Mr Ubong Etim is a youth activist from Ikot Ekpene LGA and a staunch supporter of Chief Godswill Akpabio. He is the chairman of Akwa Ibom State Youth Caucus, Ikot Ekpene Chapter; a position he has held since 2007. In this interview with select journalists, he bares his mind on a range of issues including his relationship with Governor Akpabio, the politics of the state, his grouse with Mr. Don Etim and a host of other thorny issues. KENNETH JUDE was there for THE INK. Excerpts:
May we know you sir?
My name is Ubong Etim. I hail from Ikot Ekpene; I have been the chairman of Akwa Ibom state youth caucus since 2007. That’s when I started supporting Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio. Youth caucus as we all know is the highest political body in the state. It’s an umbrella body that controls other youth groups in the state and our leader is Emmanuel Ekpenyong aka (Iraq). I have been in charge politically and have supported the administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio since its inception. I have been able to bring all the youths together. In those days in Ikot Ekpene, we used to have factions which sometimes led to serious clashes leading most times to some people defecting to opposition parties. But since Godswill Akpabio came on board, he has given me the opportunity to serve him and I’ve been able to unite all the youths in Ikot Ekpene. As a leader, one should lead by example, and by the grace of God, on May 29; a new government will come in to maintain the unity of the state. During my time as president, there have been no issues hence; I give glory to God for giving me the ability to work with my executive members to have a formidable youth group in Ikot Ekpene.
How do you rate Akpabio’s administration especially as it is winding down?To me, Chief Akpabio is a role model. I knew him since 1996. I remember when I was sent out of school during which time I had a misunderstanding with my dad and he refused to pay my WAEC fee and I really wanted to be in school because my mates were ahead of me. You know one cannot even become a security man without your WAEC, so I needed to have my WAEC because it’s the first step in life. I looked around and didn’t have anybody and the only person I had was Godswill Akpabio. The first time I went to Lagos was courtesy of Godswill Akpabio. I went to his office, a Telecom Company in Lagos where I think he was the secretary then. We exchanged pleasantries after which I told him point blank that I don’t have money to put in my WAEC. He just laughed and gave me good money both for my WAEC and transport fare; and today, I am a graduate because of Godswill Akpabio. Even when I started the higher institution, he used to send money to me. He has been a giver way back. He did not start giving when he was a commissioner or when he became the governor. Giving has been in him and I know him to be a giver. From then, I became his boy. When he came in, the Late Chief Etim, courtesy of Obong Attah appointed him commissioner for petroleum and he did very well. That’s how he grew up to become the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs and later became commissioner for lands and housing where he resigned to contest for governorship.
Because of his generosity, he got the ticket. He won on ground against 57 other aspirants. He won because he is a good man. And I am to access him today; I see a lot of projects in Uyo. I have been in Akwa Ibom State right from the time of Obong Attah and I can thump my chest anywhere that Godswill Akpabio is the best governor of Akwa Ibom State.
I don’t know who will take over from him; I don’t know how his successor will be able to match his shoes because he’s going to leave a very big shoe behind. So whoever is taking over from him must make sure he doubles up and maybe completes some of the projects that will be left behind. But I have seen a lot of flyovers in Ikot Ekpene. I remember when he used to talk about Etebi Enwang road and all that; I remember I had a medical doctor friend. He used to drive round Ikot Ekpene and Uyo and used to take the picture of before/after of these areas and I can say that today, there are a lot of changes. Talk about Cardinal Ekanem road. The road used to be a trap. Ikot Ekpene is now a beautiful place courtesy of Akpabio. Before you got to Abak from Ikot Ekpene Park in the past, it was about 1 hour thirty minutes but I can reach there today in fifteen minutes. So, if I want to rate him in terms of infrastructure, I’ll give him about 80%. He has done perfectly well. Let’s see if he’ll be able to complete and commission the remaining projects.
Which of the programs of Chief Godswill Akpabio interest you most?
I would say the free and compulsory education because I’ve seen a lot of people outside whenever I travel out. Some grown up girls are seen putting on school uniform and I could remember when I used to watch home videos or on my travels, I noticed that most of the house helps and boys were Akwa Ibomites. You could hardly hear of Uche or Chioma. It used to be Okon, Ekaette, Ukeme etc. But today, since the free and compulsory education came was introduced, a lot of people have gone back to school and that has really assisted us and the parents. At least, they have hope that their wards’ fees will be taken care of throughout the secondary level. So, free and compulsory education to me is the best. Next is the road network which will easily afford the next government to bring in industry because without road, you can’t bring in industry and we all know this. Then, the unity in the State is also a plus for this government.
