As Thomas Thomas gets into the ring…

 

BY ANNY MICHAELS

The shape of politics in Etinan Federal Constituency may be a radical departure from the sickening docility that had characterized the political scene in the constituency in the past with the entrance of Thomas Thomas, the celebrated Group Editor of Global Concord newspaper, the most patronized local tabloid in Akwa Ibom, ever since the advent of democracy in the state. He is known for a radical approach to reportage that has attempted to checkmate ‘dictatorship’ in our democracy with an unparallel competition. The tabloid has become a must-buy every morning for all government functionaries, businessmen, youth, opinion leaders and the reading public in Akwa Ibom. 

However, some political analysts in the constituency believe that the forthcoming election in the area will be an acid test for the well known journalist to show the world how much of political lessons he had learned from his political reportage these years. Already, scheming and political calculations have been going on just as alignment and re-alignment of forces have remained the order of the day by concerned politicians in the constituency. Thomas recently picked up the Declaration of Interest and Nomination Forms for the House of Representatives seat of Etinan Federal Constituency under the umbrella of All Progressive Congress (APC).

What remains a clue though is the situation Thomas Thomas may find himself in the entire political permutations already being touted as the biggest popularity test in the constituency. It is on record at the moment, going by the consultations by the celebrated journalist, that Thomas remains the most accepted aspirant for the Green Chambers seat. 

 

Thomas notes that the enthronement of genuine democracy has always come with a determined zeal of a people or individuals to bring about the necessary change. He refers to the dynamic of historical changes in Europe and argues that the enthronement of genuine democratic tenets in any society has in most cases always come at a price. In a chat with the journalists, he averts that progress in phenomena takes bearing from an integrated consciousness of the ideal. He insists that everything in existence has its perfect form in what he refers to as the meta-material realm. In his opinion, “it is the innate sensitivity to the imagined realities that propels in humanity the quest to substantiate the ideal that striving for practical initiatives that offer solutions to human social challenges as well as foster human development”. It is Thomas’ belief that experiential knowledge will provide the hands on-insight that would enrich our understanding of quality representation for Etinan Federal Constituency. He appreciates the challenges with the enthronement of genuine democracy in Nigeria and by extension of our dear state, Akwa Ibom. 

As a parliamentarian in the making and having a deep insight of political reportage he is aware of the limitations that confront the political role of players as well as the encumbrances that hinder the delivery of the dividends of democracy to the citizens. It is the expectation that his participation in struggles for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria particularly with his role as pro-democracy activist have touched the lives of a great number of Etinan Federal Constituency and Akwa Ibom at large and his legislative engagement will be immensely enriched by his real time experience. From all indications, Thomas is uniquely and eminently qualified to represent Etinan people. 

He posits that “any agent of exploitation and extortion lacks the moral credentials to institute a political system premised on equal opportunities and justice for all”. Thomas is deeply connected to the youth. He believes that in the light of the political awareness these young persons have as to their future they will not trade their future with bad leadership given the antecedents of those who may wish to represent them.

In his ruminations on the subject of quality representations, Thomas observes that the price for democracy is not the sacrifices made to win elections either in monetary terms or in the sleepless nights of the campaign period but on the contrary the price for democracy is fundamentally constituted in a moral demand on the entire citizenry. He looks forward to giving the people a paradigm  shift in representation at the Green Chamber given his daring, ready to say what even the most radical activists would think twice to say and doing what he knew would certainly raise people’s eyebrows. Thomas is a man to watch ahead of 2015 in Etinan Federal Constituency.