There are people I find very difficult to write anything negative on. Her Excellency Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio is one of them. I like her glamour and her simplicity. She has an infectious smile that tells a lot of stories. Her heart of gold like we are told is parts of the reasons I appreciate her.
She has built houses for widows, orphans and has been the reasons why Akwa Ibom women have been so carried along in the scheme of governance in Akwa Ibom State. That is not all; Unoma Akpabio has helped to carve a niche for the office of the first lady of Akwa Ibom state with her actions and inactions. We agree that she must be commended in all that she has done for the people especially the women folk in the state. This is because she was not elected to do any of these things but has been able to do them thereby adding flip to the office of the first Lady of Akwa Ibom State. With her actions and activities, gone are the days were Akwa Ibom first ladies will be relegated to the background. She has taught the people the art of glamorous enthusiasm as the wife of Akwa Ibom Governor. I commend her dexterity.
Yet Unoma Akpabio has carved an unenviable niche for herself. She has become so controversial of recent that the people are now wondering whether the woman is in her real senses or if she is showing traits of violence that we fear may have been imbued in her.
When it started like a mere joke during the 2011 campaigns of the PDP were Akpabio was seeking a second term, it was overlooked and now Unoma’s high handedness has grown full cycle leaving Akwa Ibomites astonished at the ugly side of a once very quiet, peaceful and amiable woman. As at the time the PDP nomination was without a direction, Unoma was busy plotting the victory of Obong Bassey Albert and sometimes acting as a demi god to the former Finance Boss. It was speculated that Mma Akpabio will deliver OBA when the time comes. On several occasions, OBA would have been thrown out of the state Exco but at all those times; Unoma will stand as the rock of Gibraltar and Albert will be saved the unfortunate situation of a sack. Those who were in the know glorified Unoma Akpabio and sang her praises to high heavens. Gradually the accolades got into Unoma’s head and Unoma became the de facto Deputy Governor squeezing Mma Ebe the real Deputy Governor out of the system.
Valerie Ebe cried low and loud yet we all pretended not to hear. Unoma has since come to be known as the woman that has the all in all about the ministry of Women Affairs. Her pognosing attitude in that ministry did not start today. It started during the tenure of Mrs. Eunice Thomas. But Mrs. Thomas will not close her eyes to what she once described as the first Lady’s over bearing attitude in the ministry of Women Affairs.
On several occasions, we have heard of pockets of altercations and clashes between Unoma Akpabio and Eunice Thomas. But in the middle of all these, they were always resolved by then finance Commissioner Bassey Albert and sometimes the Governor. But Unoma will not forgive. She did all within her ability to ensure that Eunice Thomas was thrown out. Today, people still link the exit of Eunice at that time to the efforts of the Governor’s wife.
Ever since the exit of Euncie Thomas and the arrival of Dr Glory Edet, the ministry has come under the full custody of Unoma to an extent that some staff of the ministry are of the opinion that the office of the commissioner for women Affairs should be merged with that of the Governor’s wife since Unoma has since taken over the art of superintending over the affairs of the ministry. Her high handedness has left none in doubt as how she is running the ministry. It was reported in the media sometimes ago that the commissioner Dr. Glory Edet has since turned a slave to the Governor’s wife as she was spotted using a newspaper to fan Unoma during the last presentation of budget by the Governor. Those present at the state House of Assembly complex had informed that the ugly situation of fanning Unoma by Glory Edet lasted for quite some good number of hours. Hmmmm that was sad and a height of intimidation a governor’s wife could subject a commissioner to.
Recall that Unoma Akpabio has become so power drunk that she had to lead a gang of policemen, army men, SSS, Civil Defence and all sorts of people to assault Umana Umana in his absence when UOU was still a secretary to Government. It was in a commando style that the Governor’s wife with his gang of armed men invaded UOU’s office when the Nsit Ubium man was still a Secretary to State Government where she locked out staff and began a search for what many are still wondering till date. Unoma has since perfected her hatred for Umana. Very recently at Ukana during the PDP rally in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Unoma Akpabio was quoted to have described Umana as a short man that can never govern Akwa Ibom State and even went as far as comparing Umana Umana to a broom. What could be more dehumanizing? Yes Umana is not of an intimidating height. Yes Umana belongs to the APC that has the broom as her symbol. But a situation Unoma Akpabio after casting aspersions on Umana and other sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom state will go ahead to liken Umana to a broom is quite unacceptable. And cannot be sacrificed nor ignored even on the altar of politics.
Methinks it is time for the woman’s husband, I mean our Governor Godswill Akpabio to call his wife Unoma to order as so much loose talks from her is throwing a moral question at the state’s first family and is leaving so much to be desired. I think Ekaette Unoma Akpabio should have known what to say at a particular time. And if she is always too excited to speak in public, her image managers should kindly ask her to stop talking in such fora. Akwa Ibom people can no longer tolerate the insults that the Akpabio’s family especially Prince and Ekaette Unoma has been dishing out on the people of the state.
If Unoma wishes to justify her insults on Umana, she should have rejected or encouraged her husband to reject the gift of cash and contacts UOU gave to her husband when Godswill first sought the Governorship of Akwa Ibom state in 2007.
For the mere fact that Unoma Akpabio is a Governor’s wife does not mean she has the license to be making unguarded utterances and taking upon herself the responsibility of insulting Akwa Ibomites. Let her go and learn from Akwa Ibom daughters who are spouse to Governors and Ex Governors of different states. We had an Akwa Ibom woman as the wife to former Bayelsa state Governor Timipreye Sylva. We didn’t hear of acts of insolence from her. The people of Bayelsa never complained of being insulted by her. The wife of the immediate past Governor of Anambra state Mr. Peter Obi is from Akwa Ibom state. She did not insult the Igbos throughout her stay as the first lady. Rather than see the Igbos in bad light, she was there as a mediator, a peace maker and a woman that the Anambrarians and by extension the whole Igbos look up to. Unoma should emulate them and save us from her unguarded and loose utterances
The people of Akwa Ibom state have all things to worry because Unoma has sowed a seed of insult in the scheme of our political existence. I am aware of a part of the culture of the Igbos were Unoma comes from. An Igbo woman is noted to be very tolerating, accomodating and full of respect. I have good friends from Igbo nation both male and female and I know disrespect is not a part of the characters associated with them. Unoma will better do well to look for her kinsmen and women to vent her anger and insults on and stop forthwith the continous insults on members of Akwa Ibom state all in the name of politics after all the office she is using to insult our people is not recognized by law and has no backing in the constitution.
We will appreciate the Paul Ekpo led PDP to see the ongoing PDP rally as purely a party affair and allow only party members and officials to speak and not calling on all forms of persons to make a speech because some speeches there do not just add up. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio’s own is one of such.
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