The Murder of Nsikak Etefia By Hon. Victor Udofia, Akwa Ibom Assemby Member An Albatross on Gov. Akpabio's Neck & The Nigeria Police
"On 15 August, 2012 an Akwa Ibom House Member representing Ikono State Constituency, Hon.Victor Udofia allegedly shot and killed Nsikak Edet Etefia at Ibiaku Ntuk-Okpo..."-- NaijaLeaks.
Let us forget about democracy for now; because democracy does NOT exist anywhere in Nigeria, whether at the local government, state, or federal level. Neither does JUSTICE Neither does FAIRNESS!! Neither does the FEAR OF GOD!!!
Politics centers around activities associated with the control of decisions made on behalf of the public by persons elected or appointed or imposed upon the people. These persons have been given extraordinary authority by Nigerian RULERS to break the law with impunity. These persons have been given more than the authoritative means to enforce the decisions they make. Nowhere on the surface of the earth, are persons who make decisions for the public, and who are authorized to enforce such decisions required or permitted or authorized to kill or murder a governed member of such a public ; AND in cold blood; simply because decisions which such persons made are opposed, objected to, not agreed upon, rejected by, and/or disrespected by the governed.
Did I say nowhere on the surface of the earth are decision makers i.e. public officials authorized to kill any member of those subjected under their decisions, who express reservations against such decisions? I am sorry; I misspoke!!!!
There is an exception, the only place on the surface of the Earth, where public officials kill at random, without repercussions, without censure, without questions and without conscience; is the political entity called Nigeria; and to be more specific the political edifice named Akwa Ibom State under Godswill Obot Akpabio as governor.
Instances are too numerous to count here, but two of such instances stand out because they have been given a glimmer of prominence by the ever fearful, un-investigative, and sometimes brown-enveloped- enticed Nigerian press since the Press reported the murders in the first instance. With the often-times capitulation of the Press to an ineffective, messy, despotic, lawless, cultist, and undemocratic ruler-ship, whose members kill if and when they wish, Akwa Ibom State has become the greatest eye-sore to all mankind who hate the shedding of innocent blood. The Press has capitulated because after the initial report there has been a total lack of follow-up on the outcome of these cases.
Most probably Hon. Victor Charles Udofia, Member, AKwa Ibom State House of Assembly is walking around a free man. The Press, as has been the USUAL case, had completed what it saw as its very difficult function – the initial report of the murder!!!!! I am after the Press because with the total absence of the Police and OFFICIALS of government when it comes to numerous cases, of INJUSTICE – murders, kidnappings, intimidation and victimization of the public by agents hired by the government, the Press has been the ONLY institution to sometimes, (even if reluctantly) shine any light and give any hope to the common Nigerian orphan, widow or widower and bereaved, made so by these murderers, over injustices such as murders. In the same vein, even the affected PUBLIC have forgotten about these NUMEROUS murders, UNTIL another act of murder is committed. It is only then, that half-hearted wails and noises will be made for maybe a day or two, then back to the USUAL silence as if nothing important had happened to the down-trodden and marginalized members of the public. It is understood that the people do not believe that there is any semblance of justice in the government, the Police or the courts. Hence their apathy towards cases as heinous as that committed by Hon. Victor Charles Udofia; which prompts the question – Does the Nigerian Federal government, which controls all the security apparatuses in Nigeria, care? Can the public make the government care? Has the public EVER heard of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE measures taken against an inept, uncaring and inefficient government; let alone against one that has REFUSED to solve countless cases of murders?
Before we concentrate on the murder of Nsikak Etefia by Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia, let us recall the unsolved murders of Mama Udonwa; of Emmanuel and Mathias Ekpenyong; of Barrister Udonwa; of Dr. Justin Edet; of Paul Inyang; Barrister Benjamin Udoekpo; Two women killed at Qua Iboe church; Daughter of the paramount Ruler of Abak; Mrs. Maria Ikpe; Ezekiel Peter Ebere; Anthony Akpanobong; Mr. Daniel John Ekanem; Mr. Mathew Inyang – driver of Mrs. Tom Bush; Dr.
Akpanudo; Police orderly to Mrs. Lydia Bush; Mbosowo Andrew; Pastor David Idunuoluwa; Edidem Robert Obot, Oku Ibom Ibibio II. Let us NOW recall the recent murders of mother and son, Mrs. Effanga, and Mr.
Effanga. The following two acts of murders have special significance for our State and country – they were committed by agents of government; openly and brazenly, ONLY because these agents of government felt, and still feel today (since they have not been held accountable, to the knowledge of the public) that they are the Rule and the Order for our State and country. They can do what they want; and when they want. They feel that they are the authority; and above the Law. They know that the Rule of Law affects, and is only meant for; those who have neither authority nor influence nor money nor others who are influential enough to speak for, and to protect them; nor to avenge their murder, if they are murdered like the three Akpabio brothers were; like Nsikak Etefia was. The criminals know that they are the Rule and the Law, because they have made it so. AND don't the Police, the Federal government which controls the Police agree with them? How many brazen murderers have been docked publicly, and punished for their crimes to the knowledge of the public which WITNESSED their crimes? Was the SSS officer who murdered the Akpabio brothers docked in open court and punished?
