Your Excellency, the governor of my state, I bring you warm greetings. Let me begin by commending you and your administration for the positive efforts so far invested towards repositioning the economic state of the state. Aside many other evidences, I was yesterday privileged to witness the display of talent development outputs by beneficiaries of your initiated Akwa Ibom Employment and Entrepreneurial Scheme (AKEES).
Truth is, if the efforts of government remains as genuine as what is currently seen, and the commitment of the beneficiaries well encouraged, then I see Akwa Ibom joining that league of first class commercial states in the country where there will be far less pressure on the government of the day by citizens who wake up each day doing nothing except waiting for political money to start flowing. So Your Excellency, please continue doing your best. Do not mind those accusing you of not circulating money. In fact, when next someone brings that topic up, just point at our barrels of unsold oil in the high sea and make him a marketer.
Your Excellency, as a resident indigene of this state, I have no doubt seen your commendable competence and capacity in governance, and while acknowledging good and rewarding governance as the primary duty of a governor, I also deem it necessary to let you know that (especially in this part of the world) a well grounded knowledge in the political situation of the state constitutes what makes a successful governor. With this information, may I now go to the main issue prompting this piece of message to you.
Sir, I may have to believe rumours that you have extent dislike for the local media, especially the print aspect, that is no reason to conclude that you do not read/listen to news from the local media. And even if you do not, I am sure you must have been briefed of the ongoing altercations made by some persons on the issue of the state assembly speakership position. For purpose of clarity, incase you were not given full details, these altercations which began shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed the reelection of Hon Aniekan Uko who began the 6th House of Assembly as Speaker, following the power tussle between forces behind the two major contenders then, Barr Ime Okon and Onofiok Luke which led to a lockjam on June 8, 2015, before the said Aniekan Uko was opted for, as a neutral option.
Your Excellency, though the perpetrators of these acts of distraction have been cowed to come out plain in the open to make their avaricious agitations, having gone under the guise of one pseudo and nonexistent group in the name of “Atai Uyo Conscience”, even a political novice would still have known from the start that such could only have been borne out of the greedy disposition of one Prince Uwem Ita Etuk who serves in your cabinet as Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning. Though not a political novice, I had the conviction that your commissioner was out to test the potency of his diabolical powers yet again. Though he (Etuk) and his political godson, Uko had tried denying being the underneath hands sponsoring the media attacks on the current speaker in their plot to reclaim the speakership position, my instinct was proven right just last weekend when I visited a print media house in Uyo for business purposes and stumbled on a paid advertorial by the same “Atai Uyo Conscience” being booked for publication. In a feigned reluctant enquiry, I was told that the said advertorial was sent in by one Ernest Akpan, a journalist cum politician from Ibesikpo Asutan L.G.A who was contracted by Uwem Ita Etuk and Aniekan Uko and mobilised with the sum of seven hundred thousand naira (N700,000) for the job.
Sir, this is no issue to me, considering the extent to which a Nigerian politician can go just to get power. Now that the veil has been taken off the eyes of “Isaac” for him to see the real face of Jacob carrying the hairy hands of Esau, I am now concerned about the open and secret statements credited to this commissioner you appointed, and to whom you, for all I know, only assigned the duty of overseeing the ministry you placed under his watch…most especially the threatening statements he made under the guise of Atai Uyo Conscience.
Two of the threatening statements made are as quoted: “We frown at a situation where political jobbers and desperados have decided to play politics with this very sensitive office, noting that the decision of the Uyo Federal Constituency to massively vote for the People’s Democratic Party come 2019 elections, will depend largely on how this development is managed and resolved to favour the Federal Constituency… “we hope that all stakeholders of the PDP will as a matter of urgency meet and find a political solution to the matter, else the group will be left with no other option than to explore other avenues to ensure Uyo Federal Constituency reclaimed its rightful place in the House of Assembly”.
Now, Sir, one sure example of the “other avenues” to be explored by Prince Ita Etuk is his fetish powers which he has been heard boasting to people that once he steps into the forest to consult his power sources, he must get whatever he wants. But while ignoring him to the very fetish belief that defines his notoriety, any other conceivable avenue is most likely to be a threat on the life and safety of the incumbent speaker. This, Your Excellency, calls for serious security concern.
On the first part of the quote, that is glaringly a threat on your political career and second term chances, as it is obvious from the statement that your commissioner and his followers will not hesitate to lead opposing forces against you, should his spell not hold you to the point of returning to him the very speakership position he has been feeding on all through the 6 months of his boy(Aniekan Uko’s) reign as speaker of the 6th assembly. This very one, I leave to your discretion as the Chief Executive Officer and leader of the ruling party in the state.
Finally, Your Excellency, in the heat of this power tussle which will finally be brought to your table, I leave with you the wisdom of the biblical Solomon which I pray should engulf you while taking a position. But where you find it difficult to apply this wisdom, may you at least find the evasive wisdom of Pontius Pilate to wash your hands off this case and send every awakened dog back to sleep.
– By Godwin Elijah
#AkwaIbom
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