National Assembly Tussle: Ikot Abasi People Must Count their Teeth with their Tongue

By Matts Udoaka

                          

With intrigues in politics, it is time of stock taking and reckoning. The Ikot Abasi people must use their tongue to count their teeth. Like the Holy Bible has said: “man know thyself.” If they continue to be receivers of cars and token money, their political future will become bleak for ever.

Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency consists of Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Local government areas. The three local government areas are triplet that should not work in isolation. What applies to local government (a) should apply to (b) and (c). That should be for equity and justice to permeate. Else unhealthy rivalry ensues and the least among them, (Eastern Obolo) perpetually lives with nothing. Such scenario is capable of breeding hatred and rancour among the tripod. It is the reason amicable solution known as consensus in politics should be allowed a place in the history of the federal constituency.

As of now, from the inception of this republic, the Mkpat Enin candidate of Rt. Hon Bennard Udoh, has had utmost free ride to the house of Representatives. His success was at the instance of Ikot Abasi people who behaved as fools, but wise as a man who laughs last.

When Hon. Bennard Udoh was on the driver’s seat, whether he tightened his seat belt or not, he was sure he was on course, as no accident could threaten him. Whether he held on to the steering of his car or not, his destination was assured in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. He was unchallenged as a result of love and peace from Ikot Abasi people.

What is it that Hon. Dr. Akpan Micah Umoh, with his seat belt on, is receiving threat of accident and unsuccessful trip to Abuja by Barr. Sampson of Mkpat Enin local government area, one of the triplets of the Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency? Why should the Mkpat Enin people not reciprocate equal gesture of the Ikot Abasi people for sake of equity and justice? That makes it imperative for the people of Ikot Abasi to come together, dream together, and swim and sink together to resist the intrigue of cheating and saying sorry like the proverbial mouse-rat that eats up the foot of the church pastor on one hand, while blowing him for succour on the other hand.

Politics itself is bedeviled with intrigues and deception, but the man behind the mask must also note that what is good for the goose, is equally good for the gander. Ikot Abasi must not continue to sit on the fence as if they are expecting the king to order them in.

In the days of sharing one local government with Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo, as they were lumped up in Ikot Abasi, the difference was not far-fetched as Mkpat Enin dominated everything. If the chairman either appointed or elected was not from Uyo, he must be from Mkpat Enin. There was no time the core Ikot Abasi man was made to lead his local government as the Chairman. The yoke of that bondage was only successfully broken when Mkpat Enin was excised from Ikot Abasi, as an autonomous local government. As of then, the Eastern Obolo had no voice to complain of anything about ruler ship, when the real owner of the house was booted out for an outsider to take control.

At the instance of the Ikot Abasi people that Rt. Hon. Bennard Udoh became a citizen of Abuja; ask that Brother what he can proudly point his single finger to, as the constituency project of Ikot Abasi, or Mkpat Enin, his birth place, you will find none. That alone has motivated me to advise Hon. Barr. Ekong Sampson to allow the sleeping dog to lie, since at first entry of Hon. Dr. Akpan Micah Umoh, we are having solar light in Mkpat Enin local government area headquarters and the oil palm mill at Nyadiong still in Mkpat Enin.

For the sake of equity, there is nowhere in the world that a course charted by three brothers should become a personal estate of one person. Hon. Barr. Ekong Sampson must have been endorsed by the whole world against Dr. Akpan Micah Umoh, yet such endorsement holds no water, after a three consecutive times of Bennard Udoh’s membership of the House of Representatives, who brought no appreciable impact on Ikot Abasi, or Mkpat Enin his home local government, talk less of the Eastern Obolo.

Whether my assessment is in line with the PDP  or not, Barr. Ekong Sampson must note that the people of other two local government areas who have not made it twice to the House of Representatives have the same blood and water in their system, and the wherewithal in terms of human resources to go the way his local government has gone. Otherwise, the political crisis this long time cheating would ignite will be too hard to contain by President Jonathan. Our people in Mkpat Enin must be very well advised that in nowhere can they sustain the hit of the schism such offensive omission could hoist.

Ikot Abasi people are by their name, Godly with simple mien. They enjoy their right of benefit, and abhor the implication of being brutish. No intimidation restrains them from their set goals, as no dirty acts disturb the execution of their plan. They would rather choose to suffer than being cajoled to fumble. They are few with understanding that the future is for their children. By selling their right in place of individual’s peanut, they know the density of wrath that awaits such action, therefore, instead of trading-off the future of their children, the word of God has ordered them to reject the gift of jeep or a few coins which they have seen before, and still will be seeing in future.

The perfect marriage of convenience of the three local government areas must not be drenched with the tears of our children and their children. People do not know what keeps Israel and Palestinians at odds in an endless period. The tears of the innocent remains flowing like the ocean forever.

Our generations of politicians seem to be hotter and more daring than those of the sixties and seventies. This generation lives with all the deadly initiations in their system. But God will save His people from the hands of the vicious angels and will protect their going out and coming in for ever – amen.

Our beloved Barrister Ekong Sampson must allow the bond of unity of Ikot Abasi and Mkpat Enin to remain eternally flourishing. Nobody will advise him this way again until at the dawn of another era of truth when sanity and peace, (if any) may come his way and it would be too late to change him; when the danger shall have been done.

For the Eastern Obolo brothers, they should remember the word of Our Lord Jesus Christ  on the Cross. That if this kind of act is done on a green tree, what shall be done to the dry?

If Ikot Abasi is seeing this, what about you? That means the Eastern Obolo is completely wiped out of the map of the Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. Therefore, it is left for you to use your tongue to count your teeth. No one should tell you what is on ground, and what you should do to safe guard yourselves.

The game is up. You are there to know that you will one day seek the same position, and you may not receive less than what Ikot Abasi is seeing today. To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed.