ZONING OF UKANAFUN/ORUK ANAM FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY POSITON: A RETROSPECT The Ukanafun federal constituency which is made up of Oruk Anam and Ukanafun local government areas is one political constituency in Akwa Ibom state that the principle of zoning need not necessarily be invoked or upheld. In lieu of the incumbent representative, Hon.Obongunwana Emmanuel Ukoette , it is no longer news that some people of Ukanafun origin seek to replace him, using as justification the index of zoning to propel their demand. The other way round, most people of Oruk Anam and also of Ukanafun origin, for the sake of power consolidation are of the stance that Emmanuel ukoette should be re-elected, meaning a second term bid for the Oruk Anam person. This seemingly political tension calls for a second look at the political system of the constituency. It is appallingly obvious that the only reason most of Ukanafun people will likely be against the re-election of an Oruk Anam person is on the issue of zoning. But this perceived reason itself intimate in a rational mind the need to recap the history of zoning as long as the two local governments in the constituency are concerned. In order words, to go beyond sentiment of zoning to sensibility of political reality, there is need to probe how zoning system have always been treated in the constituency and how the elders, people and indeed past national assembly representatives especially from the agitating zone, in this context Ukanafun, have been implementing the zoning principle, for it is only a clear review and perusal of these pasts that we can accurately make an objective and impersonal decision on which camp to support. For those who consider the second term bid of Oruk Anam, by entailment re-election of Hon. Obongunwana Emmanuel Ukoette as anti-zoning move, they should understand that it is wrong to judge a man and indeed a people by any single moment in his life without taking into account the determining past and the expiating future. As it is and as widely publicised, It is true zoning promotes unity, fairness and equity and is clearly encapsulated in the PDP constitution and appears to new politicians as the accustomed practice in the politics of the Ukanafun federal constituency but fact of political history indicates the Ukanafun bloc of the constituency never believed in zoning and probably will never. Hon. Ukoette’s second term bid and the overwhelming support garnered is a perfect re- enactment of what the Ukanafun people and their representatives in the previous political dispensations have been doing and will do even more if given opportunities. Zoning as a principle is borne out of understanding and affirmed best by precedents. Going down the memory lane, it is obviously doubtful if any of the former Ukanafun indigene occupants of the national assembly ever heard of the term zoning! In 2003 it took the people of Oruk Anam and some people of Ukanafun an All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP)’s ticket held by Hon. Ubong Etiebet to defeat Hon. Eno Akpan of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, the Ukanafun son who had connived with his people against the now speculated principle of zoning to snatch a second term ticket from Sir Vitalis Unang and Monday Etiebet of Oruk Anam who won the nomination. And again, in 2011, the people of Oruk Anam had to wrestle even more to defeat Hon. Sabbath Obot of Ukanafun local government with a popular and youthful aspirant Hon. Obongunwana Emmanuel Ukoette. In each of the two cases, the Ukanafun aspirants ignored, put in disdain and trampled on the principle of zoning. There is no known record anywhere that the people, elders and indeed stakeholders formally condemned their sons’ impunity. As it were, as indeed it is, the Ukanafun people do not believe in zoning. On the two tenures they have occupied the House of Representatives seat, they never endorsed zoning but only discovered it after every fierce battle and subsequent defeat by Oruk Anam people alongside supporters from Ukanafun. There is therefore no absolutely and sufficiently strong reason for anyone to propose, advocate or invoke the principle of zoning between Ukanafun and Oruk Anam people in the forthcoming National Assembly Election. Hon.Obongunwana Emmanuel Ukoette like Hon. Eno Akpan and Hon. Sabbath Obot is qualify to contest the election and unlike the duo has a greater chance to win the nomination and election because of his demeanour and cherished charisma. It is and it will be only the electorate who will determine his fate! ITORO NTIA
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:21:08 +0000
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