“AKPABIOISM”: THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Source: thewillnigeria.com

Shortly after Godswill Akpabio was sworn in as the governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2007, his first official performance was to harass journalists. He hated and had a high disdain for any journalist who reported the truth, the type of truth which Akpabio perceived in his warped mind as negative attributes.

From then on, all the journalists in Akwa Ibom State went underground, some abandoned the profession entirely, a few stayed on and operated incognito, while writing using pseudonyms.  There was no voice to caution Akpabio and those who were close to him immediately knew that it was the beginning of terror that would come to engulf Akwa Ibom State and its people till this day.

Within the past seven years (2007 till present), Akpabio has become the Biblical equivalent of Goliath, who was always boasting to his followers as being  the strongest man in the world, who could conquer the earth, the sea, and the land, until the day the young son of Jesse—David— showed up on the battle field, unannounced. David needed neither an iron sword nor a strong weapon to handle Goliath, because he knew that Goliath was nothing but an ego maniac and a coward who was only good at intimidating people with his physique.

Unlike Goliath, Akpabio did not have the physique to intimidate the people but created fear and terror in the people by kidnapping his opponents, assassinating those whom he perceived as opposition, and those he could have, but did, not kidnap or murdered, he paid the police to arrest them under trumped up charges and went further to twist and pervert justice. It did not take long for Akpabio to succeed in subduing the people of Akwa Ibom State.

He refused to pay salaries. He refused to engage in programs that could create employment for the people and unemployment rate among the youth skyrocketed to nearly eighty percent, where it still stands.

Thinking that he had solidified the people to obey him without questioning, Akpabio began to insult the elders and mistreat the Ibibio people, who make up the majority of the dialectical group in the state.

As if to add insult to injury, Akpabio thumbed his nose on the people when he decreed that he will impose a successor on the same group of people he has been insulting and victimizing since 2007. This last act has become the proverbial last straw that broke the Carmel's back. It is the first time, since 2007, that the people have refused to cow-tow to the antics and the foolishness of Godswill Akpabio.

What is going on now is that the people, led by former practitioners of Akpabioism, such as Senator Ita Enang, are uniting together and determined to let Akpabio know that Akwa Ibom State is greater and bigger than one man; as one American musician said in one of his lyrics, 'we ain't taking this no more.'

When Akpabio decreed that he would impose his successor on the people, he never for once dreamed that Akwa Ibom people of all dialectical groups could wake up from their slumbers and unite as one to fight him. Just a few months ago, it would have been unheard of to hear personalities of the caliber of Atuekong Etiebet come out in the open to challenge Akpabio over his decision to impose a governor on the people.

Every day and night, the people are convening series of meetings to plan strategies on how to counter Godswill Akpabio and his imposition. In one of such meetings, reports came on the social media stating: 'The People of Uyo senatorial District have affirmed through a voice vote that they have issues and grievances to discuss with the State Governor…. USD said they have been marginalized especially in the area of appointments. They said there is no fair distribution of appointment in the State public and civil service…. And as regard 2015, those who spoke, including the Deputy Leader of the State House of Assembly, former Chairman Nsit Ibom Local Government amongst others opted for an open contest' (Retrieved from the Facebook page of Henshaw Nyong).

With so much opposition mounted from all fronts against Godswill Akpabio, those close to him say the man is now more erratic in his behaviors than in the past. Some analysts have even predicted that he may wake up one day and say to hell with being a governor and seek refuge in some remote place, such as St. Kitty (or Kitts) Island, where he is partnering with the Prime Minister of that country to build a refinery.

Meanwhile, there are feelers pointing and manifesting everywhere indicating that Akpabioism, which, just a few months ago, meant different things to different people, is increasingly giving the same meaning to everyone; dead!

For Akpabio, what is transpiring right before him is the beginning of the end of Godswill Akpabio and the stupidity of Akpabioism.

Written by Ikpafak Thompson Essien.

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