A concerned citizen of the Obubra/Mbembe extraction of Obubra Local Government Area in Cross River State Mr. Richard Romanus has raised serious issues on why an Obubra/Mbembe man should be given a seat at the national assembly especially the senate.
Mr. Richard who has been on this
lonely fight for a long while now said there had been calculated attempts by
previous administrations in the state to hinder the progressive development of
the Obubra/Mbembe community.
He further traced the unfortunate
predicament that had befallen the Obubra/Mbembe leaders, ranging from untimely
death to none-reelection or none-reappointment, or outright denial. He said all
these were aimed at politically and economically disempowering the Obubra
communities.
Finally, Mr. Richard advocated for an
Obubra/Mbembe man to be considered for the senate stating that there is no
better time to give the Obubra/mbembe man a sense of belonging.
“A Senatorial Seat for an Obubra/Mbembe man means
re-admitting a people that have for so long been out of the political orbit of
the State. It means Justice, equity and fairplay. It means giving them an
opportunity to share in the Nation cake. It means giving them an opportunity to
rewrite their destinies. It means everything good for an average Obubra/Mbembe
man.”
He said.
Romanus article reads in full:
STILL ON WHY AN
OBUBRA/MBEMBE MAN SHOULD BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE
CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT AT THE SENATE COME 2019.
Permit me to begin this piece with a quote by former
President Goodluck Jonathan who in April 29, 2010 at the launch of 'one man one
vote campaign' in Benin made the following statement "Political
disempowerment is the foundation for Economic and Social Exclusion and this
Exclusion is the key factor that promotes underdevelopment".
For those who are familiar with the politics of Cross
River State, you would agree with me that no Local Government has suffered all
manner of political injustice, persecution and above all disempowerment like
Obubra.
It is on record that virtually all Obubra Sons and
Daughters who at one point or the other occupied a political office be it
elective or appointive have all suffered all forms of political disempowerment
and humiliation. The result for some unfortunately has been death.
Over the last 16 years, successive administrations have
ensured that, no Obubra/Mbembe man or woman is financially or politically
stable in any office he or she occupies. While others from other LGA'S were promoted,
reelected or reappointed, the Obubra man was either demoted or replaced. Only
two people didn't suffer this fate. I’m sure to the surprise of many.
If you are in doubt, ask yourself how the following
people fared in office and how many years they served; Late Chief John Oyom
Okpa, Late Hon Emperor Owa, Late Chief Raymond Obeten, Barr Johnson Ebokpo, Chief
Alex Irek, Chief Ernest Irek, Dr Mathew Achigbe etc. Of course those who know
these men would agree that, they constitute Obubra first eleven. I remember how
former Governor Liyel Imoke spoke so glowingly of Late Raymond Obeten in his
grave side yet never found him worthy to be reappointed. The idea was basically
to disempower them financially and politically in order to continually rule
over the Local Government.
The result of all this,17 years later is steering us at
the face as Obubra LGA remains the most backward and underdeveloped Local
Government in the entire State. In Obubra, you can literally count the number
of story buildings in the entire LGA.
I remember how the allowances of all the traditional
rulers in Adun clan were withheld for more than three years by the then Senator
Liyel Imoke administration during the war between Nko and Onyadama where the
story building of Chief Patrick Okomiso of Nko was destroyed. Reports have it
that, the action of the Governor was a way of punishing the Adun people for
burning a house none of their sons or daughters can be able to build. How sad!
Till date, the only federal appointment that has been
occupied by any Obubra son that I know of is, member, governing council of
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) which I hear was against the wishes
of the enemies of Obubra. Not even our unwavering support for the 16 years rule
of PDP was able to earn us a visible National appointment. At the moment, they
are more than 12 federal appointments in Cross River yet no Obubra Son or
daughter has been found worthy or fit enough for appointment.
Today, the people of Idoru, Ofunekom, Isobor etc are
killed and their properties destroyed on a daily basis yet nobody is talking
for them. After 12 years of waiting patiently for the house of Representatives
position to get to us, the 'landlord' of the National Assembly from Etung is
doing everything within his powers to ensure that every good move taken by the
same man he foisted on us does not see the light of day.
I can go on and on highlighting the several years of
deprivation, barefaced cheating, all round disempowerment and open disdain for
a people that have committed no crime.
Like I said in my last write up concerning a similar
article, a Senatorial Seat for an Obubra/Mbembe man means re-admitting a people
that have for so long been out of the political orbit of the State. It means Justice,
equity and fairplay. It means giving them an opportunity to share in the Nation
cake. It means giving them an opportunity to rewrite their destinies. It means
everything good for an average Obubra/Mbembe man.
For me, there is no better time to give an Obubra/Mbembe
man a sense of belonging than now. This is not an issue of a big brother
throwing his weight and influence around. It is rather a case of a big brother
seeking the help and understanding of his brothers in his quest to regain self
esteem and his rightful position having loss everything that qualifies him a
big brother.
Richard Romanus
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