Open letter to Hon. Barr. Onofiok Akpan Luke

Hon. Barr. Onofiok Akpan Luke,
House Member,
Nsit Ubium State Constituency Office,
Akwa Ibom State House Of Assembly,
AKHA Complex,
Uyo, AKS.

Dear Hon.,

MOTION FROM THE STREETS

Happy workers day sir, I’ve borne the burden of having this parley with you for a couple of weeks now but keep procrastinating due to indispensable call of duties every now and then and phone calls I reckon do not seem proper and ideal regarding the issues I’m about to raise here. Sir, perhaps you find may my words here nettling I hereby tender earnestly my unreserved apology knowing that you’re one I hold in great esteem and love.

Also, l congratulate you again on your success at the polls on 11th April 2015. Indeed, your second coming to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assemble is without vacillations the least of ways to appreciate your first coming. Unarguably, you made proud your mandate and to those of us that aren’t from Nsit Ubium State Constituency you’ve inflicted with envy. We wish for representatives like you especially for the Oro Nation. We certainly need more people who wear the size of your shoes, walk your walk and thread your path. In more developed democracies like that of the United States of America people like you are given the mandate to represent their constituency for life.
Sir, Akwa Ibom people and the world know without diffidence who the Governor of Akwa Ibom state is come 29th May, 2015. Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel is a good man that will make a good Governor except he decides to prove our votes other wise.

However, while speculations rend the streets on who will constitute members of his cabinet which is permitted. But like Adewale Ademoyega avers in his book “Why We Struck” the only certain thing in life is uncertainty itself but we cannot afford to leave certain things to such lot.

Hence, Honourable Sir, the recent problem of the common Akwa Ibom man and woman now is “Who becomes our speaker when Gov. Godswil Akpabio leaves for Abuja with his speaker Elder Sam ikon? Of course, there’s been speculations and suggestions of a few good names without the exclusion of yours. And it’s expected. There’s rather unfortunately the wind of you not being interested in being the Speaker of the sixth assembly and this isn’t surprising to those who know you very closely. But Sir, I’d like to state categorically here that you lost the luxury and right to decline from such call. I remember 2011 when mischief makers spread the rumour that Akpabio was sending his son to the House to become the speaker in other to spite other stakeholders when we knew it wasn’t feasible as a first time law maker for you to contest for any principal office in the house. 

Of course you prove everyone of them wrong when you ensured a very cordial investiture and inauguration of the house where Elder Sam Ikon emerged the Speaker of the Fifth Assembly. Again, when rumors to impeach the elder came up you instead of riding on the palpable apprehension and confusion in the house to become speaker made it your personal project to protect the unity and sanctity of the fifth assembly. Indeed, if there’s one thing you lack it’s the immodesty of political ambition. Now, if it’s true that you’re not interested in the speakership of the sixth assembly then I’m sorry to say that you’ll be doing the good people a disservice. There’s nothing modest about such political demurral.

Perhaps you doubt the veridicality of the call here permit me to indulge you albeit briefly with some good reasons:

Firstly, the Udom administration is going to be a government of many challenges. We’ve seen the foundation laid by Obong Victor Attah and we’re enjoying the transformation by Obong Godswil Obot Akpabio but Udom will have to consolidate on these and to successfully achieve this he’ll have to conciliate many members of the family whose hearts are broken by some inadvertence of our politicking hitherto. You, Sir, will have the burden to fix this. You’re one Ibibio son whose loyalty to the Ibibio nation can’t be faulted and whose hospitality to the Oro, Annang, Obolo, and other non Ibibio nations is without guile. Deceit will not be tolerated this time around and you’re one man whose words can be taken to the bank. 

Secondly, we can’t rule-out the possibility of economic sabotage in this government which will not just be to frustrate Udom as though he robbed the oil producing communities of the governorship ticket in PDP, APC, Accord Party, Labour Party and other parties but also to reciprocate the unfair treatment some elements machinated against the South South Presidency. If such occasion arises who will go into the Akwa Ibom creeks to negotiate reason into the heads of those men for the interest of the state and nation apart from you? Those men will need someone with street credibility, decent character and truthfulness. 

