The Concerned Citizens of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria (CCAIN) has advocated an Eket successor for incumbent governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, arguing that the senatorial zone has qualified and capable hands for the plum position.

The group made the case in a statement signed on behalf of its Board of Directors by Obong E. Umana. Below are excerpts of the statement, a copy of which was made available to News Express:

For decades, the only emissions out of Akwa Ibom Atlantic coast line communities have been that of hydrocarbon polluting the air from producing oil wells and associated economic activities.

And yes, today, these communities (geo-politically referred to as “Eket Senatorial District” [ESD]), hold much promise for the future of Akwa Ibom State, just as it did in the past in providing Akwa Ibom with a formidable patriot and champion of good in the person of Sir Justice Udo Udoma.

We the Concerned Citizens of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria (CCAIN) see no dearth of leadership capacity within “Eket Senatorial District”, and so we support the quest of the district towards winning the governorship election and assuming the mantle of gubernatorial leadership in Akwa Ibom State come 2015.

However, recent emissions out of persons and groups purportedly representing “Eket Senatorial District” are clouded with the stench of “affirmative action” and/or “quota system”, often weak in considering excellence as a selection criteria.

It must be in the tactics, because we in CCAIN are certain “Eket Senatorial District” has sophisticated minds and the district extends well beyond the “Ekid” communities that have just issued a rather boring, weak, and whining communique out of the just concluded AKISAN National Convention (albeit they characterize their occasion as some International Summit).

“Eket Senatorial District” includes Oro and MkpatAbasi communities and we encourage all from these communities to come forth with the quality of advocacy that is worthy and will assure gubernatorial election victory on the road to 2015.

We trust that “Eket Senatorial District” will return with a communique that goes beyond the ring of entitlement, to substantive value proposition; a communique that pivots away from the “Justice” mantra, to presenting a candidate with a pedigree of justice, fairness, and a heart that seeks equity for all Akwa Ibom communities.

Politics has never been about “Justice”, it has always been about substance, reason, and emotion;

And, of course, in Akwa Ibom State, forced outcome through murders, kidnappings, ballot box high jacking, election rigging, and bribing of election workers and judges.

So, what lies on the road to 2015?!

Appealing to Godswill Obot Akpbio is the first sign the signatories to aforementioned “Ekid” communique need to STOP, for they appeal to instincts that will return Akwa Ibom State to those dark days of murders, kidnappings, ballot box high jacking, election rigging, and bribing of election workers and judges.

Didn’t same Godswill Akpabio invade CRARN in Esit Eket and drove Sam Itauma into exile? Didn’t same Godswill Akpabio shut down all efforts at employment of Eket people through stifling Amakpe Refinery out of Eket?? Didn’t same Godswill Akpabio violate Ekpotu and Nsima Ekere of Ikot Abasi???

That is why we need a credible “Eket Senatorial District” candidate that trusts in the power of democracy and the people’s vote, not in Akpabio’s pronouncements and election rigging.

Recently, some individual shared the postulate that “Politics in Akwa Ibom had since moved on”;

Question is: moved on to where?!

We in CCAIN see a tendency to move Akwa Ibom politics back to the very dark days…it is such tendency that enable “Justice” mantra and clamor for entitlements. An overload on entitlement and emotional appeal is only begging for more of the same Akwa Ibom politics of forced outcome through murders, kidnappings, ballot box high jacking, rigging, and bribing of election workers and judges.

Is this what lies on the road to 2015?!

Modeling Mugabe of all people?!
“Quoting Robert Mugabe, the retired senator said that for Eket Senatorial District, “the 2015 gubernatorial election is a life and death issue.” – Samuel Essien

PEOPLE, REALLY?!

“You in the Diaspora must act and write open letters. Write to the leadership of PDP in Akwa Ibom. Write to Governor Godswill O. Akpabio. Write to President Goodluck Jonathan. Write to Alhaji Bamaga Tukur. Write to Chief Tony Anenih. Write to all stalwarts of PDP on this all important and weighty subject.”- Samuel Essien

Oh no! This is simply pitiful and somewhat desperate.

