Zoning Debacle: Selfish Oro People on Sabotage Mission
Just as I had articulated earlier, the only people who will shoot themselves in the leg as far as zoning of the 2015 governorship position in Akwa Ibom State, are the very people that the shoe pinches.
Put it straight, it often is said that the wearer knows better where the shoe pinches, and so also do people say that one cannot drink panadol over another person's headache.
The facts of the matter are simple: Eket senatorial district is the only political zone that comprises almost all the ethnic nationalities in Akwa Ibom State – the Ibibios, Oro, Ekid, Obolo, Ijaws, etc.
Unfortunately, it is the only district that has from creation of the state in 1987 been restricted to producing deputy governors, and Speakers of the House of Assemblies.
Recently, some greedy politicians from the Oro nation nicodemously went to pledge allegiance to Mr Umana Umana because of what they believe is his stupendouswealth which th y wanted to partake.
They were led by Mr Victor Antai the Executive Chairman of Mbo local government, and former Speaker of the House of Assembly Chief Nelson Effiong.
According one of the members of the delegation who confided in me, the selfish guys told the SSG that they were ready to support him 100% if only he will assure them of the position of deputy governor. They even went as far as accepting that Victor Antai be accepted as the running mate to Mr Umana.
To their surprise, irrespective of the number of people in the delegation, and despite their high profile nature, Umana was able to give the 35-man delegation only N2.5million. Others in that team were Honourable Peter Linus Umoh, and Honourable Alice Ekpenyong.
In the end, after the leaders Antai and Tabasco had taken N1million for themselves, only N1.5 was left to be shared to everyone in the region of 20 or N15 000 each.
Beyond that, they also extracted a promise of a ministerial position for Nelson Effiong, before being assured of a governorship to Oro nation in 2023 after the tenure of Obong Umana.
These selfish people who should be leaders of the Oro nation, have refused supporting the Senatorial district and are even playing tribal politics. Yes tribal politics because the PDP constitution has no place for tribal roles in her zoning policy, but it appears the Oro selfish elders have preferred to neglect uniting with their brothers in the other two federal constituencies, in other to horsetrade for themselves alone.
So one cannot help but wonder the gain of mortgaging the hope of your people for a mere paltry peanut that is not even enough for a calypso night bar dance.
So for those in the Oro nation and even the entire Akwa Ibom South Senatorial district, these are the people who are working to ruin your chances of producing the next governor of the State. And they are doing so because of their own pecuniary reasons.
As an indigene of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, I have no option but to seek justice, and equity because as I had said earlier, I cant beg anybody for food and therefore I have full authority to my beliefs and cannot fail to express myself.
Udomkpa resides in Abak, Akwa Ibom State