
