Why Obong Umana Okon Umana would succeed Gov. Akpabio

BY JAMES ABANG

Reading the above caption those who know me and have been following my writing would be  surprised. Some can testify that my style of writing deploys periodic sentences waxed with related anecdotes and satires. I am never known to write with loose sentence. Students of English Language know the inefficacy of loose sentence in building suspense which is a key ingredient in literary works. In other words I never put my main points at the beginning of the sentence nor my Heading. It therefore follows that this writing isn’t my style.

I am not a prophet. Therefore this is not a prophecy. I am only a Deacon who was only ordained a few years ago. Like Jonah I escaped to South Africa but the spirit of God still found me and commissioned me for His service. The commission of the Deacon is simple: 

Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience” 1Tim 3:9
Not prophesying. My fellow Deacon Udom Emmanuel would confirm this. Neither do I claim to be a pen in the hands of God. No not as far as this writing is concerned. God is not using me to write. Neither am I his spokesman.

God is simply speaking through whatever medium you use to read this writing. God has been known to speak through a Donkey but most shockingly was when he spoke through Pharaoh to King Josiah. Can you beat that? God used Pharaoh to pass a message direct to His own King? You can read that in 2nd Chronicle 35:20-22

“After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo”. In verse 23 You can read what befell King Josiah there after. So when you hear this voice of God, use it. Don’t be like Josiah who imagined (and rightly too that God can’t speak through an unbeliever like Pharaoh). By human wisdom that was impossible.

This was God speaking through Pharaoh. That same voice is speaking through your tablet, phone, computer - whatever medium you are using. But what is the message?

A few years ago Obong Umana Okon Umana provided Gov Godswill Obot Akpabio with a venison. Pleased with the taste His Excellency summoned the Umanas to his house. He received them personally in his bedroom. There he anointed Umana to succeed him. He and his pretty wife prayed for the Umanas.

We are told in the bible that Isaac ate a “unfair” venison from Jacob his son but blessed him. Shortly after that Esau the rightful owner of the blessing surfaced but it was too late because the blessing of God is irreversible. I was one of the first Akwa Ibomites to receive this revelation. As an Oro son who believed the governorship question was our turn, I fought UOU with all the arsenal I could gather until I realized the futility in fighting whom God has blessed through His beloved Gov Akpabio.

The nature of the venison Umana offered Gov Akpabio is not known. Like Jacob’s venison, it could have been laced with anything ranging from poison or love we don’t know but like Isaac Gov Akpabio ate to his satisfaction. And like Isaac who blessed Jacob, Gov Akpabio blessed Umana. Shortly after Isaac blessed Jacob, Esau surfaced with his own venison, the real venison, and Isaac ate in tears but it was too late. After Gov Akpabio blessed Umana, Eket Senatorial District the rightful owner of the turn for governorship surfaced with their own venison. Oro cooked, Eket cooked, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Obolo, Ibeno all combined and cooked - the 2015 venison called zoning. Gov Akpabio is currently on the meal, eating with a mixture of tears and insincerity. PDP NWC shared the in the insincerity making the matter worse but it is too late. Umana has been blessed, he remained blessed. Hear Isaac in Gen 27:33

“And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed”. UOU has been blessed.
It is clear that all Gov Akpabio’s effort to go back on that anointing has been in vain. We all are witnesses that every pebble, every stone, every mud hurled against UOU turned into building block. Because anointing breaks the yoke. What other sign do you need “Eyen Eka Thomas?” UOU moved to APC and PDP rejoiced that he is finished. But today no one is left in doubt about the hands of God in that decision. The wind of change blowing at the national level seems to be shaking things in the direction of APC.

I don’t brag about people’s certificates because I am a strong advocate of the theory that sound education goes beyond linguistic and logical knowledge. Which is what our third world educational system is predicated upon. Otherwise Professors would be the best presidents and governors. But that hasn’t been the case.