In a matter of months, we will be having a new administration in Akwa Ibom State, what are your expectations for Ikot Ekpene?
I expect an Ikot Ekpene where projects and appointments will be shared amicably among the different sub-units of the area. In Ikot Ekpene, we have Amayam and Ikot Ekpene. We are brothers. Some time, they say Ikot Ekpene urban and Amayam clan hence, we’ll be selfish if Ikot Ekpene urban that has about thirty roads and Amayam have not even got one. So, I will pray and wish the governor to assist the Amayam people and see how he can put up some good roads for them. You know if you give the village people good roads, electricity etc, you can turn Amayam into a little town.
If you are from Ikot Ekpene and you are a commissioner, you should be able to know that if you are able to give a road to one part; same should be done to the other. You should be able to run to His Excellency and alert him to some roads that should be constructed because the governor is always very busy. He won’t have time to go round the local governments to look out for roads that should be fixed or something. It’s the duty of a commissioner for works. For example, the people of Obot Akara do not have a single road and that’s not the duty of a governor because the works’ commissioner is there. They need a road so that the rural women will be able to come out and sell their goods and earn their living. So, what I want in Ikot Ekpene apart from the infrastructure is for the next administration to come to us and ask us what we want because we have been so disappointed by the appointees, the commissioners, the SAs etc.
If you asked me, I will say that the best commissioner Akwa Ibom State ever had is Obong Bassey Albert. Sometimes I feel like going to Ibiono and taking a certificate of origin or something because he has extended a hand to me despite not knowing me from anywhere. He has touched my life immensely. When you are a giver, your story is everywhere. Why do we have two commissioners in Ikot Ekpene and we can’t feel their impact? We had the opportunity to have used these positions to empower the people of Ikot Ekpene but they have let us down.
Ikot Ekpene has two members in the state executive council, who among them do you think has disappointed the people of Ikot Ekpene?
Mr. Don Etim has disappointed the people of Ikot Ekpene. He has failed us woefully as commissioner for works. He deceives people with passion. He does not possess the characteristics of a good leader. A good leader must be a good follower but this cannot be said of Don Etim. The governor will give direction and he will deviate thereby misleading many.
In terms of disappointment, which area are we really talking about?
The governor appointing commissioners and SAs is to assist him touch lives, his supporters, the women and the elders. But some of the people, who are in position today, believe in chopping alone and making money for themselves. I overhead the other day in the radio, the commissioner for works had interview with Pat Reuben, I was driving and was listening to the radio and heard him say that he has empowered a lot of people that is left for the people to confirm. I wanted calling but did not have the number to call immediately to take him up on the issue. He also claimed he has donated about 400 vehicles to the youths of Ikot Ekpene. I would have told him to fix a day so we could go and confirm by calling all those youths to the stadium to come and drive those cars.
I have been a strong youth member of Ikot Ekpene and I’ll tell you how Don Etim came into the system. My name is Ubong Etim and his name is Don Etim. There’s this truth that people don’t have. And the truth is that after the election of Chief Godswill Akpabio in 2007, the first two to three months, when they were trying to fix up commissioners, SAs and all that, the governor told me that he wants to give an appointment to my family. He actually wanted Solomon Etim to be made a commissioner because Chief Etim made Akpabio a commissioner so he wanted to reciprocate the gesture but Solomon was busy contesting against Godswill like following other aspirants to sign against him. The simple truth is that the older brother is Ken, and I took him to the governor’s house. That was the first ever time he sat one on one with the governor. I am the only man from the family of Etim outside Chief Etim who called series of meetings of youths, elders, my family members drumming it loud and clear that Akpabio will be the governor of Akwa Ibom that they should join me.
The first day we invited Don to come from Abuja, we told him that Akpabio was going to be the next governor of Akwa Ibom State and that was during the primaries. He said that he’ll never be. When Akpabio was a commissioner, he went to see Chief Etim. When Akpabio stepped in, others stood up to welcome him but Don Etim refused to stand up in total disregard of him (Akpabio). He said it openly that Godswill Akpabio can never be the governor of Akwa Ibom State but I pleaded with him, telling him that we should go and meet Akpabio as the Etims even if he doesn’t become the governor. That was how I took Don Etim to the governor’s house. That was the first ever time Don Etim went to the governor’s house at Ewet Housing.
