Blackmail without end

BY JOE INIODU
 
“I stand here today and on the     altar of God to say, leave myself and Godswill Akpabio alone”, Governor Udom Emmanuel bellowed with a tinge of irritation coursing through the sonorous voice that wafted from the speakers. It was the thanksgiving service organized by the Catholic Diocese of Ikot Ekpene in honour of former Governor Godswill Akpabio now Senator of the Federal Republic on the successful completion of eight years summing two terms as governor of Akwa Ibom State. Senator Godswill Akpabio who is a first timer in the eighth Senate that was inaugurated on June 9, 2015 lived up to his famous billing by polling two serving governors, ten distinguished Senators, former governors and deputies and a host of other personages to the event. The event which held at St. Anne Cathedral, Ifuho on June 14 is a story for another day.

My focus in this treatise is our common commodity of trade-blackmail with its kindred which include falsehood, slander, backstabbing and sundry other of such peculiar human foibles. Governor Udom’s irritable outburst may have resulted from his shock at the extreme people could go to disparage government functionaries and their policies even when they have the best of intentions. He was perhaps rankled by the people’s capacity for egregious falsehood simply aimed tarnishing people and bringing government to disrepute. The governor may have been wondering whether the masterminds of these odious acts are not part of government which civic studies in primary schools had long ago noted that every member of the society is part of government. But these blackmailers who appear to act spoilsports operate peripherally without betraying any form of entitlement or interest in the State where they live, operate and earn a living. Their acts can be equated to cutting the nose to spite the face.

Senator Godswill Akpabio who is still taking the barrage appears to be at home with the reckless darts continually hurled in his direction. Sometime ago, he said he used to be very incensed with the negative criticisms and the outright falsehood that were arrayed at him. He said that one day, a man of God in the person of Dr. Uma Ukpai counseled him. He advised him to ignore the criticisms and focus on providing good governance stating that it is only a tree which bears good fruits that is pelted the most. The former governor said that the advice resolved all the contradictions as he began to see those indiscretions on the part of some people as the cost of leadership especially if one seeks to break new frontiers and do things differently in the interest of the people. Senator Akpabio observed that even when about one hundred and ten local tabloids were established for the sole purpose of maligning him, he saw the blackmailing as means of livelihood for people albeit ignobly and so ignored it. Akpabio who often recalls how he was once frozen by a headline when he stopped to buy a local tabloid “Akpabio Caught in London with USD75 million” and a rider, “Attorney-General to the Rescue” noting that whereas he was in Uyo and did not travel to United Kingdom as the paper reported, he summed the action as deliberate mischief. Of course this was among other shocking headlines like “Akpabio Slumps” etc.

Many had thought that when (Akpabio) would exit power, the blackmail would end or drop many notches down. But it has persisted. It is blackmail without end. As he himself stated jocularly though, anything that happens in Akwa Ibom, he is fingered as responsible. According to him, even domestic squabbles between spouses are attributed to him. He also noted the case of one prominent man who had an accident and died to which he is currently being falsely accused even as he was not the driver or an occupant of the vehicle. The former governor said he had since stooped responding to blackmails since he would not be judged by how many of them he answered but by the unalterable legacies he would live behind. And that he has achieved in a manner that has exceeded human expectations but not the cynicisms of his detractors.  

How did our people arrive at this sorry pass of blackmail and mudslinging? It is a nature that contradicts our much touted Christian values. When you raise unsubstantiated allegations and pretend that it has no intent to destroy, you have literally killed. And figuratively, you have committed murder. Sadly, we jettison our basic values in the name if politics while often positing that the end justifies the means. But our creator would not judge our actions from political o social prisms but literally as they are credited to us. It is therefore proper to interject these values into our political conducts so that we can remain part of His (God) promise even as politicians.

Former Governor Akpabio who earned the award of MVG, (Most Vilified Governor) while in office had during his tenure strengthened the State’s partnership with God. It is a partnership that has paid-off handsomely in tangibles and intangibles. It is left for the people of the State to internalize the core values of Christianity and allow them to define their lives. It is our conviction that if those values are embraced, respite from blackmail would be achieved and the glory of God would be revealed in our lives. The lines of hate and ethnic chasms created by vested political interest would be obliterated by the fiery passion of nationalism and indeed love for our dear State.

