By Joseph Atainyang
Still in the spirit of the long walk to the hilltop mansion of Akwa
Ibom State as governor, the Barr. Asuquo Okpo team today has visited and
has been well received by the Central Executive Committee, (CEC) of the
apex sociocultural cum political organization of Oro Nation, Oron
Union, where a promise to support his ambition has been made.
Speaking during the visit, the Oron Union President General, Dr Effiong
Edunam recounted the pains of Oro people whom he said are aggrieved,
saying it was very important for Oro to smell the seat of power in the
state. He thanked Barr Okpo for his courage and vowed that Oro was
strongly behind him.
Hear him, "The step you have taken is the
step of profound courage and sacrifice. We have done a post mortem
regarding what happened in 2015.
We bear the blame but our Ibibio
brothers did not do their best. As the majority, they should have risen
to make a statement regarding the election.
Our youths are angry and
they have fire in their souls. Ibibio who blame us must understand the
injustice they have done to us. I am a historian and I document all
these woes as they come.
"I recounted their injustice to us some
weeks ago at Uyio Ikpa Isong Ibibio and the first Paramount Ruler to
shake my hand is that of Onna. We are going to fight back. Oro man is at
the juncture of militancy.
Oro man is at the juncture of unapologetic
violence. We have been the victims all these years. But, historically
and geographically, we must live in peace together with the Ibibios.
"We want to develop; we can't go to war with the Ibibio. The Oro man is
angry. Oro produces the largest volume of oil in West Africa and not
one community in Oro has been recognized as core oil producing.
We have
never asked for what belongs to the majority; we only ask for what it is
willing to share. This man has everything to be the Governor of Akwa
Ibom State.
"Oro is in despair and it has been so for a long
time. We don't have roads, we don't have anything. It has become part of
our history that those in power develop their places. Should our own
environment lie waste forever?
"Ibaka was marked out as the best
site for the seaport since the colonial days. We will swallow the
injustice of the past.
But we want to be part of this state so we can
live together in peace. There must be a meeting of minds which must
develop togetherness among us.
"I thank Barr Okpo for litting
the candle. Ours is an enduring struggle. Go forth into this state. Ask
for your right. The whole spirit of Oro is behind you. The people of Oro
are behind you. You will succeed", the PG prayed.
While
declaring his interest for the contest, Asuquo Okpo noted that he was at
Oron to inform the Union of his readiness to contest for governorship
in 2019.
He asked the Union for its blessing and full involvement in his
campaign requesting that the Union should continue to press and discuss
with their Ibibio brothers so that they can give Oro a slot.
His
words, "I am here to inform Oron Union that I will contest for
Governorship of Akwa Ibom State. We are sure that we are going to
succeed.
My ambition is not about myself, it is to fight for the course
of Oro and the future of our grand children. Any Oron son that is
willing to run, I want us to support him to run.
"Our brothers in
Ibibio and Annang will only be able to support us if they see our
seriousness. I implore us to re-strategize to engage our brothers so
they can see the need to support us.
I am sure they will give it to us.
Oro is well blessed with natural resources and we must not allow this
four years to slip off. We must wake up and become conscious of what is
ahead of us.
"I am ready to carry the cross. I am sure that in no
distant date, we will clearly see the possibility for us to clinch the
hilltop. So Mr PG, I invite you to join hands with us.
Tell your branch
presidents and let them get their members informed so they should know
that Oro is ready to reclaim what belongs to them. I am already a
winner."
"I want us to rise and revive the "Afang ki" philosophy
(philosophy of one direction). We need to engage ourselves. We are
taking stuck so we can know what went wrong. Something is wrong with
Oron.
We need to go back and bring Afang ki back. We may not all be
delegates; but we must revive our spirit, wake from slumber and reclaim
our mandate.
I may not be the only Oro man to contest, but we must
support our people so that people can see that we all are ready. We want
Oro Union to be fully with us."
Also speaking, an APC chieftain
in the state, Elder Enefiok Ekefre in his remarks, noted that Oro,
having been unduly marginalized and having what it took to govern the
state, should arise and fight for their right. "Being a minority should
not be the basis for marginalization.
The level of marginalization meted
against the Oro people is what I will not want to befall my worst
enemy. I was here to see whether Oro people are ready for the struggle
because even the grace of God is not free; you must struggle for it.
"Being a minority should not be the basis for marginalization. The
level of marginalization meted against the Oro people is what I will not
want to befall my worst enemy.
I was here to see whether Oro people is
ready for the struggle because even the grace of God is not free; you
must struggle for it. Oro has the capacity to govern this state.
They
have the resources, you have the intellectual capital having been well
learned. So I am ready to lead a vanguard of Ibibio people to support
you to get there because I don't want militancy in my state", Elder
Ekefre had said.
Meanwhile, the President, Akwa Ibom Renaissance,
Comrade Anthony Bassey said Ibibio people are sincere people who do not
want trouble which is why they want Oro people to smell power adding
that if power goes to the other rank of the APC, it will roll for eight
years making it 12 years for Eket Senayorial District and that Uyo will
as well want to rule for 12 years before it goes to Annang.
He added
that the cheating meted on Oro was too much and so Oro must rise to take
what they have been forfeited
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