Thirdly, there’ll also come a time when some unpatriotic elements will want to pitch the Federal Government against our State Government, when the APC may be want to flex muscles with the PDP at the detriment of the innocent masses and our own sons in the APC will be trusted to want to benefit from it. At such instance, we’ll need somebody with the social exposure, diplomatic sagacity, political dexterity, economic intelligence and bankable integrity to weather the storm for us. Your old time colleagues in National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) like Hon. Bashir Babale and Sen. Dino Melaye (as he will soon be) amongst others and those in the then pioneer Nigeria Youth Parliament who are now stakeholders in APC will always find you more worthy of their trust than some party men because of the camaraderie that comes with comradeship. 

Fourthly is what I call “imminent structural opposition”, now that Gov. Akpabio will have to take the state interests to the federal level the people of the state will need a constant and resident instrument of inspiration. One who will understand their plight and knows how to soothe them in words and action.
Fifth reason is the Streets Insurance. Sir, when we look at the present political line up in the state all we know is the fear that the street is stranded and the grassroots abandoned! For the first time in eight years it seems like government has been snatched from the streets. Today, I’m a fledging elite but I’m writing you from the street. Our streets and grassroots draw inspirations from the Comrade and Barrister Onofiok Akpan Luke! You’re Government of the streets, from the streets and for the streets. We can’t claim that of any other person in government. It will be nice for us to have a “Grassroots Speaker”- A “Streets’ Speaker” will secure the hopes of the masses.

Sixth, is the Udom Supremacy. We’ve seen his credentials and we know his pedigree. Apparently a good man for the right time. But you’ll agree with me that not many people will find loyalty to him comfortable. If venerable Obong Attah had to deal with intransigence and an emerging tiger like Gov. Akpabio cringed over oppositions trust me Udom will not be spared. He will run into problems on very trivial issues with Gov. Godswil Akpabio, Obong Umana Okon Umana, Obong Attah, Don Etiebet, Udoedeghe to mention a few and their loyal followers will become his turn coat. I won’t be surprise if some elements will want to impeach him or even do the unthinkable. But Akwa Ibom can’t afford to be opposition to the federal government and at the same time grapple internal crisis. It will make the Government a “Circus of Distractions.” We need a political nebulizer and social demister. The good man must be given a favourable atmosphere to show forth his goodness. You’re incidentally, one of the few politicians who have the credentials of standing with his own till the end. You’re a dogged fighter. You know the governor and you know the people and you know the game. In you all converge for peace and progress and without you the rest is only imagined.

Lastly, though not exhausted is the need for stomach infrastructures. We have reasonably sufficient roads today in Akwa Ibom State. If roads must be built it should be in places like Ini Local Government and Oro Local Governments but what is most essential now is the need to empower our people. We need jobs, we need factories, industries, companies, housing and we need Ibaka Sea Port. All these people will come and talk politics and get out but you will not do so and you’ll not allow it either. At least we can hold you.

Sir, I can list a hundreds of reasons why you above all others should be the Speaker of the sixth assembly but for want of time and space. However, it’s not as though you can’t do some of these things as a normal house member but the truth is that you’ll only function most effectively when you have a bigger authority on your shoulders. You don’t have to plead a good cause again. It’s time you guaranteed it yourself and make it happen.
It’s on this note that I implore your good person and plead your good conscience to consider seriously the need to be the voice of the people not just in principle but also of office.

My Beloved leader, I hope that you don’t find this approach of mine harassing. It’s just that like T.Y Danjuma said in 2010 in view of the invocation of the doctrine of necessity, we’re in desperate times and it calls for desperate actions. Thus, I employed this approach to show the clarion-ness of the call and I also want the good people of Akwa Ibom state and the world to bear me witness and even second me as I move the People’s Motion for Rt. Hon. Comr. Barr. Onofiok Akpan Luke to be the SPEAKER OF THE SIXTH ASSEMBLY OF THE AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY!
And may those in agreement and all those not in agreement say, Aye!!!
Y’AK ABASI ODIONG AKWA IBOM NYIN!!!

OKPO EWA EDMUND ESQ.
HUMANITY CHAMBERS
HUMANITY HOUSE,
#260 IDORO ROAD,
UYO. AKS.