WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET OVER IT? ...The Akwa Ibom Perspective

1.0 I have only just finished doing justice to the award-winning article
by Andrew M. Manis, the five-star Associate Professor of History at Macon
State College in Georgia. As a Nigerian who's had very little exposure out
of my country, my first reaction was to investigate the skin colour of Dr.
Manis! Is he really white? The affirmative response assures me at once
that there's hope for the United States. It's with that hope in mind that
I have kept my right palm open and ready for a handshake of appreciation
with the History teacher. I prophesy that within weeks, the authorities of
Macon State College or everyone so-responsible shall promote the man to
full-fledged professor! I wish there was something bigger than professor!

2.0 I shall presently voice my sentiments vis-a-vis this newspaper
editorial that is sure to remain on the frontburner of world discourse for
months on end. Meanwhile, permit me to appreciate Eno Adams for enabling
the forum to see this article. Permit me to also challenge more and more
of our Diasporan brethren to emulate Mr. Adams and ensure that more and
more of such soul-lifting, hope-generating and truth-embedded articles are
brought to this online town hall meeting; as against the pugnacious,
fastidious and hateful postings which are currently our pastime. That is
the way to go if we are truly serious of repositioning Akwa Ibom State or
Nigeria and indeed the macro-society.

3.0 Back to the United States; why, how, when? See, I am not an emotional
person. Or so I thought. Why? Oh, I confess that as line after line of the
racial confession of a writing sank in, a tear or two rolled down my
cheeks. Even now the heaviness in my heart won't go away. As I write this,
the battery of questions that ensued as I read on, persists: Why has man
chosen to mess up the free, happy world God gave him gratis, and on a
platter of gold? Why is there so much human inhumanity? Why does the
United States hate the United States so much? And what's worse, the United
States we refer hereto is the same exact United States the rest of the
world has for long deferred to as the Pride numero uno, the Model-in-Chief
of the Universe! But, good news: I won't cry for the U.S., because two
resons assure me doubly that this cup shall, like all the other cups, also
pass over the U.S., this same U.S! One, the U.S. is also peopled by the
like of Andrew M. Manis, who'd rather die than allow the country in the
throes of colour stupidity. And two, even more importantly, the same God
who ensured and enabled a black President for the first time ever, at a
time even Blacks themselves never believed it could happen, is still alive
and working overtime in and for the U.S! The U.S. can; the U.S. shall
outlive this ''Neanderthalness.'' Surely.

4.0 Therefore, what I'd rather we concerned ourselves with is the message
the Associate Professor has embedded, even if unconsciously, for Akwa Ibom
people. You didn't see that angle, did you? It's a crying shame, UKANN
NNYIN, we spend all the time pouting at the U.S. when the indictment
dripping from Matthew 7:3 should have kept us away from casting the first
or any stone at all. Let's rejig the poser in the article for our own
context: WHEN IS AKWA IBOM GOING TO GET OVER IT? When are we going to get
over our ''atomistic-ness?'' Which of our leaders have we not killed and
buried with our mouths? I can rewind, for effects. Obong Akpan Isemin -may
the soul of that great leader rest in peace- ''was a disaster, was he
not?'' Even Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, how long did the standing ovation
we gave him last? Enter Obong Attah; ''Oh we shouldn't even talk about his
eight years as governor, should we?'' I thought we were home and dry when
Chief Godswill Akpabio happened along as the new kid on the block. But
even in this forum, we have shamed me that I heaved my sigh of relief too
early. But why, Akwa Ibom, why? When are we going to get over our
finger-pointing, name-calling second nature? When are we going to get over
disparaging and setting our leaders against each other? When are we going
to cherish and support the leader(s) that God brings - and yes, it's God
that brings all! Say what you would, but for my family and me, this is
that history of ours that the article from the U.S. challenges us to
correct! Can we? Shall we? When will Akwa Ibom get over it?