ZONING: Ex-PDP scribe disagrees with Akpabio, Says ALGON members are Illetrates Otuekong Atako Gabriel Ukporo is a name synonymous to Akwa Ibom politics having evolved around the corridors of powers in the state for decades. He is a maverick political bulldozer in Eket senatorial district and has remained the de-facto political leader of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area where he yields influence on who becomes what, politically. He is the immediate past assistant state secretary of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and secretary of the party for Akwa Ibom South (Eket) senatorial district. Chief Ukporo dared into contentious issues which other politicians of his kind dare not. He advocates for politics of inclusion and disagrees with any idea of zoning that will exclude any segment of the Ibibios who are in the three senatorial districts of the state from contesting the 2015 governorship seat. He is the national coordinator of Ibibio Heritage Project, a group seeking to actualise his political ideology in 2015. His political activism dates back to the 90s when he emerged chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in Ikot Abasi LGA after defeating a popular opponent to clinch the office. In this interview with the Editor-in-chief of The Radar Newspaper, Franklyn ISONG, the high chief picked holes on governor Akpabio’s zoning formula and slammed the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) over their media statement against Ibibio Elders’ Forum. It was vintage Ukporo. Excerpts: Akwa Ibom state is 26 years, what is your assessment? We are happy that we have gone far in Akwa Ibom especially, the tenure of His Excellency, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio who has made us proud by placing the state in the comity of states in Nigeria; in terms of infrastructure; in terms of communication; in terms of human development; we are properly placed by the governor. We are very happy at the pace of development going on in the state and we pray that after the expiration of his tenure in 2015, that God should give us another governor like him so that the development in Akwa Ibom can continue at the current transformation pace. How would you analyse Governor Godswill Akpabio’s 26th Anniversary speech? The speech was well written and as a father of the state, he advised on the need to maintain peace and unity in the state irrespectively of ethnic divide. He preached the message of togetherness, so it was okay! The governor in his speech, advised against heating up the state with ethnic campaigns for the 2015 governorship position, do you agree with him? Well, you don’t expect anything less from the governor as a father of Akwa Ibom state like, I said much earlier. Yes! In his broadcast message to the people of the state, he said that we should not carry out ethnic campaigns ahead of the 2015 governorship position but, there is no way the people can divorce themselves from where they come from. And so, the truth must be told! There is no way an Oro man would not say that Oro person should be governor; there is also no way Ibibio man would not say that Ibibio person should be governor; and there is no way an Annang man would not say that Annang person should be governor. The truth has to be told. If we shy away from these realities of life, then, it is not good for us as a people from different ethnics’ background. So, I disagree with the governor to that extent. You would recall that in 2007 when the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Obong Victor Attah zoned the governorship position to Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, he knew too well that there is Ibibio ethnic group in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and so, he did not exclude them from the governorship race. He only zoned the position to Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and left it open to all the ethnic groups in that area to contest for the office which was why, the people of Ikono and Ini local governments areas in that zone, contested for the governorship position in 2007, go and check the records. It was not an exclusive zoning because the Ibibios in the other two senatorial districts took active part in both the parties’ primaries and general election of 2007. So my argument is that the governorship position of Akwa Ibom state in 2015 should be opened to all Ibibios in the state. Ibibios in Eket senatorial district; Ibibios in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district; and Ibibios in Uyo senatorial district should be allowed to participate. It will be undemocratic and morally right wrong to say that the governorship position of the state is zoned to Eket senatorial district only, because, the people of the other two senatorial districts also have the constitutional rights to aspire to occupy any elective position in the state in any in the 2015 election. I am completely against politics of exclusion currently being canvassed for, in some quarters in the state. Still on the 2015 governorship poll, it is a common knowledge that apart from Obong Umana Okon Umana who happens to come from Uyo senatorial district that has declared openly to seek the office, no other Ibibio person has come out to seek for the position even from other zones, despite the governor Akpabio’s stance on zoning. What can we say is responsible to that? Initially, when I came out with the position of my group, Ibibio Heritage Project, to speak for the Ibibios in the state, several people misconstrued us; they said that I was speaking for Umana Okon Umana but that did not deter me because I know that I was speaking for the