Funny enough, Akpabio wasn’t around but I was the only one he was communicating with. He kept texting me that he’ll be with us soon and we ended up waiting for about 1 hour and forty minutes. It was only the governor’s wife that was there, we were about fifteen in number (the Etims). The governor’s wife came down and I told her that we came to see His Excellency; she welcomed us – took Don Etim upstairs, showed him the new house, took him round and all that. At that time, about forty minutes later, the governor finally came in with Umana Okon Umana. He greeted us and went round the new building and later returned. The dinning was beautifully arranged with different kinds of food since he knew I was going to come with my family. After the lunch, he said was going to be the governor of Akwa Ibom State that he wanted to work with the family and wanted us (Etims) to support him. This is because the Etim and Akpabio families are very close and can intermarry. That’s just the truth of about Don Etim coming in to take an appointment. He was not even supposed to be Chief Protocol to the governor but we persuaded the governor that he (Don) is bigger than the position.
The governor now changed his mind with the help of Emem and Ibanga Akpabio. We now put him as commissioner for works; and that same man has been commissioner for works since 2007 and has refused to see my face. He has not given me a dime – the money is not even the issue because I am comfortable but what of the supporters of Godswill Akpabio? As a leader, I know what the youths of Ikot Ekpene need – I know how they struggle and how they supported me. They supported me without money, we prayed and fasted, did everything to make sure Akpabio emerged governor of Akwa Ibom State. Till today, I thank the youths of Ikot Ekpene for supporting Chief Godswill Akpabio. God brought Hon. Nsikak Ekong and three others who have given over 6o vehicles to us and we are proud of him.
Otuekong Ukut too has been supportive in terms of getting jobs for us and that’s how we have survived till today. So it’s a personal thing to me that Don Etim has disappointed us; he has not done well. I will not support anybody who has gone his way (out of Akpabio’s way). If the governor says we should go to Mr. A why then do we go to Mr. B? He has disappointed the system so we pray governor should not give that kind of appointment again. Instead of the governor giving us such a commissioner for works, they should leave us like that, we will still survive.
Is it true as we read in the papers that the youths of Uruk Uso are not happy with Don Etim?
I am aware of every activity in the area. I think he got some passports from some youths with the intention of assisting them in education outside the country etc. But some of those guys later saw their forms outside; some in the toilets. So, I think the boys are asking him for their passports. They are like: “since we can’t go for the Masters, please give us our passports.’’ And I understand he has a boy by name, Uyoh Nathaniel, a notorious boy who has been working closely with him. When he talked about 400 cars I could count about 6 to 7 cars that boy has bought courtesy of Don Etim. The boy personally bought the cars to some politicians, apparently preparing himself to run for the chairmanship seat in Ikot Ekpene come 2016 or there about. But such a man can’t be our chairman. When it’s time, we will bring out someone to be our chairman. All the cars he’s talking about cost about 1.2 million each. These cars are given out to old men who don’t respect themselves. An elder who knows how PDP started and the battle we fought should not receive such a car from a small boy. Don Etim does not even know how PDP came into the system. He is not a politician but a business man and I believe after his tenure, he will go back to Abuja and do his business where I know he’s an expert.
You say Don Etim is not a politician but he parades himself as the poltical leader of Ikot Ekpene?
I am not aware of him being the political leader of Ikot Ekpene but I know he’s a leader in his house just like me. I have a wife and children and I’m the leader of my family. So, if you are talking about the political leader of Ikot Ekpene, the only leader we had was Chief Etim and since then, we’ve not had any political leader but we have a direction and there’s a man we love and respect who is our political leader. I won’t divulge his identity but soon I’ll invite you to come and celebrate with us. You can’t be a political leader when you are not a giver; you can’t be a political leader when you can’t drag one good thing to your constituency or to your local government. Amayam have a political leader and we are working towards having one too. The leader of Amayam is Rev. Dr. Otuekong Ukut; and he has touched so many lives in Amayam.
You said Don Etim has failed in the area of infrastructure, but there’s an ongoing 4 Star hotel project in Ikot Ekpene...
The four star hotel was not his idea but that of the governor. All internal roads in Ikot Ekpene are not Don Etim’s idea but the governor’s idea. If I’m the commissioner for works, I should be able to finish Ikpong road. Ikpong road is just 5 minutes from his house. I can tell you in confidence that he has not attracted any meaningful infrastructure to Ikot Ekpene. So, if as a commissioner for works, you can’t use your office to complete Ikpong road, then you have failed in that capacity. He should come and tell us how many people he has empowered. The Etims family have always lived together but today, all that has changed because of Don Etim. Would you believe that Don Etim hates late Chief Etim with passion? Ikot Ekpene Local Government Council under Obonganwan Gloria Useh immortalised late Chief Etim by renaming Aya Road after him, and the governor confirmed this when he came for Chief Etim’s burial; few weeks later, the Ministry of Works hurriedly came with road signage and removed the one that carried Evag. F E J Etim road earlier placed by the Local Government Council and replaced it with Aya Road. This is because someone vowed that Chief Etim cannot be immortalised. Surprisingly, even my uncle, Late Okuku Elijah Ernest Etim, a former Permanent Secretary and later Village Head of Uruk Uso who incidentally was Don Etim’s father was immortalised by renaming Ikpong road after him; and the governor pronounced this on the day of Chief Etim’s burial but that road has suffered abandonment and is now impassable while Don is parading himself as a commissioner for works.
