ILLITERATES: BEFORE CASTING THE NEXT STONE ON UDOM By Joseph Okon

During the last joint Television and Radio live interview programme by the state Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to mark his eventful six months in office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State which he gives account of stewardship so far in office to the people, as well as highlighting the impact his administration has created.

While taking stock of his performance so far in office, the spurious and baseless allegation of the opposition All Progressive Congress APC spokesman in the state, Mr Ita Awak, and that of the immediate past chairman of Eket Local Government Area, Mr Aniekan Akpan who maliciously accused the governor of building a Government House in his country home, Onna and also taking two billion naira monthly as security vote was one issue that needed clarifications. These allegations were brought to the attention of the Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel.

In his swift respond to the wicked and baseless allegation aimed at tarnishing the good reputation of Mr Udom Emmanuel, the governor said, “those who are making such allegation against me are illiterates; they lack common knowledge on the workings of government. You see some people go to Newspapers and published all kinds of lies and falsehood about our modest effort in developing the state, those things can actually be done be illiterates”. He explained that the building in his village is just a four bedroom expansion to his old family house.

 

It’s quite interesting to note that among all the developmental programmes of the present administration as highlighted by the Governor during the interview, and other good plans that will further open the state industrially which was unveiled by the governor could not make a good subject for discussion. It therefore baffles me to see that some people in the state have allowed themselves to be used and manipulated by the opposition elements in such a way that they leave the most important thing to chase the shadow.

This is a very dangerous trend which suggest that most people pay little or no attention to things that can impact on their lives positively, but rather channelled their energy to frivolities. Those developmental issues highlighted by the governor were enough for people to have engaged the state Chief Executive, but the reverse was the case. The calling of blackmailers illiterates by the governor unfortunately dominated discussions for almost a month now.

It is very clear that the Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel only referred to those who lied against him that he is building a government house in Onna and took two billion naira monthly as security vote. This has nothing to do with Akwa Ibom people. Or, did Akwa Ibom people send Ita Awak and Aniekan Akpan to lie against Governor Udom Emmanuel? Those who are castigating the governor must have a rethink and understand that the governor who doesn’t talk carelessly, but speaks responsibly, directed his comment to those who maliciously blackmailed and defamed him.

In the context of this argument about “illiterates”, it is not necessarily mean that those referred to have not gone to school, but the truth is that they are illiterates on the subject matter in question. The developmental strides of the present government, the governor’s four bedroom family house expansion, and the two billion naira monthly security votes.

One may be a doctorate degree holder in his own area of specialization, but can also be an illiterate in another area. Being illiterate is the same thing as being ignorant, uninformed, unaware, unacquainted, unapprised, and unfamiliar. So it could have also been said that the false accusers of Governor Udom Emmanuel were uninformed and unacquainted with the issues.

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is very clear on this. It defines illiterate as one not knowing very much about a particular subject matter. So, before being incited by the opposition who sees nothing good about Mr Udom Emmanuel and his government, to cast the next stone on the governor based on senseless sentiments of APC, go back and listen again to the governor.

It is only those who are uninformed and illiterates that go on air and newspapers lying against the governor, spread all kinds of false rumour and blackmailed him every day. When anybody discusses any matter he or she knows nothing about, such a person is either uninformed or illiterate. Most especially when it is done with the evil intention to disparage the reputation of another. These APC folks who see nothing good about Governor Udom Emmanuel and his administration deserve to be described as illiterates. It is only an illiterate that cannot see the sacrifices and efforts made by the governor to ensure that Akwa Ibom state is developed industrially.

It’s only the illiterates that can accuse of fraud, a governor who drives his private car and leaves in his private home to work as the state governor six-months after assumption of office. All these inconveniences the governor is enduring are aimed at cutting cost of governance to it barest minimum to save more money for execution of his industrial agenda. The question is; why is the governor doing these? The answer is very simple. Mr Udom Emmanuel is a man not given to affluence and ambiguous lifestyle. He believes in humility, simplicity, and service to humanity.

The passion that compelled him to contest the governorship election which he won was purely service to humanity not the number of cars he can drive neither to live at hilltop mansion. With the lean resources of the state, he chooses to overlook affluence in order to meet the needs of Akwa Ibom people since he has the interest of the people at heart.

