NSIT UBIUM STATE HOUSE 2015: BETWEEN THE VISIONER AND THE ERRAND BOY BY UBONG SAMPSON A certain online post got my attention the other day; and just as funny as the owner of the post appears in reasoning, his inferiority complex, glaringly brought to the fore through the said post, forced me into a rib-cracking laughter. The poster, one Ekokoi Solomon, or so he claims to be, who purports himself as an indigene of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area also seems to be aspiring to represent Nsit Ubium in the State House of Assembly. It is an undeniable fact, however, that the current occupant of the lone seat for Nsit Ubium in the state legislative chambers Hon (Barr) Onofiok Luke is also aspiring to retain the seat, not because he initially intended so, but that his people had called on him to re-contest and continue as their representative; a development that was directly consequential to the remarkable, record setting and excellent kind of leadership he made available abundantly at their disposal even before the end of the first three (3) years of the four year term he was given. This is just why the Nist Ubium people have declared the state house seat meant for their representative ‘not vacant’; though without prejudice to the democratic demands- same which accord equal rights to every individual as regards voting and being voted for. Back to Ekokoi and his online post. The said post, hosted by facebook and apparently directed to his co-contender, Barr Onofiok Luke, I would have loved it inscripted here unedited, but for the sake of space, or the lack of it, I have resorted to keeping it out, especially considering its enormously poor level of significance. Considering the ridiculous contents of the post, I expect you to have taken a break to have a good and lasting session of laughter; at least if nothing else does, a local adage, “es’e’sasak nnan enyin” should justify your resort to laughing at this. Reasons being that any right thinking man would, after reading the post, be wondering why a self-acclaimed man would throw a message into the wind without any addressed recipient, perhaps, expecting the wind to use some transcendental means to figure the undisclosed recipient. Indeed a public display of cowardice, if I must affirm what is running through your mind. Of course, messages from comics with underdeveloped talents like that of the said Ekokoi should be thoroughly laughed at, not that they are usually funny though, but for the fact that professional misfits like him should be encouraged in their natural talents, so as to show them where they ought to have been in life. Regarding the first paragraph, the said Ekokoi claimed to have vowed not to engage anyone on the pages of newspapers, but readily jumped at the option of the social media, and claimed to have been forced… by who or what, if I may ask? And what sense does that make? Fact is, the said man ostensibly had nothing reasonable to say, and owing to a perceived awareness of his that newspaper pages are not meant for insignificant issues and hollow comments, he resorted to making good use of his facebook wall. Where on earth would a newspaper get enough spaces for news contents and other reasonable issues and have some more to spare for such printed frustrations as Ekokio’s? It is just with a convincing glare that the lad had no choice than running to his facebook wall to unleash his frustration in prints, where he can at most get consoled by only his online close pals and some others with benighted and neanderthal sorts of sycophancy; fact proving, even the consoling comments he had were either from foreigners or Akwa Ibom-ites in diaspora who, investigations reveal, have not been anyway near home for ages. Also in the said post, the lad called Ekokoi had asked why his state house representative, Hon Luke cannot accept challenge for once; but before letting him the privilege of having suitable answers to his mythical questions, I wish to ask: does Ekokoi have the requisite capacity to challenge any right thinking person to any contest? What challenge can a mere errand boy pose? Truth is, it is no longer news as to where he came from and how his aspiration came about, a better reason he hardly goes public to talk about his aspiration. Or did anyone expect to hear much of a man who is being used by some political forces as a threat to someone they are seeing to be a major threat, thinking he would fall cheaply for their gambit and go running back to them? His benefactors were so threatened by Onofiok Luke’s refusal to join them in their political deceits that they had to fish out Ekokoi from wherever his wandering took him to, allegedly empowered him with millions of naira to aspire as an opposition to Luke who as at then, was busy receiving endorsements from various quarters in his Nsit Ubium area. But even his benefactors could not trust him enough to hand him the said money, they rather preferred dumping same in a bank, with the supposed beneficiary having no access to it except upon consulting the authority and getting subsequent approval. Now, viewing this as bad as it appears, can any vision and good intentions for the people be seen in such a man? Back to his question of challenge; what other challenge can the stooge in him pose that will be more challenging than the ones Onofiok Luke had faced, accepted and surmounted in times past? Is it the challenge of always standing in the path of truth and remaining resolute in it, irrespective of whose interest is at risk- same which led to his (Ekokoi’s) emerging opposition? Could it be the challenge of having to share the little he had with friends and those in need, despite being the poor student he was? Or the Akpan Ekpo led challenge which at some point, went beyond his person to also challenge his studentship then as Students Union president in the University of Uyo? The same Students Union Government Ekokoi served without any left-behind legacy except an album of photographs as seen all over his facebook wall. His contemporaries such as Nicholas Udonkang (of blessed memory); Akan Emah (the Rotarian); Michael bush, Stanley Orji, Idy James and then the shortest serving but most effective SUG president, Onofiok Luke etc, all left legacies behind and are still having their names on the lips of the present day students. From the history casts of the University of Uyo which Ekokoi and Hon Onofiok Luke both attended, students at virtually all leadership seminars and political gatherings have over the years been using the later as a reference point, but the former I