“…I came with a vengeance to undo the wrongs of the past. Since the creation of the State, Ibibio people have been in control of power, and by the time I finish being the Governor, there won’t be anything like Ibibio, Oron or Annang…” - CHIEF GODSWILL AKPABIO.
Akwa Ibom State’s 31 Local Government Areas are shared between 3 Senatorial Districts: (Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, and Eket); and generally comprise the majority Ibibios; the minority Annangs, Oron and others consisting in 16,8, 5, and 2LGA’s respectively. By virtue of their size, the Ibibios have had a numerical advantage over other ethnic groups within the Government. This advantage does not however constitute a “wrong of the past”; and should not inspire “vengeance”. The intent therefore, behind the threat “by the time I finish being the Governor, there won’t be anything like Ibibio, Oron or Annang”, could be clearly presumed to represent Akpabio’s track record in office thereafter. Please read on.
Akwa Ibom State’s 31 Local Government Areas are shared between 3 Senatorial Districts: (Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, and Eket); and generally comprise the majority Ibibios; the minority Annangs, Oron and others consisting in 16,8, 5, and 2LGA’s respectively. By virtue of their size, the Ibibios have had a numerical advantage over other ethnic groups within the Government. This advantage does not however constitute a “wrong of the past”; and should not inspire “vengeance”. The intent therefore, behind the threat “by the time I finish being the Governor, there won’t be anything like Ibibio, Oron or Annang”, could be clearly presumed to represent Akpabio’s track record in office thereafter. Please read on.
A careful study of the politics of the State would easily debunk Akpabio’s misleading insinuation of Ibibio ‘suppression’ of other ethnic groups. It would expose him as a disgruntled ethnic warlord; establish his pre-conceived grouse against the Ibibios as predating his bid for the Governorship; and presume the bid an opportunity to wage war against the Ibibios.
Nine Military and Civilian Governors have administered Akwa Ibom State since its creation in September 1987. Three were Ibibios: Wing Cdr. Idongesit Nkanga (an appointed Military Governor); and two elected Governors (Obong Akpan Isemin, and Arc. Victor Attah). The only Annang Governor is the elected incumbent (Godswill Akpabio); while the other five Governors (Col Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha, Col. Godwin Abbe, Lt. Col. Yakubu Bako, Navy Capt. Joseph Adeusi, and Grp. Capt. John Eyepeiyah Ebiye), were non-indigenes appointed Military Governors. Seven Deputy Governors served in Akwa Ibom State including: Amb. Etim Okpoyo (from Oron); Obong Ufot Ekaette (an Ibibioman), Engr. Chris Ekpenyong and Sir Michael Udofia (both Annangs); and the trio of Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, Obong Nsima Ekere, and Lady Valerie Ebe - all from Eket Senatorial District (and not Uyo) all of who served under Gov Akpabio.
Similarly, Eight Military and Civilian Governors administered the defunct South Eastern and old Cross River States (before the creation of Akwa Ibom State). Three were Ibibios: Brig UJ Esuene of South Eastern State; as well as Navy Captain Edet Akpan Archibong of Cross River State, were all appointed Military Governors; while Dr. Clement Isong was elected. An Annang Governor (Chief Don Etiebet) was also elected, while the three other Governors (Lt. Col. Paul Ufuoma Omu, Navy Capt. Babatunde Elegbede, and Navy Capt. Ibim Princewill) were non-indigenes appointed Military Governors. The two Deputy Governors who served in the old Cross River State were Dr. Matthias Offoboche from Ogoja, etc) It is therefore clear that Uyo Senatorial District (the Ibibio heartland) has produced 4 Governors and no Deputy Governors; Eket Senatorial District has produced 2; while Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District (the Annang heartland) has produced 2. Clearly therefore, all ethnic groupings in the defunct South Eastern, old Cross River and present Akwa Ibom States have enjoyed a measure of relevance with their indigenes occupying prominent positions in government. Under all Ibibio Governors, there were several Commissioners, Special Advisers, Heads of Boards and Parastatals of different ethnic groups in the State. Governor Akpabio’s claim therefore to Ibibio suppression, is not only false and misleading, but also obscures the fact that his ascendance to the governorship was founded on Ibibio magnanimity.
