SIFON Nursery/Primary School Holds Inter- House Sports

The Maiden Inter-House Sports Competition of Sifon Nursery / Primary School, Abak will take place today Tuesday, 30th March, 2010 at the school sportground at 10am.
A total of six houses will be competing in the sports Meet. The houses are White Barr. Ibokette, Red Hon. Udonsek, Blue Elder Eto-Abasi, Green Sir Asuka, Purple Mrs. Ikpat and Yellow Barr. Essein Okon.
A statement by the Headmistress of the School, Deaconess Mrs. R. J. Ekpenyong indicates that the Inter-House Sports Competition will be chaired by Dr. Emmanuel Ibanga while the Manager Union Bank Abak, Mrs. Enobong Udowo and the Supervisor for Education, Youth and Sports in Abak local government area, Mr. Godwin Norbert Okon are to serve as the Special Guest of Honour.
The statement added that other eminent personalities within and outside Abak local government area are expected.
Events to be competed for according to the statement include football, handball, Basketball, Volleyball, discuss, shot put, javelin, high jump, lung jump, 50m, 100m, 200m other track and field events, sack race, fashion parade, quiz etc.
At the end of the sports meet, trophies, certificates and other prizes will be given to the winning houses.
Speaking with our reporter at Abak, Mr. David Paul, a French Teacher in the school and one of the organizers of the Inter-House Sports said the competition will afford the pupil the opportunity to embrace sports as according to him, some of them may become future national and international stars.











ORONOKPONO: A SLAP ON AN OLD RACE
All was quiet in this park
Until the wind, like a gasping messenger, announced
The tyrant's coming.
Then did the branches talk in agony.
You remember that storm?
In their fear despairing flowers nevertheless held
Bouquets to the grim king….
---D. O

In a state where leaders believe so much in tribal politics, where ethnocentric bigotry holds sway, where millions of people are made to live in fear, where tension looms, where Machiavellianism is in vogue, where disunity is the order of the day yet the people outside the shores of the state are made to believe that there is unity here. In fact, in a state where smaller component(s) is/are marginalized, victimized and their rights trampled upon, a citizen like me with the Marxist's heart and thinking has nothing else to do in his leisure than to listen to, not just any music, but, reggae music. And not just to any how reggae music, but to those of Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Peter Tosh, Eric Donaldson (peace on their ashes), and Mandators, Maxwell Udoh, Andy Shurman, Orit Wilki and Peterside.
I was listening to Redemption Song by Bob Marley when my phone rang. I ignored it because of the wordings of the song which I hold in a very high esteem. “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery/ none but ourselves can free our minds/ I've got no fear for atomic energies 'cause none of them can stop the time….”
The phone rang again and I picked after lowering the volume of my radio set. Behold a man from Oron Local Government Area whom I have not known called me.
“Am I on to Thomas squared?” he asked
“Yes you are right,” I responded.
“Well, you do not know me, but I am an ardent reader of your column right from when you were writing for the Community Pulse…”
“I see!”
“Please, I want to ask if you have heard the arrest and subsequent arraignment of Comrade Ononokpono? Please I want you to comment on that, please because it is a slap on the Oro nation. How can a man be arrested for asking questions and proffering advice to his fellow man? Is it because Ononokpono is in the minority?”
The man spent about ten minutes talking the minds of all true born Oronians. Towards the end of his conversation, I raised the volume of my radio set and the music continued; “How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look? Some say it just a part of it; we got to fulfill the book: won't you help to sing? The song of freedom; the song that I ever have, redemption song”
“Ah! That music in the background is sweet,” the man said.
“It does not only sweet but suits the situation on ground. Don't you know that Chief Ononokpono is a prophet who before now had prophesied what would happen if ……well, good buy?”
I switched off my radio set because of furiousity. But come to think of it what was this Ononokpono wrote that should irk the governor? Was he not writing/repeating what others like Obong Victor Attah, Sen. Udoedehe etc. have been saying? Is he arrested because he is from the minority? Is he arraigned because he published his in a national tabloid of no less reputation- the Nation? Was he not asking questions bordering on the security situation and the management of fun