AKHA 2015: Midim Clan and the quest for justice

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Martin Luther King

In the face of sustained neglect and rejection metted on the people of Midim clan of Abak LGA, concerned minds may be forced to ask; what has really gone wrong?

The quest for justice and equity has been one of man most sought after virtues. As often said “what is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander”

In the current democratic dispensation, it is unbearable to realise that despite having people who have been stirred to the knowledge of rising to a collective voice and course, a few elements are tirelessly working to ensure sonme voices are never heard.

The place of peace in the more restive 21st century need no emphasies, but the need for justice and equity cant be neglected, since peace can not thrive in a society that upholds and celebrates injustices.
We appreciate the patience and resillience of our people, but it is pertinent to call to mind the words of Paulo Coelho, in his work; The Devil And Miss Prym “there was only a small amount of injustice in the world, but every man who came afterwards added his little portion, thinking it was small and unimportant; this has brought us where we are”

We feel obliged in the light of this prevailing injustice not to only speak because Midim is affected today, but have decided to speak out so that the rest of the world who are yet to feel what injustice is; would be salvaged from the poisonous claws of this cancer.
With our bountiful wealth of human resources, the least that could have happened to us should have been active participation in the task of governance, as a people who have contributed their quota to nation building. Where we are today is never a function of choice, but we have been forced to accept a destiny we never owned.

How it got this bad leaves much to desire, but worse still is the fact that the conspiracies against us has made us look like a people whose identity and future has been blotted with the contemptous ink of oppression and victimization.

The choices we have been reduced to is not that of peace, but we have chosen not to give our oppressors the joy of watching us come to war, since they believe they are more powerful and superior to phase us out even in our course of a honest agitation.
At this point, we have chosen to lay bare our course in a renewed call to have the entire world listen to our stories, if this would compel our jailers to set us free. Let the world know this and more, while we hope they will help appeal to these people to help facilitate the right of our pride of place.
Midim clan has 24 villages, with a human population of more than 30,000, it also has entrepreneural minds who are committed to positively changing the world around them. The huge agricultural potential of this area is such that has made it a mecca of sort, while its professional man power can compete favourably with the rest of the world.

If everything about us can be faulted on grounds of mindless denial, most accurate and incontrovertible is the fact that till date, since the advent of the current democracy, the best Local Government Chairman Abak has had, remains Barr. Paul Ubom; this is a man who did so well in infrastructural and man power development. This makes us bother to know why we are not having more chances, to show forth our mettle in good and proactive leadership.

Call them enemies from within (as some people would) or hatred from the highly placed (as widely believed) it is time to put the records straight in reminding our people and brothers that, our right of franchise is not only limited to voting for others, but also involves having others vote for us.
If we are not excluded on the right to be voted for, we guess in calling the shot for the State House of Assembly Seat in Abak, come 2015, Midim should unconditionally be given a chance, since everywhere else has had their opportunities, even with Midim’s support.

The Abak State Assembly seat which has never been occupied by someone from Midim, have had Com Friday Iwok; the current occupant from Otoro clan, Hon Chris Udofia; from AfahaObong clan and the duo of Hon Imo Ibokette and Hon UwemUdoma from Abak urban clan. A peep into this statistic will readily raise a question of; where midim Clan belong.
In Charles Darwin’s strong worded view against injustice, where he said “if the missery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin” I therefore call to mind the fact that nature had not foisted a second fiddle role on us but greed has so maligned our collective aspirations.

A recently uncovered plot by some highly placed persons in Abak to take the state assembly seat from us, has in no small measure underscored the need for all to pay mind to the voices of reasoning. Since it is known that if these people are not discouraged from their enterprise of deceit now, greater will be their pains when the society rises to truly stand by the truth.

They have sought to give the state asembly seat through a brigandary act of zoning to Abak urban ward 1, the same ward Hon. Imo Ibokette, as well as where the current council boss Hon. Joseph Ikpaisong hails from against the interest of an entire clan.

We have been hearing of injustices, but never in our existence did we believe injustice could be so personified and made to prevail against a people whose loyalty and commitment to nation building has never been compromised.

We hereby wish to put on record that there has never been a time the people of Midim clan failed to support with massive assurance, the programs and policies of the current administration. This is evidenced in the number of votes we cheerfully gave Governor Akpabio in 2007 and 2011 respectively.

The reward of this support have so far manifested through the various life touching projects executed and completed in the area by the Chief Akpabio administration, to which we are at all time grateful for, even as we remind ourselves of the untold negligence we had to suffer before this God sent governor.

It was Vincent Gallagher in his article titled, The Violence Of Globaliztion; who said “it takes great courage to open ones heart and mind to the tremendous injustices and sufferings in the world” we have subscribed to this courage in pleading our case, that as a people whose believe in democracy has been tested over time and commended, we desire for our people what others have gotten.

Let us put forth to the entire Abak LGA and indeed the world that the injustice we suffer today may be another people’s turn tomorrow. Let us join hands to fight it today, so that our children would be free from prejudices and parochial sentiments.

It behooves us great joy to hold onto the certainty that “he who does good for good’s sake, seeks neither paradise nor reward, but is sure of both in the end” – Willian Penn
Let’s give Midim clan a chance!

Written by Midim Conscience.