Mr. James Abang is Very Rude! I must apologize for my late reaction to Mr. James Abang’s unfortunate comments about Annang people in his September 17, 2014 piece posted on many Internet platforms. I had hoped to stay off posting until I read Mr. Abang again. Not all trashy write-ups by some of our misdirected brothers need response. However, this one has passed the threshold to be ignored. I have indulged myself the pressure of rebutting falsehood written about Annang on any platform only as a duty to protect unsuspecting readers/researchers on the cyber because rubbish left unchallenged could be picked up as fact by innocent researchers. It is primarily for this reason that I wish to respond to the rude statements by Mr. Abang. However, it is imperative to state that no single war or disagreement on earth has ever been started by more than one person. It has always been a suggestion of one single individual before others are convinced or confused to sign on to war. Moreover, always, the consequences of a single individual usually become the concerns of many. For example, in the 90s, Gen. Collins Power cautioned US President Bush, Sr., against going to war in Iraq thus, “If you break it, you must fix it.” Evidently, it is not an overstressed conclusion to say that the current upheaval in the Middle East today is traceable to the “broken” Iraq. That is why it is advisable for ultra ethicists in Akwa Ibom State to be circumspect of what they say and write about other ethnic groups in the state regardless of compulsion because careless talk causes life. That brings me to the offensive article published by one Mr. James Abang aforementioned. As an Annang man, I have to conclude that James and his co-travelers have decided on an undeclared verbal war against Annang with their constant unprovoked attacks. Annang must be on guard. Let it be known that Mr. Abang is entitled to believe that entire existence of Oron nation is strictly fasten to the apron string of another ethnic community in Akwa Ibom State - ‘Whenever an Ibibioman is in power, Oro prosper’ (James Abang, Sept., 17, 2014). There are many who would disagree with his put down of a very vibrant and independent group of people like Oros. Considering that Barr. Ntekim, by all measures, a real Oron man, was a permanent resident of police cell in Uyo by the order of a governor who happened to come from Ibibio for supporting the quest for equity and justice in 2003. May be that is the kind of prosperity James deserves. On the contrary, the “can-do spirit of Annangs and the Nigerian Civil War experience”, instruct the Annangs strongly against looking up to others for their survival. Annangs always fight for what they believe in. God’s merciful hands bless the Annangs at every point in our history to have heroes/heroines who rise to fight for our freedom and welfare. Mr. Abang should therefore be educated that where Annang is today politically in Akwa Ibom is due to Dr. Ime S. Umanah’s fierce fight for Hilltop Mansion in 2003 (I will come to that later), not through the marriage of a daughter of a governor. Such statement needs to be corrected. Additionally, James Abang is also free to campaign for and be comforted in his abnormal belief that a particular tribe should govern the state in perpetuity. Such reasoning explains why Abang would Nicodemusly campaign for the former SSG but write as if he supports the aspirations of Oro for governorship in 2015. The God of Oro has betrayed his secret, and exposes his treachery against Oro 2015 aspiration - “When Ibibioman is in power, Oro prospers.” Tufiakwa! James perverse belief of Oro’s prosperity being guarded by another ethnic group is his entitlement. However, he is not at liberty to make provocative and insulting statements about Annang such as “while the Oro man can completely forgives and forgets, his Annang brother brooks no wrong. He can wrong you but the day you wrong him, you are finished.” Really? Well, Abang’s thoughtless statement deserves critical and objective analysis to gauge its factuality against the reality on ground. His mean-spirited comments called for questions and I ask, How does he explain the fact that Gov. Akpabio, an Annang man, despite no support from Oro during his long struggle for a ticket to Hilltop Mansion in 2007, this Annang man still appointed qualified Oro men and women to top positions in his administration? If Annang man is unforgiving, how does Abang explain Annangman’s several nominations of Oro sons and daughters as Federal Ministers? Besides, it has been written somewhere that an Annangman’s administration has constructed roads and provided many life-enhancing projects in Oro nation. The only argument seems to be that he has not done as much as what he has done for “Oh Uyo!” In that case, they have good company even within the Annangs. If it is true that “Annang man can wrong you but the day you wronged him you are finished,” why would Akpabio, an Annang man do all these in the catchment area of those who “wronged” him? Abang, do you see yourself? James was not yet done with his insulting, distasteful and idiotic comment about Annang. Hear him again: “… Talking about women, these ancient brothers can identify a woman that can bring progress to the family. Here I think the Annangs have a slit edge. That is why the Annang are in power today.