Between Onofiok Luke and the mudslingers

BY OFONIME HONESTY

 ”They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will reserve you… “  –Jeremiah 1:19

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Wearing a crown isn’t a task for the faint-hearted. To some extent, a crown is a cross. Lily-livered men collapse under the burden of crown cum cross while courageous men conjure enough resilience and strength to carry the burden without cowering. Dear readers, Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Onofiok Akpan Luke, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, belongs to the latter category.

I have followed with keen interest the exploits of this man, who despite several underhand tactics exhibited by desperate antagonists, has continued to rise at supersonic speed. And it baffles me why these antagonists are still glued to their negative antics. They should smell the coffee and acknowledge the fact that their campaign of calumny is very much an exercise in futility. Or, did they swear at a very powerful shrine that Onofiok will never ever rise in life?

How he has remained unruffled despite the conspiracy and blackmail waged against him must be a subject for political scientists and psychologists to research into. 

Of a truth, no tyranny of circumstances can permanently imprison a determined will. Nothing has been given to Barr. Onofiok Luke on a platter of gold. God designed him with a slight figure, but a copious quantity of guts, determination and will to succeed lies beneath the petite frame. And the aforementioned attributes always eclipse any form of ill-will meted on him.

The wanton conspiracy against him predates his adventure into mainstream politics. Like the proverbial owl, Onofiok has seen all types of nights. From his days as a students’ leader and later, pioneer Speaker of the Nigeria Youth Parliament, to when he accepted the clarion call to represent his constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the leg-pullers have always been busy peddling vitriolic fallacies. In their utter ignorance, they always forget that no one can curse who God has blessed.

At the Assembly, the young Onofiok became a legislative diamond. He shone (and is still shinning) amongst his contemporaries. He often holds his colleagues spell bound as he bares his mind on issues discussed at plenary. His tested and proven capability earned him the privilege to head or be appointed into salient committees in the Assembly.

Not only did he create impact within the Assembly, he, knowing that his constituents sent him there, reciprocated the gesture by impacting positively on them. Being a philanthropist, he facilitated the empowerment of countless constituents, construction of countless projects and other tangible endeavours which have further endeared him to the people. 

And when his first tenure as a lawmaker elapsed, the constituents unanimously chorused that he should go for second term. The conspirators and blackmailers did not even wait for him to announce his decision to seek second term when they set machinery in motion to frustrate him. To them, it was payback time. For refusing to call a spade a weeding hoe, for refusing to worship a “false god”, they vowed to destroy his political career.

Like demons from hell, they ran amok. When propaganda failed, other tactics were adopted. Somebody was reportedly sponsored to wrestle with him in the party primary. That aspirant had access to thick wad of cash to throw about. Billboards announcing his intent were erected at every corner of the constituency. Till date, those structures are still there as a stark reminder of the fact that billboards do not win electoral exercises. And how Barr. Luke won the primary inspite of stiff conspiracy makes me believe that God is facilitating a divine project in him.

Dear readers, I would have loved to let bygone be bygone but for the sake of letting the mudslingers realize the futility of their action, I had to pen this piece. I had to do this taking into cognizance the fact that recent goings-on at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly have opened another window of opportunity for the blackmailers to ply their trade.  

     
We are aware of the fact that Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko and Hon. Effiong Bassey, who were Speaker and Deputy Speaker, had to vacate their positions after being sacked by Appeal Court sitting in Abuja. To fill the void, the state lawmakers unanimously appointed Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke and Felicia Bassey to serve as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Despite the fact that Onofiok’s elevation has been greeted by huge excitement from several quarters, the unrepentant antagonists have seemingly vowed never to let us hear sane things. Those we credited with high intelligence are making statements which have exposed their stark unintelligence. Suddenly, the antagonists claimed that the Assembly is an illegal entity. They read biased meanings into the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all in a bid to achieve their inordinate aims. And when their first strategy failed, they resorted to using the media to publish veiled scathing write-ups. When the masses refused to hear their hollow call, the ante was upped. 

And what is it that they have not published so far? Mr. Speaker has been accused of conspiring to assassinate Obong Umana Okon Umana, who coincidentally hails from Nsit Ubium. Also, few days ago, I read on social media platform, facebook, about his “plan” to defect. Not satisfied with fabrication, the mudslingers have resorted to reading meanings into Mr. Speaker’s statements.

To cap their efforts, Onofiok’s backing of the Eket Senatorial District’s governorship slot has been described as a “shallow outburst” in a report captioned “Onofiok goofs.” In the cooked report, a phantom group, Akwa Ibom Under 45, was fronted. The diction used in the report was dripping with vitriol. Apart from accusing the Speaker of “being overwhelmed by the Speakership position”, he was also painted as “an opportunist who will take to criminality to gratify his god father even at the detriment of his conscience and constituency.”

Hurling such damning words against someone in the guise of ‘news report’ betrays the essence of the journalism profession. Issues raised were spurious and a cocktail of misrepresentations packaged to smear the image of Mr. Speaker. While they have refused to resign from their campaign of calumny, they should be reminded that the support base of Mr. Speaker keeps expanding. Onofiok’s supporters transcend party lines. The goodwill around him is magnificent. 

From humble beginnings, he has risen to become the number three man in the state. He has been pushed, punched and even trampled upon, but he has held firmly onto his destiny. His destiny is to be a true leader of the people. And so far, God is fulfilling that purpose in his life.

As ace columnist, Femi Adesina, once penned, “A sensible man should know when he is beaten.” And Onofiok has really beaten the blackmailers black and blue. Few sane ones have repented, but the remaining few, out of shame or vainglorious pride, are refusing to surrender. They are remnants of an extinct race. Their sands are sinking. 

If the few mudslingers agree to drop the mud and wash their hands, Mr. Speaker being a magnanimous person can offer them the opportunity to wine and dine with him. Yes, they have no other option ‘cos mudslinging isn’t a noble profession.

 And no amount of mud can stain the immaculate fabric of the people’s Speaker.