Please dear ESD people do not heed the Retired Senator Etang Umoyo’s advice.

And do not, repeat, do not bring Zimbabwe ZANU-PF style strife to Akwa Ibom State; it’s very bloody.

There is a better way….

The cry for “Justice” is a flawed tactic……..

We in CCAIN therefore urge a return to a campaign of “Substance, Reason, and Emotion” by every constitutionally qualified Akwa Ibom State citizen.

We in CCAIN urge Akwa Ibom citizens to remain resolute and resilient in our commitment to winning the future for Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, a future devoid of insecurity, a future strengthened by our rich diversity, and the relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation.

On Zoning and how we select our leaders:

In Akwa Ibom State there are families and blood lines that have been historical beneficiaries of community goodwill, but have retuned to claim dominion over those who sponsored and enabled their prominence.

These families and persons thereof come under the pretext of wishing to give back to the people of Akwa Ibom State, they talk “POSITIVE ANGER!” but turn around to remain perpetual leaches, plundering Akwa Ibom common wealth whenever they have the opportunity.

It is important that you know this and reject any future derivatives from these families that have demonstrated they are not good for Akwa Ibom State.

As we look for leaders,

Akwa Ibom must reject the tendency towards leaders with potential of further fragmenting Akwa Ibom communities.

Akwa Ibom must reject candidates from communities with deep seated historical grievances that eat away at them and manifest in over compensation and shear evil while in government.

To ignore these facts, is to extend the days of murders, kidnappings, mayhem, and fear.

The one thing Akwa Ibom must never do again is select her leaders out of a stock that come with grievance against Akwa Ibom people. They have consistently come with scourge earth agendas and vengeance.

And to those that insist on zoning –

Zoning arrangement within PDP political party is not an “Akwa Ibom State Policy”.
Zoning is not in Akwa Ibom State governing laws.

So if PDP party agreed to a rotating representation schedule, that is fine and should be honored within the Party; an agreement is an agreement and carries TRUST as an inherent element.

But if a candidate is outside the PDP party, he or she should be free to go out and persuade the electorate (that is if such a person has the resource and political platform).

A fundamental question to ask is: what is the expectation when an Uyo person is Governor?!

Develop Uyo only? Take turn in emptying Akwa Ibom treasury?? Benefit only folks from Uyo senatorial district??? Appoint, employ, and favor only family members and persons from Uyo????

If the answer to above questions is YES, then alright, there is value in the rotations and entitlements.

But if ultimately we expect a Governor to serve the entire Akwa Ibom State equitably, then the zoning logic is confounding. It would not appear to matter where the person originates from!

Zoning seems simply an exercise at appeasement; just so that an Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, or Eket person may earn bragging rights that their neighborhood person governed Akwa Ibom State (competent or not).

Affirmative actions (zoning, quota, etc) have always bred a sense of entitlement and the mockery of diminished performance.

Socio-politically, affirmative action endorsements may seek to solve one problem, but they generate yet other conflicts and concerns.

So invariably, the TRUST problem remains. Some one somewhere will always complain!

The populist candidate goes to every constituency and persuade since there are no guarantees; the populist candidate then must demonstrate why he or she is the best for every constituency or be sufficiently charismatic to appeal to all or the majority.

Oh! How naïve we are…in Akwa Ibom State votes do not matter …. Leaders get APPOINTED and names get crossed out and written in….well then… may be the whiners are on the right road to 2015!

Zoning we characterise as an unsustainable socio-political model; it has the potential of exacerbating divisions to a point that there will be outright conflict if a group strongly feels marginalised; it stifles competency and suppresses the emergence of “best candidates”.

We at CCAIN urge Akwa Ibom to promote processes that lead to the emergence of “best candidates”, over affirmative action candidates.