File photo: Maj-Gen Edet Akpan (rtd) |
OPEN LETTER TO OUR
GOVERNOR, HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF GODSWILL OBOT AKPABIO, CON
My dear Excellency,
ISSUES FROM THE VISIT OF THE PDP
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, ALHAJI ADAMU MU’AZU TO AKWA IBOM STATE ON WEDNESDAY, 16TH
JULY, 2014
Please permit me to bring the following observations, though
belated, to your attention with regards to the visit of the National Chairman
of your Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu on Wednesday, 16th July, 2014. This letter
is coming to you now due to the fact that I travelled out of the Country a few
days after the visit and have just returned home.
Remarks by His Excellency at the
Ground Breaking Ceremony of the new Party Secretariat
Airport Reception
I had the misfortune of having to fly out of Uyo Airport on
the day your National Chairman was received. For lack of better words, the
scene on the Airport access road to the airport was tumultuous. We had to trek
for kilometers with luggage to access the airport; a number of people missed
their flights. And this impasse started some six hours before the arrival of
the guest, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
I do not expect you to know about the suffering of the poor
masses given your shielded life as a Governor. That is why I am bringing this
to your notice just in case you can assist to minimize such suffering by your
subjects.
I am not for a moment suggesting that you can stop the
political culture that seems to have come to stay – that of hired crowds to
receive dignitaries to create the desired impressions of popularity and
acceptability for the host and the guest. What I want to convey is for you and
your government to plan how to get your aides to plan the mobilization,
deployment and crowd control to minimize the sufferings of citizens who go
about their normal duties. If nothing is done, I can imagine what will happen
if the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria visits. The alternative is
for you to order the closure of offices, airports and markets so we can have
some peace and respect in our homes anytime dignitaries visit Akwa Ibom State.
My Excellency, permit me to say this; most of us wrongly
regard the word ‘Excellency’ as another word for the ‘Governor’. Certainly we
need to correct this impression. The word ‘Excellency’ is used for the Governor
and other top Government officials to define the character and mien of the
Governor. The Webster’s Universal Dictionary defines Excellency as ‘‘one who
excels, has superior merit or quality, a title of honour given to certain high
officials” so we expect the Governor and high officials of government to
exercise restraint, decorum and a high sense of responsibility in their conduct
and communication at all times and levels. They should develop the capacity for
tolerance and respect for others, including their political opponents.
I read with disbelief some of the remarks made by our
Governor in the presence of his guest, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. Among other things,
the Governor is reported to have asserted that “those who want to take power
through the backdoor will die. They will die, and PDP will continue . . .”
The Governor also talked of his political sons who were
empowered but turned round to betray him and compared such sons to Absalom and
Lucifer. My deductions from the Governor’s remarks are:
(1) The Governor had empowered his chosen political sons in
order for them to be loyal and serve the Governor’s interest at all costs!
(2) The Governor (leader of his Party in the State) doesn’t
believe that Governorship aspirants will go through the due process of
primaries set up by his Party, rather he expects some aspirants to go through
the backdoor!
(3) The Governor desires and surely expects his disloyal
political sons to die!
(4) The Governor expects every Akwa Ibomite in the political
process to follow him; nobody can have a different opinion, an indication that
he doesn’t believe in democracy!
These deductions clearly portray our Governor as agitated
and desperate. I cannot understand why the Governor should be desperate. On the
contrary, I expect his disloyal political sons to exhibit signs of desperation –
the Governor commands immense personal and State resources to canvass support
for his preferred candidate, whereas his political sons are seriously
handicapped financially. Luckily for the Governor, in today’s governance, there
is no difference between personal resources and public treasury. And I also
know that the Governor, for now, has a saleable aspirant. So what then is the
Governor’s problem?
It is clear to me that the Governor’s motivation and
orientation for service need to be re-examined by the Governor himself. The
Governor keeps harping on the issue of empowering people who turn round to
betray him. My Excellency, your people owe you nothing for your empowering them
and developing capacities. Indeed, this is the Governor’s mandate. If anything,
the Governor owes his people for entrusting their present and future into his
hands by electing him; empowering your people is doing the job for which you
were elected.
Your Excellency, the impression some of us get from your
utterances and actions is to say the least, very worrisome. We expect His
Excellency to know and appreciate the socio-cultural levels and values of his
people. His Excellency expects his people to be zombies who see him as their
slave-driver and “god”.