UOU’s strongest virtue isn’t therefore the distinction he made at his primary level education (for he made distinction from Egerly Memorial PS, 1971) nor the distinction he made at the secondary school certificate level (St. Patrick’s College, Calabar where he made Grade 1, 1976). Neither is it the 2nd class upper division he later obtained in Economics from UNICAL nor other training he had both in London Business School etc. His strongest virtue is his mastery of the sociopolitical set up in this great state and his understanding of the economic forces at play. This is one key virtue his predecessor never had. No wonder the state is today in fragments. This knowledge was acquired through years of toiling together with the Akwa Ibom versions of Joe-Six-Packs through his years as a teacher, through civil service, public service - you name it, Umana got experience working with the common people. Therefore they understand each other. No wonder people don’t wait for buses, transport allowances and appearance fees to attend any of his political rallies.

Akwa Ibom State is broken. The Annangs are broken into Abak 5 and the Ikot Ekpene Essien Udim axis; the IBIBIOS are divided into the reclamation team (majority who feel the Ibibio hegemony is being impugned by one man) and a few emergency leaders who insist that so long as their personal pockets are full the IBIBIO nation can go into servitude. Oro story is even more complicated, the task-master’s wish seems simply for Oro to go into political extinction. But God; ever merciful and ever sure has raised a standard. God who prepared Joseph when He saw 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine has prepared UOU for this period. You may not like UOU especially if you fall among the 1% who are holding the state captive but you cannot fault the fact that he is the most experienced bridge builder of this generation. The moment UOU left the Akpabio administration things fall apart because he was the oil in the belle of the state lantern of unity. No one has been able to replace him.
What we have today is billions spent to procure chickens which blood would be poured on dead men’s eyes. So that even while dead they can still watch programs of “uncommon transformation” on AIT and Channels TV. 

So that they can see PA, Assistant PA, SA, SB and perhaps PZ jobs as the most uncommon jobs in the market. Men who die of hunger and deprivation while the “uncommon propaganda machines” deceive the world about the uncommon well being of all Akwa Ibomites and they remain silent. The school leaver who had no knowledge of mathematics when he was in school but can today count every piece of wood on the ceiling board of his room and subtract the ones eaten by “nkakat” and give correct answer because of years of staying at home, needs chicken blood on his eyes if he must join the band wagon to hail the task master for his uncommon performance.

After anointing Umana, Gov Akpabio, like Isaac, realized it should have been someone from ESD. He has since been running from pillar to post, to town hall meetings, to wooing PDP NWC, to spending billions of NAIRA to reverse the anointing but it is too late. Especially as his effort is based on personal and family hegemony rather than for the general good. It is too late because God has ordered this universe under specific universal laws and allows it to operate without further interference. Though He has given man authority to make changes - the changes are to be in line with his word, not the contrary. The word respects authority. That was why God “consulted” Pharaoh to let his people go despite His infinite power which could have been used immediately against Pharaoh. Because He instituted Pharaoh, He respected him inspite of his shortcomings. God has enough power to have killed Pharaoh immediately and moved his people away from Egypt but God sent Moses to “consult” Pharaoh because He honors authority.

As a man in authority God has demonstrated respect for AKPABIO’s words and actions. The fact that even the president of the federal republic has been deceived by the claim of Eldorado in the state is grace. Therefore when he anointed UOU to succeed him, heaven respected his decision and uncommonly sealed it. Therefore shall UOU uncommonly succeed Akpabio on May 29, 2015.

This is the message: tell Gov Akpabio that he has taken his people round this mountain for too long. Anointing is irreversible. It cannot be “commonized”. Today you anoint Okoko, tomorrow Uko Idiong, next tomorrow it’s Mbetobong Okpongotte. Be careful not to “uncommonly” take God for granted because God’s wrath isn’t uncommon. “Tuak Ibuot no akpaniko”.

Abang writes from Atte Okiuso village, Urueoffong/Oruko LGA (08037277620 SMS)