Orman Esin and the task of taming the touts

BY JOSEPH ATAINYANG

Orman Esin the immediate past Transition Chairman of Oron Local Government Area has just been injected into the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council where there are very high expectations. His practical steps and creative ingenuity in engineering strategic fronts to the actualization of the industrialization dream of the Governor would here be expected to sprout like fresh looking plant that has been carefully watered.

Indeed, being found worthy to serve in such a huge capacity by the state Governor, His Excellency Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel presupposes that government has taken note of Esin’s unrelenting contributions to the progress of this administration. It also implies that government recognizes his undaunted quota to the realization of what was then called the “Divine Mandate”.

Suffice it to say that perhaps the romance between Orman Esin and the government of Udom Emmanuel had long struck a deal which may have informed his very committed service to the whole arrangement that brought Deacon Emmanuel into power as the Governor. He was taken in comfidence and so the current government recognized him and retained him in the transition chairmanship of Oron even up to the first year of the administration after he was perhaps ready to have vacated the seat as the duly elected council chairman then.

A deal is a deal after all. He was faithful with the government and after being dropped from the seat about five months ago, he remained loyal and perhaps observant to the Governor who may have been looked upon as being the one to complete the remaining part of the deal. Politics is good. Esin is a true loyalist and as a person, I watched keenly, his diligence and unassuming commitment to the course. And now, he is not an ordinary commissioner, but, a man seen as being fit to occupy the office of a PhD holder who was lightly described by easy-going people as a “loquacious carpenter”.

Yet, Esin is stepping majestically into a hot hole, a place so irritating and volatile to an extent. One may enquire from me why I think the place is irritating and volatile. I am sure that one minute call to the former occupant, Godwin Ntukude would do a great service to such a person. But for sure, a question on why I think Orman Esin would be faced with the responsibility of taming the touts would not be delayed for a minute. Of course, it will not be denied by open-minded people that the transport sector, perhaps beyond Akwa Ibom State habours very irrational minds that may perhaps by suggestively taken to psychiatrists.

In this piece, my “touts” are not a limited reference but an all involving. I am merely taking my lectures from a renowned Nigerian poet, my younger brother Pepper Clark who in his famous poetic contemplation held that “The Casualties” were not only those who were dead, wounded though they awaited burial by instalment during the Nigerian civil war.

J. P. Clark progressively held that “The Casualties” were not only those who have lost persons or property, not only those they lead away by night, yet, the cell remained a cruel place, sometimes a haven, nowhere as absolute as a grave. John Pepper Clark Bekederemo submitted that “The Casualties” were not only those who started a fire as thousands were burning that had no say in the matter.

He knew they were not only those who escaping the shattered shell became prisoners in the fortress of falling walls. “The Casualties” were many, a good number outside the scene of ravage and wreck; they were the emissaries of rift, although some smug in smoke-rooms they haunt abroad without seeing the funeral piles at home that was eating up the forest.

He maintained that “The Casualties” were the wondering minstrels who, beating on the drums of the human heart draw the world into a dance with rites it does not know. “The drums overwhelmed the guns”, he said and “Caught in the clash of counter claims and charges when not in niche others have left” he cried, “We fall/All casualties of the war. And in line 40 of the poem, the poet admits in clear terms, “We are all casualties”.

To this end, I do not know who the touts are. But perhaps like Clark saw, I may be drowning here if not quick to announc that “we are all touts”. Denotatively, the word tout is both derogatory and demeaning. It commands negativity in all ramifications. Connotatively, it has no possibility of any probable positivity. And still, in the context of our societal understanding, touts are motopark boys who make a noise while loading passengers. They are very unruly people who have no regard for any law. They fight; they beat; they maim and steal. These reasons perhaps go to prove why many call them cultists.

As a person who is so much in love with the gods whose muses always posses the poets, I find rest in the reasoning of J. P. Clark and so believe that these are not only the available touts in our dear state. Our touts include the unruly drivers at the motoparks and along the road. Touts to my mind include the currpt uniform men who stand on the road and extort monies from the poor drivers. They threaten them and get a hundred naira from them on each point.
Some of these drivers unfortunately do not own a car of theirs. They drive to pay the car owners, feed their families, pay their house rents, pay their children’s school fees, clothing and other sundry needs. Of course, it is no news that what the touts at the park take from drivers after loading their vehicles exceed what they are left with. Take for instance that you are a driver plying from Uyo to Oron, you will not feel well that after they gather #4,200 from the six passengers, they leave you with just #2,000.