It is heart-warming that APC are angry because the governor describe Ita Awak and Aniekan Akpan’s unwarranted outburst and false allegations against him and his government as handwork of illiterates. So they don’t want to be called names but they call the governor all sorts of names yet heaven did not fall. They insulted the Governor and the office he occupies everyday on radio and on pages newspapers, yet it was not a slap on Akwa Ibom people whom Udom governs.

People must shun this myopic reasoning and understand that an insult on the governor and his office is a slap on Akwa Ibom people. And it should not be treated with levity.

Let’s be honest to ourselves, calling, Ita Awak, Aniekan Akpan, and the disgruntled APC folk’s illiterates; and describing a duly elected governor of Akwa Ibom state an acting governor and abusing his office at will; which one is a slap on Akwa Ibom people? We must understand that as a governor, Udom Emmanuel is the father of all and represent all Akwa Ibom people. And as a father, he has the right to chastise his erring children who go out of the way with no apology to anybody.

Specifically, the governor directed his comment to those who make false and baseless allegations and accusations against him and his government which by all standard and dictionary definition, the governor is justified by describing them as illiterates. It’s only illiterate that will make such wile and unfounded allegations without prove or bases against a man who since assumption of office has demonstrated sincerity, transparency, and prudent management of state resources.

This has nothing to do with Akwa Ibom people; it’s therefore senseless for the guilty and APC propagandists to try to drag Akwa Ibom people into their unnecessary tango with Mr Udom Emmanuel. Event dictionary described a person who is uninform as illiterate, so the governor was right in his usage of the word, “illiterates”. Making those phantoms and unfounded allegations of fraud against the governor by the APC spokesman, Ita Awak and Aniekan Akpan was a clear display of illiteracy and ignorance of the workings government by the duo. And that was enough to automatically earn them the title of “illiterates”. It’s pointless trying to weep unnecessary sentiments where there is none. They are trying to play on the intelligence of Akwa Ibom people and rope them into their hopeless fabrications and lies. Akwa Ibom people are not fools; they are very wise, and cannot be used by anybody for any pecuniary selfish gains. The issue of “illiterates” has nothing to do with Akwa Ibom people but it’s all about Ita Awak, Aniekan Akpan, and their cohorts.

The rate at which these disgruntle APC desperados disparage, abuse, and insult the office of the governor and the person of Mr Udom Emmanuel on internet, radio, and newspapers every day are very alarming. Akwa Ibom people must rise up and resist these evil desperados and protect the office of the governor and it occupant. It is the pride and treasure of every Akwa Ibom person. And it should not be ridicule, defame, and abuse by anybody in the name of politics. This state belongs to all, and people should be conscious of the fact that where their right stops, another person’s own begins. They are actually the ones insulting Akwa Ibom people and should apologize to the people because ridiculing the office of the governor is a slap on Akwa Ibom people whom he has become a leader over them; but unfortunately the reverse is the case. It’s not about Udom Emmanuel anymore, but Akwa Ibom state and its people.

It is important for those who are about to cast the next stone or have already casted a stone on Mr Udom Emmanuel should have a rethink because all these political struggles by APC in the state is not for the people. It is a selfish desire of one man who thinks there is no God. 

As a law abiding governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel was very mindful of his speech, comments, and presentations. Hence there’s no way the governor could have generalize the comment to all Akwa Ibom people. Therefore, there are no bases for APC propagandists in trying to persuade the right thinking and law abiding Akwa Ibom people to believe that the governor referred to all as “illiterates”. It’s a case of ekpoho iko abiet owo awuo oboro. The APC are only angry because they knew that Udom was directly referring to them, hence their frantic effort to rope all Akwa Ibom people into their mess with the governor in their unending bid to present a humble governor as arrogant person.

They now know how it feels when they use all kinds of unprintable names on the governor. This is the more reason Governor Udom Emmanuel must be strong and of good courage. They are angry because the governor has spoken hard things against them, according to the truth of what it is; and the righteous have been justified. Wherefore, the guilty takes the truth to be hard for it cut them to the very centre. 

In the eyes of the law and by every standing, the office of the governor is the highest and most important office in Akwa Ibom state which nobody should hid under the guise of opposition politics to ridicule our identity and the impressive strides of Mr Udom Emmanuel. Enough is enough!