never heard of until I found him out through his facebook photo album, and I was forced to wonder if students unionism during his era was more of a modeling business than that of the activism it is known for. What other challenge could be more challenging than being determined to deprive oneself of the generally known features and benefits of a typical Nigerian politician only to remain easily accessible to the people, as well as ensure a robust and rewarding kind of representation for the people. Without any iota of doubt, the aforementioned feats, Ekokoi can only boast of in the imaginary and illusive part of his life. And if I am asked, Onofiok, like the errand boy Ekokoi had claimed, is indeed running from pillar to post; only that he, to the disappointment of the lad, is going to and from the said pillar and post receiving endorsements from groups and individuals of Nsit Ubium extraction. Interestingly, same pillar to post kind of races is what political novices like Ekokoi desire to experience at least for once in his entire lifetime… little wonder his grievances. Talking about attempts to tarnish his image, can one find anything interesting and useful in a refuse bin? How possible is it for one to aim at something that is known to be non-existent? Fact is, after ruminating on this, I could only attribute such claim to the witches’ gambit, as contained in the expository literary series, tale of witches; if you have been opportune to read the fifth (5th) of that series, then Ekokoi’s attempt to play the witches’ gambit, I can conclude will be nothing of a surprise to you. The witches, like I suppose you know, had at a time decided to stop killing people mysteriously. Their new killing strategy was to plot the death of their victims spiritually and then set it up to occur physically through any of the known natural processes. That way, no one will have reasons to suspect them of murdering anyone. Since, according to the tale, they (the witches) were no longer comfortable being prime suspects in virtually all cases of mysterious and/or untimely deaths in the community. Their aim as regards their new strategy was to push the blames that would have been sent their way to others whose ill luck would land them in the spiritually set trap of the witches. This had the death process changing from the previously seen cases of people sleeping healthy and waking up lifeless at dawn and mysterious deadly diseases to that of accidents, etc. Though the said change made no positive difference to the community, except that the bereaved families unlike before, then had people to foot the burial bills. Like the witches new strategy, Ekokoi in his lamentation series, is looking for whom to blame for his long gone image. But then, as much as I understand his case to be like that of a drowning man who, owing to lack of choice is always in the error of using stripes as straws; mistaking a man with a disposition defined carefully within the confines of decency for a stripe, me-still-thinks, is just an error gravious enough to ensure his drowning. Let me disappoint Ekokoi further, Onofiok is not a lizard which is known for its immodest acts of self appraisals. And contrary to your claims, he never could have made such a self-imposing statement. Perhaps, his (Ekokoi’s) source(s) had misinformed him. The statement “afo ado owo ado” was rather made and is still being made by the thousands of Nsit Ubium indigenes currently causing the widely heard congestion in Onofiok Luke’s camp. I am sure this is not strange to even him (Ekokoi). By the way, what instances or records has Ekokoi to seek public image contest with a man who has been so humble, enough that God has so far used him to bless people numbering in thousands and still counting? A man who has been of immense benefit to his people and others outside his place of origin, even since his days with the governor and in the youth parliament… positions he got not by any electoral process, and a glaring reason he is loved and cherished by all and sundry. At home, he is a loving and caring father, husband; in his village, he is a beloved son in whom his people are so proud; in his local government area, he is not just an ordinary state house representative, but a true democrat, excellent in virtues; across the state and beyond, he is a vibrant and articulate youth, youth leader, an ex-Aluta General, a frontline agitator of youthful emancipation and development, as well as a practical advocate of a better life for all, regardless of tribe, religion or political borders. In fact in just one sentence, Ekokoi should be made to understand why Onofiok Luke is too hot for him to handle, at least to save him the risk and pains of burnt fingers. Though with the believe that he (Ekokoi) is fully aware of this and had already began taking caution when he decided to hide on his facebook wall to send an indirect message to an opponent who is not even his friend on facebook. Come to think of it, why is Ekokoi even lamenting over an anticipated loss when he has nothing reasonable to lose? I understand how much of his time and efforts this race would consume, but that notwithstanding, the fact that he will be addressed after the election as “attempted member of parliament (AMP) should serve as enough consolation to the Nsit Ubium stooge. As for the financial involvement, Ekokoia as we all know, has nothing to lose because as little as one kobo (1k) of his personal money is yet to be seen in whatever amount he has so far spent in the pursuit of his ambition, unless he wants to give us reasons to believe a rumour we heard sometime that the same account that was opened by his benefactors for his ambition was later frozen when, after going around the area making noise with someone else’s money, the people kept re-echoing in his ears that for the Nsit Ubium state house 2015, they have all made up their minds to Ekokoily (deliberately) support Hon (Barr) Onofiok Luke for a second term stay. But to the delight of Ekokoi, the contest is still open to all; therefore the said opportunist should cease campaigning for public sympathy when he has a lot to campaign for. He, methinks, should rather prepare his manifesto and proceed to the polls, though the message is clear that when the time comes the wheat shall be separated from the charf. CULLED FROM COMMUNITY PULSE NEWSPAPER (TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 EDITION). UBONG SAMPSON IS A PUBLIC/POLITICAL/CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYST.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 23:07:21 +0000