AKPABIO/UWAK FEUD: LEST THE FORMER SURRENDERS… I actually got wind of this development late Thursday evening and it was like the most interesting of developments I have so far seen this year. I was on the usual Thursday production that gives birth to the Friday (weekend) edition of my medium. The weekend editor, Paulinus Nta had called me earlier that day to inform me of an activity that had him deeply engaged in Ikot Abasi, and had further asked me to stand in for him, and which I obliged. Right in the middle of production, the Robinson Uwak advertorial came in and I made for the dummy to allocate a space for it, but aside the business aspect of it, I got the real interest while going through it to verify its content. It was a letter of invitation to the state governor, Godswill Akpabio; an open letter at that, not actually inviting the recipient to a jamboree, but to an event that most people would see as being unusual, and logically, with a handful of imperceptible intentions. In the said letter, the correspondent- Hon Robinson Uwak who represents all the five local government areas making up Oron Federal Constituency had invited Governor Akpabio- the widely known uncommon transformer to a public debate/score card presentation at the Oron Federal Constituency Office on a date I am yet to know, as it wasn’t contained in the letter. Perhaps, the date is pending the invitee’s response to the letter, though the lawmaker had given the governor only 14 days to respond to the letter, so (I think) a convenient date and time can be fixed for the event. Though it wasn’t much of a surprise to me, having been fully aware of the ongoing Akpabio/Uwak feud which started shortly after the governor’s town hall meetings, and for integral reasons known only by the duo, aside God; but the publicly presented reason for the feud focuses on the alleged marginalization of Oro nation by the Akpabio administration. And to think that it took Uncle Robinson all these years to realize the marginalization of his ethnic group, Oro Nation, makes the development more of a surprise. But then, one arising question is: where was Uncle Robi all awhile? Trying to seek response(s) to the above question may eventually end one up with the conviction that truly something beneath must have gone wrong in the Akpabio/Uwak relationship. Could it be that the governor, still not delivered of the zoning demon, had also decided to zone the Oro federal seat away from Uwak, thereby having a new choice for the race which apparently contradicts Uwak’s desire to continue in the lower chambers for another four years, counting from 2015? Or maybe Uwak has just found reasons not to trust the governor anymore for a second term ticket, and has consequently resorted to patriotism to his Oro people as a better, or at least, a contending alternative. Like my friend, Etoro-obong Inyang would say, “I am just thinking”. But then, whether both parties are willing to let us see the cat in the bag or not, it doesn’t and would never change the fact that there is certainly a cat in the bag. And with the gradual unfolding of events, I have this strong believe that soonest, the truth shall exhume itself from wherever the duo had buried it. From inception, I had treated the ongoing feud between the governor and the lawmaker like it never existed, because of the sentiments which both parties applied in presenting their cases and plights at each point of the attacks and counter attacks, but for the dimension the feud has recently taken, which seems to pose serious challenges to the governor, the uncommon transformer, the promise keeper, the non tribal governor, etc. This has become an issue of serious concern, especially to those who, like me, have overtime developed so much love for the governor’s immodest disposition, as well as ability to tell the kind of lies that sound exactly like the truth. And despite not being paid to offer him advices, especially in critical and sensitive situations as this, I still would not mind giving him some, particularly the ones I know none of his paid advisers will ever have the courage to offer him. Before going ahead to say my words of advice, a little review of the ongoing feud, methinks, might be of help, especially to those who are already far gone in condemning Uncle Robi for daring to challenge the demigod of the land to a public contest of scorecard presentation. Imagine the guts! If any other thing would not scare Uwak, the internationally known uncommon transformation and the so much fuss that has been made about it should at least, make him tremble at the sound of the name Godswill Akpabio; but here he is, challenging the bearer of the name to a contest of scorecard presentation, and proposed to be made open for public view. Still in the words of Etoro-obong Inyang, “I am still just thinking”. Like I had put earlier, Uncle Robinson all of a sudden came up with the marginalization fuss and has since taken the issue very seriously that he began to