Owan Enoh's guber ambition to suffer set back as Efik Youth vows to stop marginalisation agenda
31 Oct. 2018 | By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Efik youths under the auspices of a socio-cultural group known as "Esop Mme Etubom Mkparawa Esien Efik Duob-Eba, have said they will hevemently kick against anyone who wants to undermine the Efiks as they expressed concern over they described as "a gang up against us".
This was made known in a statement issued to newsmen in Calabar and read by it's spokesman, Obong Mkparawa Efik, Ekpo Ekeng, they said, "we the Efik youths and the entire people of Efik Kingdom as you all know are peace loving and honest people".
The youths argued that as a peace loving tribe, the Efiks have continually stood by other tribes in the state to achieve their political goals, but observed that they have always been back stabbed by the same people they assisted.
"We always stand by other tribes during election, but when it comes to comes to our own Efik interest, there is always a gang up against us, they argued".
The youths linked their griviance to a recent news which circulated on the media and where the senator representing Central Senatorial district and the controversial flag bearer of the APC in the forthcoming gubernatorial election was alleged to have said he doesn't need votes from the Efiks to win elections, but was quick to make a U-turn after realising the that the statement was not only damaging, but disturbing and disgusting".
According to them, " the recent events have started from our national representative to state level even his selection of his governorship running mate had shown "there is a gang-up against the Efik people to achieve a specific ethnic agenda in the state".
The statement however recalled that "this is not the first time, we remember in 1999, somebody made a statement that over his dead body that Efik people cannot produce a governor but we stamped our feet on the ground and brought out Donald Duke as governor".
This followed with the issue of Atam Peoples'Congress which came into play in the political arena, but also failed to achieve any meaningful results, it added.
"it is on this ground that we the entire Efik youths and Efik nation, strongly condemn in very strong terms the Ejagam agenda now allegedly been promoted by the All Progressives' Congress (APC)".
"We have therefore vowed to do anything possible to stop any party that promotes such agenda, as far as the Governorship race is concern".
Reacting to the statement, the Director General of Senator John Owan Enoh, Sir Maurice Effiuwat, described the allegations as false.
He said "there has never been a time that his principal had made such a derogatory statement or comment against the Efiks and as such had never denied it.
Okoyong people are not from Ejagam, but are a disticnt simi-people from the Bantu area or Cameroon like any other people that came to settle in a comfortable place of their choice.
He described those peddling the news as "mischief" makers.
Why should the Efiks complain now. Hon Essien Ayi is from Okoyong representing three powerful local government areas for 16 years. Why Hon. Ekpo Okon now, he queried?
"Ekpo has the political pedigree and has a great political structure to march, adding"he was responsible for Donald Duke election. He was a former chairman of the Peoples'Democratic Party in the state.
"Our course is a rescue mission. We need to rescue the state, reposition it as well as restore its lost glory, he added".
He debunked the rumour that Senator Owan Enoh, had promised any one deputy governor before rooting for Hon. Ekpo Okon.
He appealled to APC supporters in the state to remain calm and resolute and be prepared to win the election come 2019 general elections.
