Michael Onofiok, a maritime expert, is one of the governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State. He spoke with Kazeem Ibrahym.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned the governorship ticket to Eket Senatorial District. As a governorship aspirant from Oron, are you satisfied with such arrangement?
I am partly satisfied with the arrangement. At the initial stage, there were insinuations making rounds in the state that there was not going to be any kind of zoning at all. That was against the original arrangement of tripod. The power sharing formula between the major ethnic groups in the state, that is the Ibibios, Annangs and Orons.
The Ibibios have had the first share in the formula. They have been there from the time of late Obong Akpan Isemin to Obong Victor Attah’s period. They spent almost 12 years in the Government House. The Annangs are there now represented by Chief Godswill Akpabio whose second tenure is running up by 2015. 2015 is supposed to be the Oron’s turn, which is the third leg of the tripod but from nowhere we started hearing politics of Senatorial District and no more an ethnicity. We were very uncomfortable with that. We had to battle that with the party and the governor himself. So I am glad that at least the party has made that first pronouncement that the governorship has now been zoned to Eket Senatorial District. We still expect them to say more. The party and the governor still have to say more. That apart from the power shifting to Eket Senatorial District, it has to be Oron Nation. That was exactly what Ex-Governor Victor Attah did. He made that pronouncement that power was going to shift from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene with particular reference to Annang speaking group because he knows that there are still Ibibio of Ini and Ikono of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. So we expect the party to go further in their pronouncement and declare that Oron has the right to produce the next governor after the expiration of the tenure of Governor Godswill Akpabio.
What is the way forward for Oron now that emphasis is placed on politics of senatorial district instead of tripod arrangement?
It will be a disservice to the people if the government now feels it should abandon the tripod agreement that has given us relative peace in the state. I am just a governorship aspirant, I wasn’t there when our forebears drew the agreement on the tripod arrangement. People like Dr. Etim Uye, former Ambassador was part of the meeting. Someone like Chief Don Etiebet was also in the meeting. Former Governor Attah is much aware of this arrangement and even the late Obong Akpan Isemin, a former governor from Ibibio stock was privy to this arrangement. If there is any derailment from that arrangement then that will be of disservice to the people. I will be grateful to see the Ibibios mobilising support for Oron and declaring that Oron had the right to produce the next governor for Akwa Ibom State. With that, the Ibibios would have for once reciprocated the gesture often done to them by the Oron people since senatorial districts were created as purely administrative areas.
Are you comfortable with the aspiration of some Uyo politicians that have also indicated interest in the 2015 governorship?
I am not comfortable with that because Uyo Senatorial District has ruled the state for almost 12 years from late Obong Akpan Isemin’s time to the end of Governor Victor Attah. I have heard series of messages going round the state and I have also read from some Ibibio people saying that Governor Akpabio should make pronouncement that he will be handing over to an Oron person that if the Governor is bold enough to do this, then the Ibibio race will withdraw from the contest and also look for who to support from Oron. But what I am not comfortable with is the Ibibio also indicating interest to run for the same governorship and giving the governor a condition as well. If you give a governor a condition that until he makes further pronouncement that governorship is going to Oron and not Eket senatorial district, then I think we can go and have peace but not also contesting inside the election and also giving the same condition. So, I expect the Ibibio to lay down their ambition and also give support to the Oron people. Apart from waiting for the governor’s pronouncement, the Ibibio should also pronounce that Oron is the third leg of the tripod and Oron is due for the governorship. Oron has supported an Ibibio man for office of the governorship. Oron has supported an Annang man to the office of the governor ; so, I think it is expedient to also give an Oron man an opportunity to be governor. Then the governor will be helpless and he will see the reason to also shift his support to Oron. But when the Ibibio are looking for governorship and compelling the governor to make that pronouncement, it is not right. If the Ibibio accept to do that it is a war 90 per cent won because what that means is that we have now won the support of Uyo Senatorial District and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district cannot have a problem with this arrangement. They are 100 per cent in support of Oron emerging the next governor after Governor Godswill Akpabio. So, if they go on to make this pronouncement, then other people will be weakened and they will see no other reason than to support an Oron person.
What kind of PDP primaries do you expect in Akwa Ibom State going by the claim of some people that the governor is trying to impose his SSG on the people?
There will be no primaries on the basis of imposition of aspirant. When you impose a candidate on the people, especially at this time where the government is supposed to be doing stock taking and try as much as possible to re-align itself to the wishes of the people. When you impose a candidate on the people, they will see it as a challenge. That is not expected of a leader which I am sure that is not what our dear governor is out to do. He may have one to three people that he could wish to give his support. He has to present this man to the people of Akwa Ibom State. All we have been hearing is rumours that Governor Akpabio is in support of Emmanuel Udom. If the reason for sacking former SSG Umana Umana was that he already campaigning while in office for the governorship, then what is Udom doing now? Udom is also campaigning. His flyers and posters are everywhere in the state. He is also holding meetings everywhere much more than what former SSG Umana did. I am very sure why Umana was removed from office may have been on something that transcends what we know. The question of imposition to me is still a mirage because that is not realistic at all. If you are talking about going into a primaries with a candidate that has already been imposed on the people, the people have the right to reject such candidate and we want proper things to be done.
As we move towards the PDP primaries, what role do you expect of Governor Godswill Akpabio?