(emphasis mine) A good Annang man known as Dr. Bob Ekarika like King Solomon, was able to identify Obong Victor Attah’s daughter, marry her and thereby brought glory to the nation.” Interesting! Here, Abang believes that no Annang man or woman is qualified to be the governor of Akwa Ibom State unless he/she is married to a daughter or son of a governor. How insulting! How derogatory! If anyone had doubted that Mr. James Abang is not only brain dead but also has salt water of Oro rivers running in his skull, his quoted statement above has now settled such doubt. For if James is a thinking human, he would have known that Dr. Bob Ekarika, son-in-law of Obong Victor Attah, is not the governor of Akwa Ibom State as we speak to justify remotely his baseless, repugnant and sickening assertion. James’ statement that Annang is in power today through marriage of former governor’s daughter is not only dim- witted but also moronistic, an indicative of a man whose teacup is a head of a vulture. Why is James currently incompetent of understanding the fact that Governor Akpabio is not married to a daughter of any present/ former governor or past occupants of the seat of government in Akwa Ibom State or any other state? Why is Abang so incapable of circumspect in his statements? Mr. James Abang is really spoiling to break what he cannot fix. I wish he stayed off the Scent Leave Tree (Ntong Oku). He’s too close to disturbing its scent. James will not be able to handle the aroma/smell. Someone should hold him back before he “breaks” the fragile relationship of the “two ancient brothers.” Ironically, “Abang” is a very breakable item. Let me therefore release an abridged playbook of how Annang came to power today to prove Abang wrong. Dr. Ime Sampson Umanah is the commander and hero of the struggle. On that score, if truth should be told, Gov. Godswill Akpabio must be thankful to Dr. Umanah’s electoral exploit of 2003. Indeed, Abang’s offensive remark of a governor’s daughter as the reason for Annang being the governor is a product of ignoramus. Although the question was asked indirectly, and rudely, I will grudgingly oblige to address James Abang and add him to the list of need-to-know on how Annang got to where she is today politically. The journey started when a certain political leader of Essien Udim led a delegation to Dr. Ime Sampson Umanah and persuaded him to contest for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in 2003. The delegation was emboldened by the understanding of the political stakeholders in the state that Obong Victor Attah would serve for only one term. It was during this juncture that governorship rotation by tripod arrangement surfaced. Therefore, all the talks about senatorial zoning of governorship are political correctness of recent. Anyone saying anything to the contrary is off the wall disingenuous. Therefore, as Obong Attah was coasting towards the end of his first term, some smart political strategists (praise- songsters) in Attah’s camp realized they could hang around for additional 4 years. They went about persuading and bewildering Obong Attah that he could ignore what was previously agreed. Attah then convinced himself to believe that he could “complete’ all his projects in the second term. Just like anything in political Nigeria, one term based on tripod arrangement (Annang, Oro and Ibibio) thereby was jettisoned. Meanwhile, Dr. Ime Umanah, with a superior manifesto, insisted that the original arrangement must be kept for fairness and equity. In his usual style of doggedness, focus and determination, he went ahead and prosecuted a historic governorship campaign, the kind that may never be seen again in Akwa Ibom State using his personal war chest. All those leaders who originally agreed and supported a one-term-each-tripod arrangement abandoned him including the Essien Udim elder due to financial packages from the bulky pocket of our public funds controlled by Obong Attah. Additionally, in frantic attempt to weaken and suffocate Dr. Umanah’s overwhelming political supports, the talk of handing over to Annang after Attah’s second term became the battle cry; and Ibibio, Annang, Oro Tripod was overstressed and reemphasized. There is no question that the phenomenal governorship campaign of 2003 forced Attah’s hands to ‘negotiate’ transfer of power to Annang after his second term. Astonishingly, despite the generous flow of financial inducements to buy off Ime Umanah’s political based in the state, Imes’ campaign prospered rather than diminished. He fought Attah to a political standstill and ‘won’. Nevertheless, the promised of transfer of power to Annang by Attah had the effect of persuading some political leaders to support his second term ambition to “complete projects initiated by him.” That notwithstanding, Obong Attah’s second term ambition was safe and protected by the scandalous bribery of