Akwa Ibom News Online Commentary

Democracy is the political equivalent of the marketplace – a setting for a united competition of ideas and opinions, allowing for an open hanging of weak ideas by the mighty and efficaciousness of the brilliant ones. In Akwa Ibom State today, that marketplace is bubbling with life, but the brilliant light of the truth and development is beaming with an uncommon radiance that has reduced weak and uncreative ideas to a distant echo, blurred and bleached.

Until sometime in 2007, it was self-evident that the best leader Akwa Ibom has ever had was the one who had never led. And when Chief Godswill Akpabio came on board, he showed a difference between the old and new face of Akwa Ibom. So, those who think the fame can go on with the old rules are deluding themselves.

Retired Group Captain Sam Ewang is a senior citizen of Akwa Ibom State who has distinguished himself in the military. In fact, he is a states man. Well meaning Akwa Ibom people, and even government, must be sympathizing with him over the unfortunate kidnapping of his wife, just as they did when his name was listed in the Halliburton scandal.

But pointing accusing fingers on government as masterminds of taking his wife hostage, does not only mean politicizing the matter but also celebrating it. Such utterances coming from a man with both military and legal backgrounds, is a professional betrayal and a national disappointment.

Thus, the matter cannot be dismissed with the wave of the hand otherwise, the airman can fly into a sea of troubles. It should not be swept under the carpet, it should rather be defrocked for taking such an unguarded mental flight. But what basis did the man have?

Ewang reportedly met Governor Akpabio over the wife’s ordeal, where the government assured him of supporting security agencies to secure the wife’s freedom and those of other victims. Akpabio must have said this considering himself as the Chief Security Officer of the state. And that was the man’s ‘Crime’ to linked to Comfort Ewang’s kidnap? Too bad!

Enwang, at least was also a governor. The difference perhaps, is that while he had his kennel cracked for him by providence, Akpabio cracked his with his bare hands. I think it is the man who should be busy thanking God, that is planting verbal bombs across the state.

It cannot be until you are serving then you can contribute to the development of your state. Even as an ordinary citizen (and Ewang is more that the ordinary), he can do his part, probably in a smaller capacity than a serving governor. That would have been better than doing as if there can be two governors in one state at a time. Of course, the pilot knows better.

But Ewang, by the provisions of law, is qualified to contest and become an elected governor based on his popularity at the polls. When he left Ogun to come and become the terminal military administrator of Rivers State, he was heralded by hostilities, where the people of the state, judging on Ewang’s colossal non-performance in Ogun, vehemently rejected him. But not for the patriotic disposition of Ibibio elders led by the Late Clement Isong, who went and pleaded with the people that there is no forest where failures are dumped, and reluctantly, Rivers ‘welcomed’ him. 1998 is too near to be far.

Yes, nobody is saying Ewang should not maximized his right of franchise. But the game has rules. Those who want to become governors know that it is not by mere wishing so; there are the masses to be worked on since sovereignty, they say, belongs to the people. If a man’s wife is unfortunately taken hostage by kidnappers, every effort should be channeled towards the release of the innocent woman. It could have as well happened to anybody. How unfair, it is to accuse a man of masterminding such crime for the mere reason that he is in charge of a state. When he (Ewang) was the governor of Ogun and Rivers States, how many crimes occurred there? How many was Ewang plotting? What you wouldn’t want people to say about you don’t say about other people.

But let us still look at it again. Ewang is not a new person in gubernatorial contest in Akwa Ibom. He was deeply involved in it in 2007. When the election results were announced, he came first from the bottom. That was not very bad. At least he came out to test his popularity.

So if after four years Ewang feels he should review his acceptability, what is the basis for anyone to believe that gutter stories that his wife’s travail is conditioned upon his withdrawal from the governorship election in 2011? He himself knows that the governor is more popular, loved and supported by his people. Do we nail Akpabio to the cross because his people want him? Ewang can continue with his herculean task but it should not be drenched in cheap blackmail. Scoring or attempting to score cheap political points via destroying others integrity, is sinful.

From whatever angle one looks at it, Ewang can never be a threat to Akpabio in any election at any day. It is a matter of doing your best at any opportunity one has, changing the fortunes of people, turning boys to men, providing the basic infrastures. Both men such opportunities one allowed it to pass through his fingers’ tip because it was dressed in cover all. The other is seeing it as a beautiful duty, and is reaping from it. The bank of justice, of course, can never be bankrupt. This is the time for payback.

In as much as nobody or government can support kidnapping and allied crimes, it should also be known that a totally crime free society is yet to be seen anywhere. It is uncivilized and barbaric to link a leader without facts to any heinous crime.

If a government folds it hands and watch the atrocities committed, then one can say that there is something fishing. But the Akpabio administration, as a government that is bent on reducing crime rate in the state has invested a lot in purchasing vehicles and gadgets to the police and other security agencies to fight crime. Apart from that, and perhaps the most potent, government has declared and implemented a free and education policy in the state so that the children, out of idleness, may not be tempted to indulge in violent crimes like kidnapping.

Also, considering the thrust of Akpabio 2011 budget on industrialization, these Akwa Ibom children would finish from school and matched straight into a waiting vacancy in the industries. Are these not enough reasons to absolve the Akpabio’s administration from encouraging criminality in the state? Ewang’s flight into the clouds of thoughtless inventions is as miscalculated as it is ill-fated. He believes he is speaking the truth. That is true. But his truth is standing on its head. Then it is a false truth.

But why should someone who is supposed to be a role model for Akwa Ibom children decided to take vocation in character assassination? He knows words are more dangerous than bombs but he is still planting destruction across Akwa Ibom a state he should be contributing to build.

Somehow, it seems Ewang is even afraid to get into the ring again with Akpabio, reasoning that if the governor won him in 2007 that he was not in power before, what will it look like now that the man has had opportunity to deliver democratic dividends to the people. It is a wrong strategy. The man should be busy selling his manifesto to the people he intends to govern than going around to point animated pictures of another person.

On the other hand, Ewang should know the irrevocability of words; now that the ex-milad’s wife has been rescued and convincing evidence abound that neither Akpabio nor his aides are involved, how would he swallowed back those defamatory utterances? Words, they say, are like bullets, once uttered, cannot be retrieved. Everyone should be cautious in words and refrain from flights into thick clouds of thoughtless character assassination. That is the kind of maturity expected of politicians, especially as the 2011 general elections is only few metres away.

Mr. Etimudo, a journalist writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

The views of the contributors to the "commentary" section of this site are totally their views and not that of www.AkwaIbomNewsOnline.com

To have your commentary posted here, please send an email to . Include your subject, full name and location. NO attachments please. Paste your commentary in the body of your email client. We reserve the right to edit any commentary and/or not publish any commentary we receive. Thanks.

Back to Commentaries Page | Back to Top