The governor should play a fatherly role because he is disengaging from the government. I think the only legacy he holds the people is giving us that memory of him that we would sit down here and say we have missed our dear governor that if he were around he would have done this and that for us. We want to him to disengage with respect and go home with total respect from the people of Akwa Ibom State. He should play a fatherly role and give us a level playing field. The governorship should be zoned to the area that is due for it and that is Oron. No matter how many people that indicate interest in that area to run for the governorship if none is willing to step down for the others let them go to the field. Be fair and be impeccable in your decision and let us see what comes out of this but all we want is for him to give us long lasting legacy.
Oron seeks Akwa Ibom’s top job
Uyoatta Eshiet
The Oron Nation comprises five local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. The Oro Nation is appealing to other ethnic groups in the state to support it in its bid to produce the next governor of the state. During The people spoke at the first Oron Nation’s Thanksgiving Day and lecture in Lagos.
The event took place at the Oron House located on Hamidu Williams Street, Okota, Isolo, Lagos mainland. The first part was an interdenominational thanksgiving service. The second part was a soul-searching lecture on why Oron Nation has remained backward despite its huge contributions to Akwa Ibom State and the national economy through her oil and gas resources.
The lecture titled: “The Politics of Land and Sea in Nigeria; Redefining Political and Economic Engagement in Oron Nation”, was delivered by Rev Fr. Donatus Pius Ukpong of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Ministering at the thanksgiving part of the event was: Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Calabar, Most Rev. Joseph Ekuwem, Vice Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom State, Ven. Antai and Rev Fr. Ukpong.
In the Homily by Bishop Ekuwem titled: “Oro, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, he quoted from the book of Psalms 137, Romans 9: 1-5 and Luke 17. He emphasized the need for thanksgiving as a means of appreciating God for His goodness and getting Him to do more.
He told the Oron people that though God has the power to do anything, He would not do everything because He has given man the intellect and every other thing needed to use to excel.
He said: “With a friend in Jesus, one can achieve the unachievable, urging them to team up within themselves and with others to achieve their desires. After 89 years, the Oron Nation has come of age; God has blessed them with intellect, they must stand up for what they want as no one will give them their due if they don’t demand for it”, the cleric said.
He urged the Lagos branch of the union to ensure the larger Oron Nation imbibes the spirit of giving thanks to God.
Ven. Antai said though the thanksgiving was belated, it was better late than never. He said it was thanksgiving that caused Jesus to make whole one leper out of 10 who were cleansed because she returned to give thanks.
Rev Fr. Ukpong, in his paper, faulted the “political anger” in the Akwa Ibom project as satirised by Governor Godswill Akpabio. He says it lacks natural justice and frustrates the divine blessedness of some people in the state.
Rev. Ukpong insisted that the starting point of a true Akwa Ibom Project is the elimination of the structures of sin, correction of perennial injustice and the up-turning of economic and political structures that are not rooted in justice. These structures are responsible for poverty in the midst of wealth and enslavement of kings and queens in their palaces, he said.
The real and true Akwa Ibom Project should be driven by real anger for equity and justice, without which there can be no real development and economic transformation, he added.
He said: “The real argument in Nigeria today should be resource contribution to the sharing pool not just on land mass or population as some would want us to believe either in Akwa Ibom or Nigeria. The Oro Nation has contributed the largest share to the sharing pool in Akwa Ibom State to produce the next Governor of the state in the interest of justice and equity.”
As the Nation moves towards another election period, Rev. Ukpong warned political gladiators to bear in mind that democracy has its standard and core values, which are not optional in any country. He listed some of them to include respect for human life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, the common good, justice, equity, respect for diversity and truth.
The paper recommended that Oro sons and daughters should train and equip themselves for serious political engagement in Nigeria to give them a voice in the politics of land and seas in the country.
The people were urged to embrace politics of equity and inclusiveness in 2015 and beyond. The paper presenter urged the Oron people to endeavor to establish urgently what he called “Oro Business Consortium” with seed money from the five local governments in the Oro nation and strive to revamp the Ebughu Fishing Company for the use of the Oro people.
On the abandoned Ibaka Deep Seaport, Rev Fr Ukpong challenged all Oro sons and daughters to pursue it relentlessly, politically and otherwise. “The project is perennially ignored because there is no Oro person at the helm of affairs in the state as a governor,” he said.
He urged them to take advantage of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and train themselves on sea-related businesses.
The people were challenged to give necessary support to political appointees of Oron extraction either at the state or federal level. Since the future of any person is education dependent, Ukpong said individuals and groups should engage themselves extensively in educational advancement.
The lead discussant and former Managing Director, Niger Dock, Nkpubre Nkpubre, demanded justice from Akwa Ibom State government on the issue of 13 per cent oil money derivation.
“75 percent of the oil derived from Akwa Ibom State is from the five local government areas of the Oro Nation. Equity demands that the state government should give a reasonable percent of the derivation received to the oil bearing local government areas instead of what is obtained today,” Nkpubre said.
Another panel discussant, Chief Abasi-Etim Edet, urged the Oron people to take their destiny in their hands, unite and demand the governorship of the state next year.
The people called on the Akwa Ibom State government to declare May 23 of every year as a public holiday in the Oro Nation.
The President of the Lagos branch of the Union, Mr Maurice Ukpong, said on May 23, 1925, their founding fathers, Chief Okon E.O. Isong, Chief Awana Esin and Chief Ekpu Edubio Odoro led others in the first meeting that gave birth to the present Oro Nation. The ideals of the founding fathers laid the foundation for the educational foundation of the people, which offered scholarships to indigent but bright children of Oro Nation to study abroad, Maurice said.
