On Behalf Of The Governor, I Thank Sunny Ibanga

We listen to your mouthing of those
iron-fisted, self-armouring laws of the leopard
roared through your pay-staked tonque;…
We watch the cosmetic camaraderie of the rented,
camera-daring crowd shouting hosanna to
the leopard, long live the General!
Haba, town crier, how much is your gain?
- Joe Ushie.

I have been bothered in recent past on certain issues that are only of stately importance, but sound logically brave before the right-thinking few in our society. Yes, the right-thinking few because they are not many. It appears the right-thinking public are many only when constitutionalism is followed in distant countries of the globe.

I have never intended to comment publicly on the long concluded elections in Ghana which brought in Prof. Attah Mills from the opposition party and that of the United States which the Africa-American Senator, Barak Obama (also of the opposition party) conquered the fair skinned Senator and War veteran McCain. So, why I have to comment now is because I want to let my fellow Akwa Ibom people know that the election was not a “do-or-die” affair, as the likes of Chief Sunny Ibanga are proposing and orchestrating a do-or-die election in Akwa Ibom.

The above mentioned elections were not a “do-or-die” affair-a declaration made by the military-hearted Obasanjo during his re-election and during Yar'Adua presidential campaign. This alone and his other follow-up commands and indoor advices to the Maurice Iwu- led INEC could not give the opposition parties any breathing space in the election that saw in the present regime.


Though I am not trying to insult Chief Sunny Ibanga as he would think or regard my Marxist submission; on the other hand, I am not trying to make him popular as some people would think, No! what I want to do, and to do so whole-heartedly as it affects myself, Ibibio race and Akwa Ibom State is to call that emerging warrior to order; perhaps, advice him to leave politics (democracy) for democrats and return to the barracks and start plotting coup.

Those who have read Salient Points of last week can be my witnesses that I promised to conclude my letter to Mr. Enen Nsit. But I decided to suspend it for now based on the fact that if I fail to inform the general public about Chief Sunny Ibanga's intention to militarize politics in our dear state, the calamity, in fact, pogrom that will take place during governorship campaign in this state will resemble that of Rwanda. Yes, I have to let the people know about this coup which has already started actualizing in Ikot Ekpene when the wife of Senator Udoedehe went there to campaign. I can't shut up because evil thrives only when men who know what to do refuse to act.

When the news of the Senator's wife visit reached the people of Ikot Ekpene (where Sunny Ibanaga hails), some bloody, selfish, and non-focused politicians were not happy, hence they sponsored thugs to go and destroy canopies and chairs set for the occasion. As that wasn't enough, when some group of persons from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District organized what they called “Endorsement Rally” for Chief Akpabio, Chief Sunny Ibanga, in what could be called “speechless speech” said no body, apart from the incumbent governor, Chief Akpabio, will be allowed to campaign in Ikot Ekpene (the Senatorial District of the governor).

According to him, others (Udoedehe in Particular) can campaign in Uyo Senatorial district because he is from there, but should not dare him and or the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District by taking his campaign to the area.


Akwa Ibom people, is Chief Sunny Ibanga's utterances at the rally not resemble that of Idi Amin of Uganda? Does it mean that any body from Ibibio extraction has no right to campaign for votes in Annang land? What on earth is Sunny Ibanga afraid of? Is he trying to defend his business empire in Ikot Ekpene or is he trying to please the man (Governor) who has given him more than enough from the state treasury? Why is Chief Akpabio and Sunny Ibanga afraid of opposition if they know and believe that the incumbent has surpassed records in the last three years? If Governor Akpabio knows he has done much why is he opposing opposition?

Let me put it across to all those who are in support of Chief Ibanga's position that a society that breeds ethnicity is bound to collapse. If the Annangs want to bring ethnicity into Akwa Ibom State politics, already they had started it, then the state will not be conducive for them because the Ibibios are sixty times larger in number than they are.

I don't want to waste my ink writing about the insult meted on Obong Attah on that day by a very insignificant few who are, by all standards, empty opportunists. I hate seeing those who lacks integrity and locus opening their mouths on Obong Attah. I know most of these people would not have done so naturally, but they have to do what their master (Gov. Akpabio) is doing just to be relevance in his government.

Second term is not a must. The constitution of Nigeria provides for four years (a term) for governors and says whosoever that seeks for re-election has the right, but to occupy it for another one term if the people find him fit to continue. Attah governed for eight years because he was re-elected by the people amidst opposition. The likes of Dr. Ime Umana from Annang, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanaga and Mrs. Maria Ikpe (peace on her ashes) contested against Attah.

Then no Ibibio Son raised alarm, no traditional ruler issued communiqué, no political nkwa-itat and bomonkuku told Dr. Ime Umana to drop his aspiration because it was the turn of the Ibibios. That is why I wonder why the Annang and some crumb-eaters from Ibibios are ranting because of the emergence of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe and his subsequent endorsement by Obong Victor Attah. If Obong Akpabio has done much as trumpeted by those in his government, why is he going around begging to become a consensus candidate- the same thing he did to impose mediocres as council chairmen in Local Governments?

It is sheer insanity for anybody to think that Godswill Akpabio must be returned unopposed. Why must he be returned unopposed? Is it because he is a tin-god or a saint? Is it because his own style of administration is simply “Akpabio PLC”. Yes, Akpabio PLC. PLC here means “paint, label and commission”. What Obong Akpabio does ever since he was sworn in is to go about painting old projects, labeling them with “keeping the promise”, and commissioning them as his own projects. Let me ask: is painting of classroom block a project? Is digging of borehole or rehabilitation of old ones a project? This is exactly what Akpabio is busy doing and regrettably consider all of them as his mega projects.

Can some one please tell Mr. Sunny Ibanga that Senator Udoedehe, when it is time, will come to Ikot Ekpene and infact, Sunny Ibanga's village and blow his trumpet so that kidnappers will runaway to wherever they came from. Udoedehe will come there to tell the people how he will tackle hunger and unemployment and write the state off poverty and insecurity.

If it were to be in a civilized society like the United States or Britain, Chief Sunny Ibanga would have being brought to book for trying to bring insecurity and war into the state. I wonder how Sunny Ibanga felt when his sister was kidnapped- something he used to hear of in places far away.

If we are so happy with the transparency and accountability, equity and political fair play of these saintly countries (US, Britain and even Ghana), are we then saying that our system has gone sour, out-dated and our mentality darkened to logic and reasoning? If at all we have learnt any lesson from the emergence of two great leaders from opposition (in US and Ghana), are we ready to implement them in 2011 by changing our patronage of incumbency to personalities and their manifestoes? Do not be deceived by the antics of the likes of Ibanga, because when the chips are down, the children shall answer their father's name.

I am not calling fire from heaven to consume Sunny Ibanga and his cohorts, rather, I am of the opinion that the incumbent governor and those around him should tolerate opposition and their (the incumbent's) mainfestoes must be refurbished and panel-beaten to suit the 21st century yearning and orientation if Akwa Ibom State is to catch up with its contemporaries in the country, politically and economically

The incumbent should learn to co-exist with others, irrespective of political creed.

Finally, I thank Chief Sunny Ibanga for violently supporting his brother, for becoming his town-crier; but how much is the gain if we allow sycophancy to be the hall mark of our politics to the extent that our eyes are blinded that we fail to see that this government is not doing well in all ramifications.