Perhaps it would have been more time rewarding for me if I don't ache my
head delving into inconsequential issues at the moment, but as the old maxim
goes, "you beat the iron when it is still hot" perhaps, that has
become the premise on which I have to react.
I might not be in the best of my morphological construct, but in any inadequacy of words, I'll try to quickly pass my message.
In the immediate past weeks, the Cross River
social media space has been awash with clamours and agitations for the position
of Senate in the Central Senatorial District to be zoned to the old Obubra
block of same Senatorial District, i.e Obubra Yakurr and Abi LGA's, And further
narrowed down to Obubra LGA in particular.
These position or agitations has attracted lots of reactions from Vox Populi, majority of which argued for, a few against, amongst them is Rt. Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa. But that is not my grouse.
Before I come back to where my grouse with
Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa is, permit me to reactivate your memories why we as Obubra
people would no longer allow anybody to deliberately or otherwise demarket us
politically.
1. The political empire that is today led by Sen. Liyel Imoke, on whose loins Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa has come to benefit space, was birthed in 1998 and the lead midwife in this delivery room was Late Chief John Oyom Okpa, a full blooded Obubra DNA.
Donald lost primaries to Kanu Agabi SAN, the results were announce in the then Equity Guest House, now Le Chateu Hotel by the returning officer, I can still remember his name, Haruna. Sen. Liyel Imoke was Donald's agent; he could not walk from his hotel room to the car after the announcement due to the excruciating agony of defeat. Donald on the other hand was visibly seen weeping after borrowing about 40million naira from his Lagos friends for that purpose, to them the road has came to an end, it was over and out... Then came the wizardry of the cerebral John Oyom Okpa.
Dear readers, I stand to be corrected that it was after days of Chief John Okpa's meetings in Abuja that Cross River's PDP primaries were re-announced. The news that John Okpa has upturned the primaries got to us on the 25th of December, 1998. This was an Obubra man.
2. At a point we (Obubra) has sat at the
equidistance of the political circle of this state, with a thronging pilgrimage
to Ofumbongha No.4 where John comes from. So nobody should think of undermining
us.
3. Post 2003-2015, (whatever this means, is
for discerning minds) did witnessed a jihad of political annihilation against
the Obubra people, without being economical with the truth, those who
controlled the apparatus of state made sure even with our vantage demography,
we were reduced to play the least fiddle especially to our Federal Constituency
brothers. This is the most painful aspect of it. But thank God for the new
awakening!
Obubra leadership was castrated, it became
sterile, the entire followership was emasculated, starved and made to
helplessly wear a psychological toga of inferiority.
With a huge reserve of some of the best
brains and human capital capacity to deliver with or without team, we were punitively
cut off from the orbit of state for only an imaginary crime...
After attempting that chronicle above, now,
this is my grouse with Mr. MP, Rt. Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa.
In reacting to a comment by Dr. Walter Mboto, were he (Dr. Walter) referred to Obubra as not just one of the oldest Local Government Area's in the state, but also a big brother in the old Obubra block that has really not gotten it's due, and therefore he thinks it'll not be out of place for Obubra to be allowed to take Senate.
In reacting to a comment by Dr. Walter Mboto, were he (Dr. Walter) referred to Obubra as not just one of the oldest Local Government Area's in the state, but also a big brother in the old Obubra block that has really not gotten it's due, and therefore he thinks it'll not be out of place for Obubra to be allowed to take Senate.
To me, I have not seen anything wrong in Dr.
Walter Mboto's opinion, therefore, we take it as a deliberate calculated
attempt to insult our collective sensibilities for Bassey Eko Ewa to mockingly
refer to us on social media as, paraphrased; " a Lazy big brother
who would always seat behind and expect his siblings to go toil for him".
But in as much as I won't take Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa's mockery too personal
because he lacks the kernel in all considerations to insult Obubra people, I'll
like to teach him one thing and remind him another.
I'll like to teach him that, a good
politician does not make unguided utterances especially in the public. And remind
him also that, him as a person is one of the "hardest sell"
politicians in Cross River State who has always rode on Sen. Liyel
Imoke's back to wherever he thinks he has reached.
I hear he is sneakishly incubating a Senate
ambition, but I want to believe he is flying a kite because I am yet to
reconcile myself with any valid reason Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa will give to even
his Yakurr people why he wants to go to Senate.
Apparently one of the longest serving
politician in the forth republic, he went to the House of Assembly in 1999 and
between 2003-2007 he became Speaker. The same man has been in the House of
Representatives from 2007 till date without any semblance of impact, not even
the ordinary rituals of Constituency empowerment. Not even has he chaired
a reasonable Committee in the House talk less of sponsoring any bill. This
is the less than abysmal performance that wants to go to Senate.
That Ambition is dead on arrival. It is provocative for Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa to refer to Obubra as a Lazy big brother, who'll seat and wait for his siblings to toil for him. We demand an unreserved apology
Like my brother, Hon. Etaba Okpa quoted
Emperor Cromwell, who after discovering he has ran short of silver to produce
coins for his empire, sent soldiers to look for silver at all means for they
must produce coins to spend, the soldiers came back to report that they have
combed the nook and cranny of the city and cannot find silver anywhere except
in the statues of the Saints in the Cathedral.
Emperor Cromwell then ordered them to immediately melt the Saints and put them into circulation.
Emperor Cromwell then ordered them to immediately melt the Saints and put them into circulation.
Obubra people have been melted and put into
circulation in service that has added value to the politics of brother LGA's.
Etung, Ikom and Abi owe us an appreciation. I think we have an unequal reason
and morally justified to ask for Senate in 2019 without being insulted. If
not for anything else, for Reparation.
Wani Enang
Writes from Obubra,
Writes from Obubra,
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