entire Ibibio nation in the country. Which include Ibibios in Eket senatorial district; Ibibios in Uyo senatorial district and Ibibios in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, my group’s position was all inclusive. And you know, we have that right because the Ibibios are the majority of the state whether you like it or not. And in any election, majority carries the votes. So what we are saying is that open the governorship race and then, let the whole people of the state decide who should be their governor in 2015. So, if you put your hears down, you will know that there are array of Ibibio sons and daughters who are really lining up for the 2015 governorship race. So many in Eket senatorial district; so many in Uyo senatorial district and so many in Ikono and Ini of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district who are prepared for the race. Few weeks ago the 31 LGC chairmen in the state under ALGON published a press statement in The Nation newspaper, describing Ibibio Elders’ Forum as a “fictitious group.” What is your reaction as an Ibibio elder? I think that the members of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) are ill-informed. They should have known that the Ibibio Elders’ Forum is a foremost Ibibio socio-cultural organisation in the country that had been in existence even before some of them finished their secondary schools and think of joining politics in Akwa Ibom and came to become local government chairmen in the system. They have been misled to say that because; Ibibio Elders’ Forum is not a political party or political group that has just been formed for 2015 election. It had been in existence in the state for quite a long time before now and before ALGON was formed. They forgot the fact that during the administration of Obong (Arc.) Victor Attah, the Ibibio Elders’ Forum led by a renowned Ibibio patriarch and leader, late Obong Dennis S. Udo-Inyang; a very reputable and significant personality in Ibibio land from Mkpat Enin local government area fought against the re-introduction of the onshore/offshore dichotomy into the revenue sharing formula of the country by the federal government and led a delegation of Ibibio elders to former president Olusegun Obasenjo at Aso Rock Villa, which ended the resource control struggle of which they are now enjoying at the 31 local governments councils of the state. How can ALGON say that such a body which is now being led by another prominent Ibibio leader, Obong (Dr.) Okon Akpan Uko is fictitious? It is unfortunate that they made such atrocious statement against the leaders of Ibibio nation. I am tempted to believe that the ALGON members lack basic knowledge of Akwa Ibom history and as such, made such unguarded and careless utterances out of ignorance. No wonder Ibibio Elders’ Forum has refused to react to it because the council chairmen have exposed their ignorance to the whole world through that Nation Newspaper advertorial. But the majorities in ALGON are Ibibios, are you saying that they did not know of all these facts before signing the advertorial? If you are in the political system, you won’t ask me such question because you would know what transpired there. None of them could refuse to sign it; some of them could sign without reading it; some could be signed for, without even seeing it and because of the political positions they hold, they cannot refute it or deny it. I know most of them that ordinarily would not be part of such nasty statements but, because of the political exigencies, they dare not refute or deny signing it. Is it true that some Ibibio elders in the state have been compromised with money to abandon the 2015 governorship struggle? I would not say that I have not heard the rumour. I have heard it and especially, Ntisong Essien Ekidem’s name was mentioned in the rumour. You know Ntisong is somebody that I hold in high esteem and so, I found it very difficult to believe but, if that is a fact, then, it is very, very unfortunate for the Ibibios. But, I believe that Ntisong with his position cannot sale out Ibibio nation, for whom I know. As the national coordinator of Ibibio Heritage Project, what is the position of your group on the 2015 governorship seat of the state? We aligned completely with what our dear son; distinguished Senator Anietie Okon said recently in an interview “that there had never been zoning in the history of Akwa Ibom State; that zoning itself is mundane.” Anietie Okon is a member of the PDP national caucus and he knows what the party wants, so we cannot stay in Akwa Ibom and do otherwise. We in Ibibio Heritage Project believe that the election should be opened to all so that a credible person who can manage the affairs of this state; a man who can even excel better than governor Akpabio in future can emerge governor. If we do zoning to that level it would be exclusive and will not do the state anything good. Our position therefore is that the governorship election should be all inclusive. There is no moral justification to exclude the Ibibios in any senatorial district of the state from the governorship election in 2015. That building electoral field to exclude others who have the ability and capacity to govern the state in the name of zoning is unacceptable; that the governorship seat should be occupied by a tested, proven and competent Ibibio person who will be able to consolidate on the present achievements of Governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration and lead the state to where it ought to be, after 2015. That is our position.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 23:26:26 +0000
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