November 15, (THEWILL) – Must the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, destroy Ibibio and Akwa Ibom State before he can get Itai State for his Annang kindreds?
When Senator Akpabio started the war on Ifim Ibom Ibibio and Ibibio in general under the guise of protest against the amended Traditional Rulers Council law that created the office of the President-General, which is occupied by an Ibibio king, not many people knew where he was dancing to.
Now, the dance steps are already in the village square, and Akpabio’s mission has been unveiled. How can a man who is the number one beneficiary of the benevolence and kindness of Ibibio be the one dipping the sword beneath the abdomen of Ibibio? Akpabio hates Ibibio so much that he would not mind sinking the entire Akwa Ibom State to frustrate the Ibibio and sail away with his anticipated Itai State.
Already, reliable sources close to Senator Akpabio have hinted that the Senate President and some members of the National Assembly are working towards revisiting the issue of State creation that was already laid to rest by the 9th Assembly.
Senator Akpabio’s interest in the project is that he could use it to actualise the creation of Itai State.
To achieve this, he has heavily mobilised sections of the State including Annang Nation and the coastal part of the State such as Oro and Eastern Obolo. This shall be preceded by the installation of Itai Afe Annang as the President-General of the Supreme Traditional Rulers Council of the said Annang and the coastal region of Akwa Ibom State.
Akpabio is now stoking ethnic fire against the Ibibio with two hands to confirm that he is the chief sponsor of the unnecessary protest against the TRC law.
In fact, credible sources say Senator Akpabio has appointed some persons to be under the payroll of the National Assembly but are attached to Afe Annang to ensure that they serve as his Liaison Officers that will work against the interest of peace and unity of the State, perpetually pitching the Annang against the Ibibio, State Government and Akwa Ibom State as a whole.
But how can Senator Akpabio have such a short memory? The same Ibibio that picked you from the floor and kept you on the chair of prominence are the same people you consider their destruction as your number one infamous constituency project? Might be he needs to be taken through a short refresher course of conscience.
When, in 2007, Senator Akpabio, then a commissioner appointed by an Ibibio son, Arc. (Obong) Victor Attah, then governor of Akwa Ibom State, all his Annang brothers and sisters publicly rejected him.
They called Akpabio names that they alone knew, and said a million unprintable things, which was climaxed by his late cousin, Mr Isong Akpabio, publicly saying that Senator Akpabio was not Annang blood hence they could not support him to become governor.
Majority of Annang queued behind the son-in-law of the then-governor, Obong Attah, which was Dr Udoma Ekarika.
But Ibibio rose in support of the rejected Akpabio, threw their weight behind him and made him the governor of Akwa Ibom State, a platform that served as his springboard into political prominence in Nigeria.
Nobody is saying that Akpabio should come and idolize Ibibio but his gravity of persecution of the Ibibio has reached heaven’s boiling point. Of course, Ibibio were the major casualties in his eight years as governor.
And just when one thought it was over, Akpabio is now firing from all cylinders to ground Ibibio, and by extension, Akwa Ibom State, just because he has been assured that Itai State will be created for him. So, is destroying Akwa Ibom State the only way to achieve the mission of Itai State creation?
This mentality of creating friction in Akwa Ibom State so that Itai State can fly is a very destructive strategy by Akpabio. He can pursue his dream without decimating Ibibio under the guise of TRC law and making Akwa Ibom State tumultuous to justify the creation of Itai State.
Senator Akpabio should know that whatever and whoever he is today is attributed to the Ibibio, who never abandoned him like his Annang kits and kins.
He can go ahead to plant Itai State but let it not be on the grave he is digging for Ibibio and Akwa Ibom State.
Written by Usoro P. Usoro PhD, A communication expert and political analyst from Uyo