tag the governor’s uncommon transformation programme as being an uncommon transformation of only Annang nation and a common transformation of some part of Uyo. And Uncle Uwak’s new adventure was just a continuation of the efforts put in so far by the Oro progressives who had long began the public outcry of the Oro marginalization fuss and had equally taken both the negotiational and confrontational approaches towards seeking a permanent resolution to their intricacies. According to Uwak, his aggression, as well as that of the Oro fellows backing him was consequent upon the fact that the governor had refused to hearken to the cries of the Oro people as regards the infrastructural decay that (according to them) was, and is still eating deep into the area. With a perceived conviction on the part of the Oro people that they had showed enough patience and perseverance, and perhaps, having also woken up from the Lazarus kind of slumber to realize that the governor is underway out of office; the Oro nation may have lost all hope on the governor to provide any remedy to their problem, especially considering the current political tension in the state, which makes it obvious that the governor’s pro-development mind has been taken over by political hypertension with more of the headaches coming from the anti-Akpabio camps (the ones against his succession plan and the ones against his senate ambition)- maybe a convert reason Uwak decided to stop waiting on the governor and went ahead to seek federal and public attention on the issue. First, Uwak had stormed AIT (African Independent Television) with a documented video showing the dilapidated state of social amenities in his Oro nation and had sealed the business deal, retired home to watch his paid documentation on television, but failed to remember the Akpabio 2011 election slogan: “what money cannot do; more money can do.” How on earth could Uwak have forgotten the town hall meeting contract which paid AIT an alleged N7.5m/hour sum? Ofcourse Uwak would have considered that this is Nigeria, a place where ethics and professionalism is always sold to the highest bidder. And with only Akpabio and Uwak in this picture, your guess is as good as mine on who the highest bidder would be. But the breaking news was that Uwak got a call from his AIT business partners just few minutes before the agreed air time, informing him of the change in plan, and a subsequent invitation requesting Uwak’s presence at the AIT office for the formal refunding of his money. In this case, the earlier said slogan went with a little twist: “what Uwak’s money could do, Akpabio’s more money could do better. So which do you think AIT would go for? The ‘better’ ofcourse. But that did not end the fight, as Uwak had headed for CNN (Cable News Network), or so he said, and even showed enough kindness by asking the governor to fuel his private jet and join him there, for another money tussle. But surprisingly, while I had my TV set constantly tuned to CNN in expectation of Uwak’s documentary, the scorecard presentation came in, and I could not help wondering if CNN would be the venue for the debate. It is no news though that Uwak has dared governor Akpabio to a public contest; but the anticipated news is that the governor is likely to shy away from the contest. And lest he considers shying away as thought, then I wish to pre-remind him that this is an opportunity better than the ones he has ever had to immodestly tell the world of the many lions and crocodiles he murdered in the course of his uncommon transformation programme in the state. The governor should consider what people like me would think of him if he blows this lifetime opportunity for no reason whatsoever; and should also consider the new image he would have made of himself before people outside the state… people who have watched him in his usual public error of using virtually every speech making opportunity to boast to the world of how uncommon even his footsteps and garri balls has been in the past seven years. Like my late grandmom would say, Mkpo Urua anaah; Urua anaah; therefore (borrowing the words of Oro born music star, Mr Xto) udung: yak mbre otongo. Truth is, Uncle Robi has put the goods and the market on set, and being an area where governor Akpabio is very good at, I am expecting him to make so much sales here, especially now that his uncommon reputation is at stake. But lest he thinks of shying away, then he should be made to know that we will owe him no apology if we decide to believe Uwak’s claim that the much advertised uncommon transformation has only been restricted only to Annang nation and maybe, some part of Uyo. CULLED FROM THE SINE QUA NON COLUMN OF COMMUNITY PULSE NEWSPAPERS (TUESDAY August 19, 2014 EDITION); AND WRITTEN BY UBONG SAMPSON, A PUBLIC/POLITICAL/CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYST
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 09:00:38 +0000
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