Why would next door neighbor Hon. Victor Charles Udofia not kill Nsikak Etefia if the law is weighted on the side of the elite to do what he or she chooses to do? Was it not the Police who were with Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia when he committed the murder? Did they hand-cuff him on the spot, or did they walk away with Hon. Victor Charles Udofia in tow, and STILL in command of whatever Police unit was attached to him? What has the government , State or Federal, said to members of the public OVER this and similar incidences?
To the group of brazen, bloody, and cowardly criminals belong murderers Noel Nduka and Hon. Victor Udofia. If you still have not recalled who Victor Nduka is, then recall the brazen murders of three brothers – the Akpabio brothers - right before their aged mother by an agent of the SSS, Victor Nduka, in Ini Local Government Area. Now recall the recent gunning down of Nsikak Etefia of Ikono Local Government Area by another government agent, Hon. Victor Udofia, a member of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly.
The story so far as we have been able to piece together, is short and simple - Murdered victim Nsikak Etefia comes from same electoral Ward with the murderer Hon. Victor Udofia, now a VERY dishonorable member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly BECAUSE he is, very simply put, now a murderer. BUT do his fellow Assembly men and women regard him as a murderer? Up till the time of this writing we have not heard or read of any form of censure of this murderous behavior by one of them, from the House members!!!!!
And why did Hon. Victor Udofia commit murder? The simple answer, the very simple answers are GREED and ARROGANCE, the type of arrogance born out of power not rightly earned, or rightly exercised. The type of arrogance which only cultist criminals can exercise.
A Constituency project purportedly worth N19.3 million naira was awarded to Ward 3 from where Hon. Victor Udofia was previously SELECTED (as opposed to being ELECTED) to become a member of the State House of Assembly. Hon. Victor Udofia had supervisory authority over the project, which was meant to be executed by the youth supporters of the PDP party from the ward. After the contract had been awarded to the youths of the Ward, “on pay as you perform basis”, the Assembly member, Hon. Victor Udofia felt that the cost of the project “was prohibitive”. He decided to employ his own contractors – members of his wife's locality AND from outside the Ward, and from outside the State, on a project meant to be executed by citizens of the ward who were loyal to the PDP; thereby defeating the entire purpose of rewarding the so-called PDP youth supporters for their loyalty. It is not far-fetched to think (judging by what happened in April of 2011) that these were the same youths who helped rig Hon. Victor Udofia to the House of Assembly. Hence the anger which necessitated the youths confrontation with Mr. Victor Udofia can be understood from that perspective. .This was the bone of contention, the point and place where and when the rubber met the road – many youths objected to Hon.
Victor Udofia's RULERSHIP because they felt his INJUSTICE!!!!!!
Hon. Victor Udofia was displeased; and in a country where the Rule of Law is meant for the underprivileged, Victor Udofia, as has been usual with almost all government agents in Akwa Ibom State, became the law, the jury and the executioner; because, as I am told, Nsikak Etefia openly, and in public accosted the almighty legislator over his unfaithfulness, betrayal, greed, biased, wrong-and-weighted-in-Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia favor only, the decision to steal the project from the youths.
The public can continue in their yet-to-bear fruit prayers and in their sycophantic worship of the murderers while an ineffective government wines and dines the criminals in its employ.
We have watched helplessly as the Police and the government have ALWAYS tended to weigh in on the side of the criminal murderers – NONE has been punished to the public's knowledge. We have watched helplessly – at least those of us patriotic and conscientious enough to complain against these injustices – as the government of Godswill Obot Akpabio continues on its path of destroying a once most peaceful state in the Federation. We have watched helplessly as Police authorities ignore these murders. We have watched helplessly as those in power and authority in Akwa Ibom state continue to cuddle these murderers. We have watched helplessly as the President of the Nigerian Federation continues to keep SILENCE over the numerous UNSOLVED murders in Akwa Ibom State. WE are beginning to wonder what it will take for FAIRNESS to return, for JUSTICE to be done, for the VICTIMIZED to be FREED, and for the CRIMINAL to be PUNISHED. Hence the government of Godswill Obot Akpabio; and more so, the Federal government of President Goodluck Jonathan, (because the SECURITY of all citizens and the dissemination of JUSTICE are the TOTAL
RESPONSIBILITY of the Federal government); can begin NOW to imagine
that there are many albatrosses both men and their governments have hung around their necks – the albatrosses are the blood of the innocent, and the UNCHECKED crimes of the UN-accosted criminals; BECAUSE it is their sacred RESPONSIBILITIES to SOLVE these crimes, protect the citizenry and see to JUSTICE and fairness for ALL.
Hon. Victor Charles Udofia must not only be tried, convicted and punished; he must suffer these fates OPENLY to the knowledge of all who have been witnesses ( through hearing, reading and physical
presence) to his heinous crime. AND so must all others be brought to JUSTICE before the people
OduduAbasi Nicolas Edet
[email protected] writes from Dallas-Fort Worth.