2015: THE ETHNIC WAR STORY I am not one of Gov Akpabios media Aides and sincerely I dont plan to be one. But on this particular issue I feel constraint to come to Gov Akpabios defense. Like many of you I have read a publication in a Local Tabloid - Insight News of May 25, 2014 captioned AKPABIO DECLARES ETHNIC WAR. What struct me to stand in defense of the governor is some claims in the publication about some statements purportedly made by the governor. I believe no Akwa Ibom State Governor would say any of those things let alone the intelligent, erudite, sound and highly sagacious governor Akpabio that I know. Let me start by saying I am not one of those that is happy with Gov Akpabio, therefore, no one should give this a sycophantic bearing. I am from Oro nation. Akpabio spoke on national television that he has constructed 34 roads in Oron. What he didnt say was that, put together, the said 34 roads constituted only 21km - in 7 years. That is an average of 3 km a year. Therefore I have no reason to be his fan given his apparent lopsided development agenda for my nation but that doesnt mean I would allow him to be rubbished. He is still our governor. The issue here is what the paper claimed Akpabio said in a meeting he purportedly had with the good people of Annang. I would take them one after the other to examine whether the Akpabio you and I know could have said those things to a group of persons even if they were all his kinsmen - which wasnt the case. 1. That Oro has no population and was therefore politically insignificant and should be ignored. In 2007 when Akpabio became governor Annang population from 2006 census figure was 963,070 as against Akwa Ibom population of 3,902,051. Simple percentage meant that Annang represented about 24%. Did Akpabio win his election with 24% of the vote? Where did the balance come from to give him victory? Could Gov Akpabio forget so soon that it was the team-spirit, spirit of equity and spirit of accommodation which Akwa Ibomites are known for notably the Ibibios and even Oro that kept him where he is today? My erudite Gov Akpabio is intelligent enough to know that in any exam 75% is an A score. This means that universally it is accepted that the balance of 25% is mere slack variable. Not to talk of 24%. If the Ibibio group that are closer to 75% have the humility not to describe others as insignificant, it would be a great surprise where else such statement could come from. 2. To defeat the Ibibios How? In which battle? In terms of what?population? Voting strength? Gov Akpabio didnt say this one please. This one is laughable. Maybe if we passed a law to stop the Ibibios from procreation in the next 50 years. Maybe. My Governor is a wiseman. Why would he contemplate defeating a group that are not at war with him in the first place. A group that elected you freely and has never impede you from running your government. Defeat them for which out come? You are already holding the highest office in the land. If it is to ensure another Annang indigene also have opportunity to governorship, the path to that one is clear. If you support someone from another ethnic minority, notably Oro and the person succeeds, you seal Annang case forever. Any other path taken would be for the governors personal rather than for the Annang corporate objective. Inspite of these I still insist he didnt make these statements. He knows better than that. But if by any freak of circumstance these words actually come from Gov Akpabio then Oro should wake up from its day dreaming. The Ibibios are not and would never be under threat. Oro leaders should go talk to the Ibibios - forge an arrangement with them. That is the people that have the size and weight to give power not Gov Akpabio. Akpabio was only a beneficiary. That power to determine who becomes what in this state still rest with the owners - the people. The Ibibios are the only group with comfortable number: talk to them. To give you power Akpabio would still need to receive it from the Ibibios because that is where about 65% of the power lies. This means he doesnt have it to give. He can only assist. Where he fails, you go to the source. A man doesnt give what he doesnt have. James Abang wishes you all happy democracy day from his usual base at Atte-Okiuso, Urueoffong/Oruko.
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 10:27:08 +0000
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