As election is approaching, what is your advice to Akwa Ibom youths?
This election won’t be business as usual. There will be no ballot box snatching. All you need do is have your PVC. Go in there and vote any candidate of your choice then go back to your house. I advise the youths of Ikot Ekpene to stay off violence which we have been able to keep for the past eight years. I appreciate them for being steadfast and supporting Chief Godswill Akpabio. We will have much time to see and dine with him when he becomes the senator.
Is it true as we read in the papers that the youths of Uruk Uso are not happy with Don Etim?
I am aware of every activity in the area. I think he got some passports from some youths with the intention of assisting them in education outside the country etc. But some of those guys later saw their forms outside; some in the toilets. So, I think the boys are asking him for their passports. They are like: “since we can’t go for the Masters, please give us our passports.’’ And I understand he has a boy by name, Uyoh Nathaniel, a notorious boy who has been working closely with him. When he talked about 400 cars I could count about 6 to 7 cars that boy has bought courtesy of Don Etim. The boy personally bought the cars to some politicians, apparently preparing himself to run for the chairmanship seat in Ikot Ekpene come 2016 or there about. But such a man can’t be our chairman. When it’s time, we will bring out someone to be our chairman. All the cars he’s talking about cost about 1.2 million each. These cars are given out to old men who don’t respect themselves. An elder who knows how PDP started and the battle we fought should not receive such a car from a small boy. Don Etim does not even know how PDP came into the system. He is not a politician but a business man and I believe after his tenure, he will go back to Abuja and do his business where I know he’s an expert.
You say Don Etim is not a politician but he parades himself as the poltical leader of Ikot Ekpene?
I am not aware of him being the political leader of Ikot Ekpene but I know he’s a leader in his house just like me. I have a wife and children and I’m the leader of my family. So, if you are talking about the political leader of Ikot Ekpene, the only leader we had was Chief Etim and since then, we’ve not had any political leader but we have a direction and there’s a man we love and respect who is our political leader. I won’t divulge his identity but soon I’ll invite you to come and celebrate with us. You can’t be a political leader when you are not a giver; you can’t be a political leader when you can’t drag one good thing to your constituency or to your local government. Amayam have a political leader and we are working towards having one too. The leader of Amayam is Rev. Dr. Otuekong Ukut; and he has touched so many lives in Amayam.
You said Don Etim has failed in the area of infrastructure, but there’s an ongoing 4 Star hotel project in Ikot Ekpene...
The four star hotel was not his idea but that of the governor. All internal roads in Ikot Ekpene are not Don Etim’s idea but the governor’s idea. If I’m the commissioner for works, I should be able to finish Ikpong road. Ikpong road is just 5 minutes from his house. I can tell you in confidence that he has not attracted any meaningful infrastructure to Ikot Ekpene. So, if as a commissioner for works, you can’t use your office to complete Ikpong road, then you have failed in that capacity. He should come and tell us how many people he has empowered. The Etims family have always lived together but today, all that has changed because of Don Etim. Would you believe that Don Etim hates late Chief Etim with passion? Ikot Ekpene Local Government Council under Obonganwan Gloria Useh immortalised late Chief Etim by renaming Aya Road after him, and the governor confirmed this when he came for Chief Etim’s burial; few weeks later, the Ministry of Works hurriedly came with road signage and removed the one that carried Evag. F E J Etim road earlier placed by the Local Government Council and replaced it with Aya Road. This is because someone vowed that Chief Etim cannot be immortalised. Surprisingly, even my uncle, Late Okuku Elijah Ernest Etim, a former Permanent Secretary and later Village Head of Uruk Uso who incidentally was Don Etim’s father was immortalised by renaming Ikpong road after him; and the governor pronounced this on the day of Chief Etim’s burial but that road has suffered abandonment and is now impassable while Don is parading himself as a commissioner for works.
As election is approaching, what is your advice to Akwa Ibom youths?
This election won’t be business as usual. There will be no ballot box snatching. All you need do is have your PVC. Go in there and vote any candidate of your choice then go back to your house. I advise the youths of Ikot Ekpene to stay off violence which we have been able to keep for the past eight years. I appreciate them for being steadfast and supporting Chief Godswill Akpabio. We will have much time to see and dine with him when he becomes the senator.
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