I consider it a moment of trials for my brother and friend, Thomas Thomas. Trials because the same people he tried to pre informed has been deafeningly silence ever since he was captured in a gustapo like manner and whisked to the DSS along two lane, Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo. I will not bore you with the story of his trail and capture but just that some questions need to be addressed by the Ikot Ekpene road branch manager of MTN, Nigeria.
Ever since Thomas was picked up by security agents acting under the instructions of the state Government, so many people have come out with different stories to suit their excitement or otherwise. The state Governor Goidswill Akpabio is even said to have made some remarks doubting the authenticity of the recorded voice who gave Thomas the news of the attempt to kill the paramount rulers of Ibiono Ibom and that of Etinan Local Government Areas. As a promising youngman with a bright future, Thomas would not go the length of coercing a voice note simply because of any reasons whatsoever on the surface of the earth. The idea or information that the voice recorded by Thomas on the alleged killing story is false is to me not realistic.
Now when that particular edition was circulated on the streets, I had called Thomas to ask him the story and its reliability. A response the Global Concord man confirmed. It is true Thomas played the recorded voice on his phone to the monarchs and thereafter traditional injunctions from the monarchs especially that from Ibiono Ibom monarch went to Akpabio before an enlarged meeting of the traditional rulers was called. The decision that was reached thereafter is what we do not know but if we are told it is what led to the trials of Thomas, I may not disagree.
For me, I strongly condemn the ungodly arrest and continous detention of Thomas except there is something we are not told. The charges as made available are to me cases that do not warrant the continous detention of Thomas who is for now not guilty until proven otherwise. The rate at which the state Government is going if not halted at the moment may likely lead to a case of a return to the trenches were the normal journalist will be throwing her punches from the bush. It is quite unfair that when the Government read the news items with the resulting reactions from the monarchs they decided to go the way they did. To a discerning mind, the Government action in setting the SSS against the press is quite uncalled for. It once again exposes the media managers of the Governor to their inadequacies.
And .Again, why did it take that long about two weeks after the story had been published for the Commissioner for Information to rejoin the story? There are a lot of loopholes in the events that led to the present incarceration of Mr Thomas. I am wondering and very seriously indeed how the Elder Patrick Albert led NUJ suddenly came to the realization that Global Concord has no chapel and as a result of that should not be shielded under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Thomas Thomas is not a bad person, he is not money or food is ready journalist. He represents one of the finest breed in town. His position is that the Government should at all times be accountable to the people and the people should always help to allow the Government grows in order to meet it demands. A lot of the people go with the insinuation that Thomas is an Akpabio hater, that is not true, he loves Akpabio, not only because Akpabio is a Governor but also because he is an Elder. He only feels that sometimes the policies of the Government are not friendly and he rise to speak up against such policies.
If the story of a meeting were Governor Akpabio and co had planned to kill two Ibibio monarchs did not hold as the Government cycle wants us to belief, methinks the courts remain the best place for the Government to seek a redress and not hold Thomas captive of an information he got verified, trusted and allowed to fly. The continous detention of the Global Concord man has a way of making the nation to belief that Akpabio is angry that the Concord man leaked an otherwise exclusive information to the targeted victims. I will however advise the Governor to make haste to release Thomas while the matter continues in the court.
It is the belief of every right thinking Akwa Ibom persons that anything short of that will mean there was an already planned attack on the Akwa Ibom born fearless writer which will not change anything in the Akwa Ibom media space. Talking of Change, some Government apologists had said that the hounding of Thomas Thomas will change something in the favour of Government amongst the press especially those considered as critical Press.
If one may ask, what has changed in Global Concord or any other critical media Houses ever since the ungodly attack on Thomas. I have not seen anything. What I think the Government should do is to clear itself of this continous attack on the Press as this is going down history book that the Government of Godswill Akpabio was out to hunt the press. The story of Fresh fact, Events Newspapers and their publishers remain ever green in our memory. A situation the Governor should remember and call himself to order quite asap.
Perhaps the final nail in the coffin of the radical press in the state may be the arrest of all media Houses considered to be critical to Government, I make bold to understand that after the tenure of Akpabio, he will need to see the press that criticize him and kept him on his toes as the real agents of progress and indeed those that supported his uncommon transformation agenda.
The allegations that the state Government hadirected the security operatives especially the DSS in the state to begin a clamp down on the Press in the state who may have divergent views in the management of the state is wonderfully pathetic. How the Government got to this level is worrisome, how they intend to get out of this mess when the tide suddenly or may have slowly turn against them remains to be seen. The prevention of friends and family members from seeing Thomas highlights the Security agencies dishonesty in the matter. But internally, the SSS treatment of him while he remains with them so far must be credited.
I learnt Thomas is still in high spirits and savouring the moment which he is on leave but I must not hesitate to remind our Governor that he should not allow misfits to direct him on what to do with Thomas, because he will need the likes of Thomas to assess his eight year leadership of Akwa Ibom State and grade him accordingly. Fom there he will see to himself his pedigree in all strata of his Governace of Akwa Ibom state.
But as it is, while Akpabio’s pedigree in terms of his relationship with the media especially the home press is less than thirty percent, those who seem to question why NUJ had to do what they did appear not to understand the nitty gritty of a comrade that is in the employment of the state Government. The noise that is even coming from some of the Exco members of the union is suggestive of the fact that not all fingers are equal. Thomas Thomas has been left with the burden of proof of the news item he published on Global Concord, Monday Edition and given the required atmosphere, I have no doubts in my mind that he will prove it but with the wrong atmosphere such as he has been exposed to, it is quite obvious that a truce will be reached.
For those mocking him while he remains with the SSS, I will advise that you show no trace of happiness in the down fall of a man as he will rise to walk tall again. If I should preempt Governor Akpabio, I will be bold to say no dead will befall Thomas, he will return to take his place in the comity f writers and I can say whatever will be will be. God is watching.
PLEASE BRING BACK THOMAS THOMAS
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