Two groups, Mandate Eyes and Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, have described as fallacious the notion of micro- zoning governorship position to a particular local government area in Akwa Ibom State.
In a joint press conference at the weekend by the leaders, Dr. Uwemedimo Umana, Director of Public and Strategic Communications, Mandate Eyes and Stephen Abia and Faith Mbowo of Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, maintained that governorship race is opened to everyone in all the local government areas in Uyo Senatorial District of the state.
”Against the fallacious arguments put forward by certain persons believed to be supporters of the Uyo Senatorial District Senator that it’s the turn of Ibiono Ibom to produce a Governor in Akwa Ibom, we in the Mandate Eyes can only unequivocally agree with the purveyors of this line of thought, that Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area is qualified to join the contest- being a part of Uyo Senatorial District.
Read also: Investigate ‘bogus’ Loans in Akwa Ibom, Policy Alert Urges Fiscal Responsibility Commission
”Our point of departure, however, is that it is not the sole preserve of Ibiono Ibom, since there has never been micro- zoning for governorship position in Akwa Ibom State.
”The Governorship position is therefore opened to everyone in all the Local Government Areas in Uyo Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State. The essence of zoning the Governorship position between the 3 senatorial districts of the state is to ensure that no group is left out in governance and the overall development of the state,” the groups stated.
”We may recall that on the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, Uyo Senatorial District produced the State Governor in the person of Obong Victor Attah, who held sway till 2007. From 2007, Obong Godswill Akpabio who represented Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, held sway as Governor of the state till 2015, when the then incumbent Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel took over the helms of affairs of the state and will be in the saddle till 2023.
”It is logical and sequential for the Governorship of the state to go to Uyo Senatorial District, at which the Governorship zoning arrangements began in 1999.”
According to them, ”suffice it to say that, if zoning of the Governorship were done on the basis of Local Government Areas or micro- zoning, it would take about 36 years within Uyo alone, before it gets to the next Senatorial District.
”It is therefore morally reprehensible, unthoughtful, illogical and insensitive for any person or group to feel entitled to the seat of Governor and subject it to personal considerations- against the interest of the whole state.
The apparent danger of having and exuding an entitlement mentality is that it incapacitates one’s capacity to think correctly, narrows one’s perspective on issues and ultimately reduces one to an emotional blackmailer.’’
Meanwhile, the groups have condemned the attack on Hon. Aniekan Bassey, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly at Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
The speaker and Godwin Ekpo, the member representing Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, had gone to consult stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on his senatorial ambition before the speaker was attacked by youths.
It was gathered that loyalists of a top governorship aspirant in the area insisted that before the speaker addressed them, he must remove his face cap which had the insignia of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s preferred successor, Pastor Umo Eno.
Bassey refused to take the cap off, insisting he was not there to campaign for Eno but to consult on his ambition to run for senate in 2023. He was forced to leave after the youths insisted he could not address them with the cap on.
The groups described the incident as sacrilegious on the office of the Speaker who is the number three citizen in the state.
Barrister Abia, who is the chairman of the Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, expressed disappointment that some people could constitute a nuisance and go about harassing politicians who do not align with their views in the 21st century.
“We are indeed saddened that in the 21st century, a bunch of sane beings could constitute themselves into a nuisance and go around harassing and assaulting innocent persons who do not align with their political views.
“It is worse that they could go as far as demanding that Hon. Aniekan Bassey the State’s number three citizen should take off his cap because it carried the imprimatur of his preferred Governorship aspirant, Pastor Umo Eno, not that of their alleged principal, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan.
“Are these agitators telling us that if Aniekan Bassey had put on a pair of trousers or shirt with the inscription of Umo Eno, they would have stripped him naked before allowing him to consult Ibiono Ibom delegates?” he asked.
While commending the speaker for his peaceful disposition by leaving the scene immediately, Abia called on security agencies in the state to take further steps by ensuring that all those fingered in the act are brought to book immediately.
Reacting too, Dr Uwemedimoh Umanah of The Mandate Eye said the action of the youths was the height of disrespect to the office of the speaker and an infringement on his human rights.
According to him, “This represented a sacrilege and the height of disrespect to the office of the No 3 Citizen of the state. Let us at this critical juncture salute Mr Speaker for displaying such unparalleled leadership and statesmanship through actions that circumvented violence and hostilities in the state. That Mr Speaker did not allow the appurtenances and weight of his office to influence him typifies altruistic leadership.
“That dastardly act infringed on the fundamental right of association and speech of the Speaker, as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, inter alia: ‘Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests.
“Therefore undermining Mr Aniekan Bassey’s fundamental rights is antithetical to democratic culture and the process of democratic consolidation in the state.”