Arch. Victor Attah, (an Ibibioman and Akpabio’s predecessor in office), single handedly instigated a power shift to Akpabio’s Annang ethnic grouping in 2007. Although Akpabio was not Attah’s preferred candidate, several influential Ibibio politicians and leaders of thought, adopted him against Attah’s choice (and son-in-law) Dr. Udoma Ekarika (an Annang man). Such influential Ibibios included: Senator JJ Udoedeghe (Akpabio’s Campaign Manager in 2007, who introduced him, and sold his viability to then incumbent President Obasanjo). Obong Ufot Ekaette (the 8 year Secretary to the Federal Government, reportedly always spoke to his boss ‘Obasanjo’ about Akpabio in favorable light. Amb. Sam Edem (the influential NDDC Chairman at the time) also played a lead role in Akpabio’s emergence. Almost all the Ibibio traditional leaders backed Akpabio, along with countless Ibibio Youth Groups. These, swayed the grass-root voters in Akpabio’s favor. Of a truth, Akpabio rose to the crest of power on the wings of massive Ibibio support. He acknowledged in the following speeches:
“ … In our election, you buried tribalism and ethnic sentiments. You spoke with one voice from the shores of Mbo to the fertile soil of Ini Local Government Area. Our detractors thought we would continue to remain an ‘atomistic society perpetually at war with itself’, but you proved them wrong … in the said elections, Akwa Ibom witnessed unprecedented unanimity in political decision making. From the youths, the elders, the traditional fathers, to our sons and daughters in Nigeria and in the diaspora, you spoke with one voice … let God’s will be done…” - IN AKPABIO’S INAUGURAL SPEECH DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SWEARING-IN ON MAY 29, 2007.
“ … By my election, you captured the noble spirit of co-existence and unity. The uniqueness was demonstrated in the fact that for the first time in the politics of Akwa Ibom State, all the component linguistic groupings buried clannish sentiments and voted as one people for me and our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party …” - ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF AKWA IBOM STATE ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2007.
“ … I note with delight that for the first time in the history of Akwa Ibom State, the people surmounted the odds, buried ethnic sentiments and dialectical differences, and embraced the generational power shift which I represented …” - ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ADMINISTRATION AND DEMOCRACY DAY, MAY 29, 2008.
“ … But the days of disunity are past; consigned to the dustbin of history. The election of 2007 was a unity anthem orchestrated with symphonic tribal harmony. From that electoral ballad, you entrusted me with the sacred mandate of the office of Governor; and this administration was born …” - ON THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE STATE, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008.
Governor Akpabio made similar speeches after winning his second term, but these only truly acknowledge his first term mandate, and not the second, which he obtained at the cost of sorrow, tears and blood. In a speech to mark his conferment with an award of Doctor of Management Science (Honoris Causa), by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), on December 3, 2011, Akpabio said: “… I would not have been here if Akwa Ibom people did not allow principles to triumph over politics and vote for virtue, not clannishness …” In another speech on May 29, 2011, he said: “… I am happy for the great honor of this hour, and this great opportunity to keep serving you as your Governor. I am not unmindful of the fact that you made the choice against the backdrop of the most pernicious campaign of false hood, ethnicity, hatred and blackmail in the chequered history of mankind …”
The Akpabio, who spoke of falsehood, ethnicity, hatred and blackmail, despite acknowledging Ibibio support in his countless speeches, was not however deterred from manifesting the same vices subsequently. He turned against the same Ibibios who catapulted him to the Governorship; became extremely intolerant of opposition, and clamped down on the free Press. Dissidents were targeted, including GLOBAL CONCORD which suffered extreme persecution. Newspaper distributors like Mr. Essien Ewoh; and Fresh Facts publisher Sam Asogwata suffered harrowing experiences; yet Akpabio, at the 4th National Roundtable for Proactive Laws and Good Governance in Abuja, in July 2008, had said: “… even though Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees rights to freedom of expression and the Press, I believe the passage into law of the Freedom of Information Bill, and its inclusion in the amended Constitution will help Nigerians play their expected roles more effectively in nation building. Access to information is vital to every democratic system. The tendency to withhold information from people is therefore to be checked. Free access to information will encourage people’s support for laudable causes and allow constructive criticism of wrong policies and programmes…” The same Akpabio was much later on to tell journalists at a Conference of Editors: “… as Editors, you are the captains of the media industry, and your interpretations of reality become the reality of the nation…” He described them as “… the conscience of the nation…” and charged them thus: “… the spirits of our ancestors who used the vehicle of crusading journalism to win independence for us is still alive in our time. It would be foolhardy for you to kill the baby; the democracy you midwifed. It would be the highest level of treachery and betrayal, for you whose colleagues watered the tree of our collective liberty and democracy with their blood, to dishonor their memory by not fighting for the survival of our nation and our democracy…” Let us ask salient questions. How else does one fight for the survival of our nation and democracy except by speaking out about ills in society with a view to abatement, redress, sanctions, or remedy where necessary? How else does one fight for the survival of our nation and democracy except by being principled and refusing compromise to act contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience? If the critical press is silenced, then the nation will crash. Even God tolerates opposition (the Devil).