You should know that your people are among the foremost
people in Nigeria who do not only believe in Education, but imbibe qualitative
Education as the foundation for sustainable development. You will recall that
the Ibibio nation as early as 1937/38 sponsored her sons for overseas Education
and training. As a Lawyer, you will understand and appreciate what our
forebears did by sponsoring people like Late Justice Udo Udoma, your uncle,
Late I. U. Akpabio, along with others for qualitative Education abroad. Late
Justice Udo Udoma became the Chief Justice of Uganda because, as a minority
man, he was denied the opportunity of being the Chief Justice of Nigeria. In
your legal profession, you can imagine the number of lawyers we have produced
from the time of Late Justice Udo Udoma to when you graduated in the late
eighties and the number trained after your time to date. This trend applies in
other professions and disciplines. This is the State you have the privilege to
lead. You should appreciate the fact that because your people are educated and
civilized, this makes it easy for you to govern them. This same attribute makes
it near impossible for you to enslave them. Your people are republican in
nature and you must respect this once you accepted to lead them. Your present
attitude is an insult on our collective intelligence. I am sure your guest,
Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, must have been thoroughly embarrassed listening to the
abuses and curses you rained on your people. He knows that Akwa Ibom State is
endowed with educated and civilized citizenry.
It is expected and accepted that incumbent Governors should
be interested in who succeeds them. Please exercise this right but you must
accept the tenets of democracy to allow others to have their opinions. This is
the least we expect from our leader. I have read in the print media your
release that you never said you will kill anybody. I didn’t read that meaning
either from your remarks. Yes, you never said you will kill anybody. But you
expressed a clear desire for your disloyal political sons to die. These sons
are in your age bracket and so we don’t expect them to die through aging
process. The question some of your subjects would want an answer from you is,
who and how do you expect them to die and by what means?
The comparison with David and his son, Absalom doesn’t quite
answer the question because David never desired the death of his son, Absalom.
My Excellency, you should be wary when you are talking about God in human
affairs. His ways are not our ways. We should never assume or play God. In the
case of David and his son, Absalom, we know that David was a man after God’s
heart. In your case, we do not know who between His Excellency and his disloyal
political sons is “the man is after God’s heart”.
My dear Excellency, I sincerely wish the peace of God to be
with you. At these dying months of your tenure, I advise that you should be
winding down instead of opening new battle fronts. No doubt your job is a
difficult one and you must have stepped on toes but you can use the remaining
months to be at peace with yourself and most people.
I do hope you will take my advice with the sincere spirit I
have.
I remain yours faithfully,
MAJ-GEN EDET AKPAN (RTD), OFR
Atta Ibibio; Ada
Idaha ke Efik Eburutu
bla bla!!, so is he saying the issue of welcoming crowds has never been done for any of his receptions?, yes we all know this happens in Nigeria and of course most Nigerians as you can see here are so quick to point a finger once they are on the receiving end. im glad that he too has suffered it else he wouldn't be complaining. ntorr!!!
ReplyDeleteIm really tired of reading the same story over and over. recycled news everywhere. and i quote him "His Excellency expects his people to be zombies who see him as their slave-driver and “god”. really? im not buying any of it. any smart person would know that Akpabios words do not translate to such.
ReplyDeleteI weep for this retard General. Mr Man, you're just jobless. I think you just need attention.
ReplyDeleteI weep for this retard General. Mr Man, you're just jobless. I think you just need attention.
ReplyDeleteThis is so shameless coming from a General (RTD). What are you trying to achieve here? It's an Epic fail. I know you just seek attention. Have you contributed in any form to the development of Akwa-ibom state? Take several seats Sir.
ReplyDeleteLmao! You must be some jobless retired General. You're a shame to that class of people. I know it's all in a bid to gain from the benevolence of the governor. Oga Akpabio Abeg no look him face.
ReplyDeleteLip service!! for the opposition, that's all this is, nothing more. we know the story, but trying to paint Gov Akpabio as insensitive is very wrong. politics is a dirty game, and people will use all sorts of propaganda to attack thier fellow politicians and rivals. Akpabio has done his duties as a Governor, to this article means nothing to me. God bless Akwa Ibom state.
ReplyDeleteWoow , wat nonsense... how can u say d governor desires and surely expects his disloyal political sons to die..dats so wrong !! Are u tryna tarnish his image or wat ??
ReplyDeleteStop the insult on a General, most of you fool are making stupid comment in something you lack a clue. Some of you fools watch TV and arrive at a conclusion. If you are not from Akwa Ibom State, you can't never understand what is happening in Akwa Ibom. You can only observed from a distance, it is allowed. I would advice you low minded individual to focus more on your state of origin politics. Akwa Ibom people will tackle his problem without seeking for help from outside. Our General is an Elderstateman and he is highly respected in Nigeria. He has the right to say what ever he wishes to say. Obong knows what he is talking about. He is a stakeholder, as far as Akwa Ibom State is concern. Keep off, matter arising is off the hook.
ReplyDeleteHis excellency expects his people to be Zombies who see him as their slave-driver and god ?? Haha I dont believe dat ?? Pls think of som oda lie sir :)
ReplyDeletewhat a long letter. sigh. this is a formal way to be impolite and i never knew Generals like you are that idle to think of such against Gov Orji. I cant seem to put the puzzle together. what nuisance!
ReplyDelete