the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Tribunal of 2003, effectively managed by the then Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, late Justice Effiong Ukpong, who personally distributed the bribe money to the Tribunal Judges at Stallion Guest House in Uyo. The shocking bribery scandal was first of its kind in the history of Election Tribunal in Nigeria. Ace investigative journalist, Mr. Anietie Ekong, the current SA to Governor Akpabio on Media, exposed the Tribunal bribery scandal; he won award for its reportage. Consequently, Abang’s assumption of Annang picking the governorship on the foundation of Bob Ekarika’s marriage to Victor Attah’s daughter is a function of political illiteracy of Akwa Ibom State and a result of a sustained incapacity to learn how to think logically before speaking or writing. James, concisely, that is how Annang is in power today. Annang didn’t get it on a golden plate; they did not wake up one morning and be “zoned” the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in 2007. In essence, Gov. Akpabio is the beneficiary of Dr. Umanah’s fight to succeed Attah in 2003. No wonder Godswill Akapbio is so very humble! Because he realizes that, “those whose palm kernels were cracked for them by benevolence spirit shouldn’t forget to be humble.” Evidently, Dr. Ime Umanah was at the helm of cracking the palm kernel that brought Gov. Akpabio to power. Incidentally, trailblazing for Akwa Ibom is nothing new to Dr. Ime Sampson Umanah. After all, it is common knowledge that he fought and got Akwa Ibom State created just like the state of Israel was created because of a Jewish friend of President Truman. In fact, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State, once openly told late Obong Akpan Isemin, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, in Minna that he created Akwa Ibom because of Dr. Ime Umanah. This fact probably was in Gov. Akpabio’s mind when he sent SMS to Dr. Ime Umanah soliciting his comments when Obong Attah recently claims the sole creator of Akwa Ibom State. Indeed, Godswill’s expectation of Dr. Umanah was very unreasonable and uncalled for because Akpabio’s new birth realization of Dr. Ime S. Umanah’s significance to the state is very dubious and questionable. No wonder Dr. Umanah ignored the governor’s text message, causing Gov. Akpabio to go on air and invented his own version of how Akwa Ibom State was created. Meanwhile, when former Gov. Attah realized the inevitability of power transfer to Annang after his second term due to Dr. Umanah’s political pressure, Attah began to search for a successor away from his deputy, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong. This search prompted Mr. Udeme Nnanah, former SSA to Obong Attah on media, to memo the first report to Attah projecting Godswill Akpabio, then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as their choice replacement of Chris Ekpenyong. At some point, Obong Attah bought into that suggestion and even introduced Godswill to political stakeholders of Ibibio stock as his political heir. However, through political intrigues, when Ekpenyong “resigned” as the deputy governor, instead of picking Godswill as his deputy governor as was schemed by Mr. Nnanah and others including former SSG Umanah O. Umanah, Gov. Attah by-passed Godswill and other politically active persons without explanation. Instead, he chose a gentle, none political Sir Michael Udofia, as his new deputy. Obong Attah’s action and his failed attempt to foist his son-in-law, Bob Ekarika, as his successor, caused Godswill Akpabio to privately described Attah’s intent to hand over to Annang as deceitful at best. Frankly, many still question if Attah was honestly interested in handing over to Ananng if Ime Umanah did not apply considerable political pressure on Akwa Ibom power structure. Therefore, James Abang brainless talk is disrespectful, insolent, irritating, and very moronic. In fact, his write-up could be an early symptom of loosening of nuts in the skull for how can a thinking being declares and believes that the entire Annang race has no qualified person to be a governor of Akwa Ibom State except by marriage to a governor’s daughter. Now that I have briefly brought James Abang or anyone with his kind of thinking from the intellectual Siberia on how “the Annang are in the power today,” I wish he would be humble enough to apologize to Annang race for his derogatory comments. Rather than preoccupied himself with Udom Emmanuel and co, James Abang should explore the lead of Atuekong Etiebiet and HRM of Ika Local Government Area and advocate for what is right for Oro and fight for it. I recognize that occasionally, there will be some under- educated people who won’t see a thick line between a governor and his/her community, for this group of RETARDS (apology), we shall continue to distinguish them as slow learners, then teach them pain-takenly and gradually on how to think through before they write. This is the way it is now. Ukpong Ekam
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:21:42 +0000
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