From this money, a driver will have to pay a ticket of #200, buy fuel and still settle the insatiable uniform men on the road. If you are going to Oron, especially on an unlucky day, the police will stop you for not less than nine points and on each occasion demand settlement. Of course, you dare not tell them you have no money for them except you are ready to experiment the ordeal of sleeping on the road with your somewhat hostile passengers. Personally, I have lost count of the days I have settled the police from my purse just to get to my destination in time. Even if you are a devil, you will develop a subconscious sense of pity for these people. Then ask yourself, how do they survive and see if you can answer that.

People are suffering. The recession is on. The place is dry and even when you wish to go your way and see if one or two people could be looking for a lift along the road, the thieves will haunt you and pin you, tax force, they call themselves. You ask why the fare has perpetually remained high, but you soon realize that there is no need at all. In fact, It was for this reason that the piece, “Dr. Ntukude, who are these touts” had long been incubated in my fertile mind. It was hatched but had no space to survive in growth. And then it was completely flushed out like the inglorious case of abortion.

I dare say again that we are all touts, for when we become victims of the actions of the touts, we wonder if it is possible to behave in a way different from theirs. Even if we don’t take part in it, perhaps because we do not use public transport, we may not have all our parents, brothers, sisters, friends, relatives having to escape the touts. In this way, we become enlisted in the long diary of touts.

Orman Esin is here and is well spoken of as being the right person to tame the touts. This explains why leaders and political stakeholders from Oron Local Government and Oro Nation at large commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for appointing a good mobilizer and a former council chairman in his person as a Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum Resources  in his cabinet.

Speaking during the reception at the residence of the new transport commissioner shortly after the inauguration of the new state executive council last weekend, the Former Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Renewal,  Dr. Akon Eyakenyi described Mr. Orman Esin as a committed party man, who has all it takes to mobilize the people in support of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Dr. Eyakenyi, currently the Chairman, Governing Council of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua also commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for appointing a vibrant young man like Orman Esin into his cabinet and expressed confidence that the new commissioner will drive the vision of the Governor in the Transport and Petroleum sectors to a visible reality.

Also speaking, the Transition Chairmen of Oro (Esin’s immediate successor) and Udung Uko local governments, Pastor Anthony Bassey and Mr Godwin Okponung respectively expressed their happiness to the governor for appointing a grassroot person, and a great believer in Akwa Ibom project as a Commissioner from the area.

They said with the appointment of Mr. Orman Esin, they will work together with him to drive the vision of the Governor in their respective local governments, and pleaded with the new commissioner to carry everybody along in his new office.

According to the Chairman of Udung Uko Local Government, “My heart is red with joy, that His Excellency has made a very good decision by appointing Mr. Orman Esin from Oro extraction into his new exco, you can see from the reception venue that the new commissioner is on ground, and is ready to work for the success of His Excellency in Oron”.

Meanwhile, the Chief Whip of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and Member representing Ini State Constituency, Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong described Orman Esin as being on ground and commended the Governor for giving the youths a platform to showcase themselves.

He said, “This man, Orman Esin is somebody that is on ground, we have worked together during the youths structure, so that is why I needed to honour him, this is a get- together, so we are praying to God Almighty to take him to a greater height, because he is a good mobilizer, and I must commend Governor Udom Emmanuel for giving the youths a platform to showcase themselves”.

Similarly, the chapter Chairman of PDP in Oron Local Government Area, Hon. Murfy Esin expressed delight with the governor for finding an Oron son, in person of Orman Esin worthy to be appointed into his cabinet.  He hinted that Oron local government is now playing PDP like a religion, and promised to step up the tempo.

The reception attracted personalities from Oro Nation, including the Deputy Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Princess Felicia Bassey, Former PDP governorship aspirant, Prince Chris Abasieyo and a host of respected dignitaries.

Although it may not be very easy at this initial stage, the commendations and accolades that flooded the new commissioner may have been a resounding applause to reflect his pedigree and reassure the public that he is equal to the task.

As an observer and watch dog to the society, mine is more than a commendation. I also see myself as a stakeholder, setting an agenda for the new commissioner. To this end, having been completely ignorant of the legal positions regarding the unscrupulous actions of the touts everywhere in the state, I simply submit and strongly so believe that Orman Esin has the wisdom, understanding, intelligence, foresight and goodwill to revamp the transport sector of the state.

He should work closely with the house of assembly, liaise with the commissioner of police and gather the transport operators to restructure the sector. He should perhaps evolve a policy thrust that will help in taming the rowdy attitudes of the touts. He should also institute programmes to engage the state towards effectively exploring its mineral deposits for an improved economy.