By 2010, Akpabio had earned enough infamy to discourage any Ibibio support for his second term, and to actualize his bid, he was forced to initiate a campaign of undisguised brutality against the mainly Ibibio opposition. In May 2010, (fully aware that he was executing his long conceived plot against the Ibibios), ‘democrat’ Akpabio called on his supporters to annihilate any who opposed him in these words: “… You must rise up with anger and crush anybody who wants to bring down the government … you must crush any opposition against this government with fire. You must show anger because we are developing the State and nobody should stand against the development of the State…” Although no local media (print or electronic), reported this call, except GLOBAL CONCORD, it was gratefully reported in the national dailies. SEE P10 OF DAILY INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF MAY 4, 2010.
Akpabio’s “… development of the State …” must have meant empowering his kith, kin and loyalists while prosecuting his ethnic cleansing agenda against the Ibibios, because that was all that was going on in the State. Shortly after Akpabio’s charge to his supporters, the State slid into an era of absolute barbarism and lawless brutality. Kidnappers and hired assassins went on rampage, targeting Ibibios, who suffered the greatest wave of persecution in their entire history. Hundreds were kidnapped for ransom (presumably to break their financial strength); others were killed, and their women kidnapped and often sexually assaulted by their captors. This was under the administration of the same Godswill Akpabio who in a speech entitled: ‘THE NIGER DELTA CRISIS AND THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP; THE GODSWILL AKPABIO MODEL’ said: “… people need to be free from threats such as political repression and sudden harmful disruption of their lives…” Even those Ibibios who played prominent roles in Akpabio’s emergence were not spared persecution, and include:
ARC (OBONG) VICTOR ATTAH: His predecessor in office, and a man Akpabio himself often acknowledged as laying the foundation for the development of the State. Attah however suffered relentless abuse and insult including false allegations of embezzlement. His woes under Akpabio’s government reached a crescendo when his wife’s health deteriorated and Akpabio’s government paid a deaf ear to calls for the State Government’s intervention. The former First Lady died. This was how Akpabio paid back Attah who took him from nothing to something (appointing him Special Adviser, then Commissioner, and even nominating him to serve as his Deputy Governor).
SENATOR JJ UDOEDEGHE: (the ACN gubernatorial candidate, and a man whose deft political strategies gifted Akpabio with the Governorship) was soon perceived ‘too big a threat’ to Akpabio’s re-election bid. He was framed for a series of high profile crimes including arson, murder, treason, etc, believed to have been committed by government agents, but in evidence of his innocence, was after severe persecution, absolved by competent courts, of all the charges slammed against him.
AMBASSADOR SAM EDEM: (the influential NDDC Chairman at the time), also considered a threat, considering his rumored bid for the Governorship was framed and relieved of his lucrative office.
HER EXCELLENCY, (MRS) COMFORT EWANG: wife of a former Military Administrator of Ogun and Rivers States, (Group Capt. Sam Ewang, the ANPP governorship candidate), was abducted by kidnappers who reportedly demanded that her husband rescind his decision to contest the 2011 elections. She was released after her abductors had secured a heavy ransom.
MADAM PHILOMENA UDONWA: a retired civil servant; a grandmother of over 70 years, and mother of a Singapore based Marine Engineer and governorship hopeful, Iniekong Udonwa, was kidnapped. Her son was shot at, in a failed assassination attempt, but escaped with bullet wounds. Once again, the kidnappers allegedly demanded that Engr. Udonwa rescind his bid to contest in the 2011 Elections as a pre-condition for his mother’s release. Madam Udonwa was not lucky after-all. She was abused, murdered, stripped naked, and abandoned on a lonely rural road (even after a ransom had reportedly been paid); only to be discovered by early morning risers on their way to the stream the next morning.
MR. MIKE EDUOK (the brother of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok), was kidnapped, possibly over his brothers perceived opposition to Akpabio’s tyrannical governance.
BARR UMO UDOUNWA: slated to take over as the State PDP Chairman, was murdered in shrouded circumstances. He was a close ally of prominent members of the opposition to Akpabio.
ELDER PAUL INYANG: a PDP stalwart also billed for the State PDP Chairmanship, was shot dead in the premises of his church. As Secretary of the Wakili Adamawa led Screening Committee for the 2006 Governorship Primaries, he supported Akpabio’s candidacy.
In December 2009, along with other party bigwigs, he endorsed Akpabio’s second term bid in a caucus meeting.
To be contd
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