Governor Udom Emmanuel is today a little above two weeks in office. But blackmailers have not spared him. Their cynicisms dog every step he takes no matter how well intentioned. When he declared a three day fast to usher in his administration, these merchants of mischief published on the social media that Akwa Ibom people refused to heed the call whereas more than seven thousand people often gathered every evening of the three days to break the fast. The few appointments he has made have also been mired in unwarranted criticisms while the many not made have attracted insinuations that are substantially baseless. Well, one does not know whether Governor Emmanuel expected what he is getting. If he did not, he had better braced up for this is Akwa Ibom. Former Governor Akpabio in one of his many wits called for the revisiting of sharing of assets and liabilities between Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom States which were one State till 1987. He said that during the sharing, fixed assets like stadium, cultural centre etc were left in Cross River while movable assets like petition writers were moved to Akwa Ibom State. Akpabio’s prayer is that some of the petition writers should be returned to Cross River State as we have surplus in our State thus leading to sustained mischief.

It is heartwarming to observe that Udom’s vision for the State is unaltered. During the campaigns, his manifesto and election promises placed assent on industrialization. He had said that, now that the State has the right infrastructure, it must go the way of industrialization to create wealth, empower the people and make life more abundant. In the last fortnight, the governor has left no one in doubt on his preparedness to turn the State into an industrial hub in the Gulf of Guinea. In the first one week, he had visited some of the moribund industries that had been abandoned since the 80’s and 90’s with the intent to appraise their states and work out modalities of rejuvenation. For these industries, there is light at the end of the tunnel. And there is a providential caveat to all these. The said industries were conceived and established by and Onna son, late Dr. Clement Isong while serving as governor of the then Cross River State. Today providence has selected an Onna son and set for him the enviable task of rehabilitating them many decades after. This does not seem to be a happenstance, it is designed and destined. And I hope that those who have placed personal ambition above the will of God have something to learn from this stretch of history.

Governor Udom’s steps in the last fortnight bear great promise.  A traditional adage asserts that anything that would be good is seen from the beginning. The sincerity of His Excellency, Udom Emmanuel is palpable, his zest is not hidden and the determination is obvious. It behooves all right thinking Akwa Ibom people to extend their support as he systematically sets about evolving a machinery that would sustain the superior performance the State has witnessed these past eight years through quality governance that has come to serve as national benchmark. Udom cannot achieve anything under an atmosphere of blackmail, rancor, chaos and distraction. And so for the cessation of all these, he has severally offered an olive branch calling on all to join hands with him in the service of the State. This is indeed a clarion call to all Akwa Ibom people: “Come let us build together”

Recently Governor Udom has been under a barrage over the list of his commissionership nominees. The argument of these cynics is that he is recycling commissioners insinuating that he is being teleguided. Apart from these summations being in bad faith, those canvassing them have feigned ignorance of both political climate and actual business of governance in the context of government being a continuum. There are still hurdles for the Udom administration to cross. There is the case in the Tribunal with the likes of Barristers Uwemedimo Nwoko and Emmanuel Enoidem on the legal team.

 

Would it have been wise to drop them and curry lukewarm interest in the matter? There are also projects at different stages of completion that require those that had been at it to continue. It would take a new person another length of time to understudy and internalize the details of such projects. In my opinion, Udom’s position in bringing back the likes of Engr. Etido Inyang and others shows sincerity and a commitment to move the State to another level. He is not playing politics with the governance of the State and is not ready to subject the State’s patrimony to serve the ends of political nepotism. He wants to put round pegs in round holes in the interest of the well-being of the State. Unfortunately this has attracted barbs from people who appreciate political office from the narrow prism of self and self only.

When Brigadier-General Buba Marwa was posted to Lagos State as military administrator in the 90’s, he introduced a brand of committed governance that made Lagosians and nay Nigerians shudder over the fact that government can work for the people. Lagosians including miscreants and armed robbers endorsed the government with some of the robbers suspending robberies in Lagos as a mark of solidarity to that government. Udom has not only brought hope but has come with concrete plans that would ensure the realization of the hope. Just as robbers and miscreants were inspired by patriotic instincts to pledge their solidarity to Marwa, we urge our tribe of blackmailers to toe the same path by giving Udom a chance. Let it not be blackmail without end.
 
Joe Iniodu is a public affairs analyst.