By Abasifreke Effiong
An "off-the-record" instruction given to the current members of the State Executive Council when they were sworn-in was that they should immediately start expanding the political space to bring in more people to work for Governor Udom Emmanuel's second term.
This directive as simple as it seems is perhaps the greatest task the commissioners would have to battle with throughout the period they will be working with the governor.
"It would be a great task for Linus Nkan to mobilise Ibesikpo Asutan people for the governor", I had told a colleague.
The premise that warranted this thought was not farfetched. Mr. Linus Nkan, commissioner for finance, was given this task at the crescendo of a convoluted agitation on alleged marginalisation of Asutan clan, by coalition of Asutan Ekpe youth leaders forum.
It came in the heat of the defeat over the agitation that the position of transition chairman should revert to Asutan clan, though in violation of the political arrangement known in Ibesikpo Asutan.
The crises were multi-fold. At the time, staunch members of the PDP in Ibesikpo Asutan, including the immediate past House of Assembly member from the local government, Mr. Eyakeno Etukudoh; immediate past chapter chairman of the PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Ukim; the State rep. of the PDP, Mr. Etetim Ubom; and others were threatening to withdraw their support from the party.
The traditional institution in Nkan's clan, Asutan, was drifting into crisis over the search for a new clan head to succeed the Late Etebom Bassey Ekanem. It was such a tumultuous period in Ibesikpo Asutan.
So this task was cumbersome, even more so for a man as Linus Nkan who has not played active circular politics before.
Immediately after he was screened by the House of Assembly, Linus Nkan stepped out with a message of peace.
"We must live in peace. We must unite", Nkan told a crowd of indigenes of his local government outside the control post at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly complex.
Nkan's emergence was "victory" for the youths who had begun to agitate for a change of baton in appointment to Asutan clan; thus the euphoria of his appointment swept through his clan. At a reception held at Secondary School, Iwawa Usung Eket, after he was sworn-in, Nkan hosted a crowd that a reporter in one of the State based newspapers described as "unprecedented".
What made the crowd unprecedented was that it had a rare attendance of guests, majority of whom were members of the opposition party.
Political party differences were ditched in honour of this fair complected accountant. That was the tenor of solidarity at that event.
Mr. Linus Nkan as he is fondly called has adopted an alias. He said his nickname is "Mr. Peace". He keeps drumming the message of peace, and unity.
When he attended the 16th annual convocation of the PDP in Ibesikpo Asutan at the farmhouse of Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, political leader of Ibesikpo Asutan, on December 26, last year; Nkan didn't miss his message of peace.
"My nickname is Mr. Peace. I can only operate in an atmosphere of peace.
"Let all hate and disunity end. We are looking at a local government where all the youths will be engaged.
When there is unity, we will solve most of our development needs", the finance commissioner said.
Putting this message to work, the commissioner on Sunday January 22, 2017 met with traditional rulers of his clan to mediate in the process of choosing a new clan head for Asutan.
Because of how delicate issues of the traditional institution are, the four hours meeting of that day didn't exhaust all the interests.
Another meeting was convened on Thursday, January 26. And yet another on Sunday, January 29, 2017. This is the cost of peace-building Nkan has had to bear.
Mr. Linus Nkan stepped further to begin the process of reconciling differences amongst members of his party, the PDP. He had convened stakeholders meeting of the party, and has in agreement with the party set up a reconciliation committee headed by Chief T. O. Akpan to ascertain the grievances nudged by his people.
So far about 30 persons and groups have testified and submitted memoranda to the committee.
His efforts toward peace-building is yielding results in bits and trickles.
A number of persons who were threatening to withdraw their support from the party have been assuaged, and they are leading mobilisation for Governor Udom Emmanuel's second term under a group called Ibesikpo Asutan Progressive Assembly, IAPA.
However, there is a hurdle staring Mr. Nkan at the face. His handling of that hurdle will determine the continued viability of his peace overtures.
Before Nkan's appointment, the PDP in Ibesikpo Asutan had zoned the chairmanship of the local government to Asutan ward three, his ward. The decision was an off-shoot of stakeholders' decision reached through a secret ballot.
That decision was sealed at an enlarged meeting of the party held at the local government hall, Nung Udoe, in July last year.
Now, there is a growing protest that since Mr. Linus Nkan is from Asutan ward three where the chairmanship position was zoned to, it would be unfair to allow the zoning to subsist.
For peaceful co-existence, Nkan will have to concede to those protesting that decision, but that may pitch him against his party's decision and members of his ward who had already taken to heart that it is exclusively their turn to produce the next chairman of the council.
Can Nkan convince his party to upturn her earlier decision? This is the hurdle he must not fail to surmount. This is the price for peace-building.
The finance commissioner has had tremendous goodwill, surpassing what onlookers anticipated.
His goodwill is a product of humility and friendship with his people. Nkan's greatest achievement so far is his ability to douse social tension that was almost slitting the unity of the two clans.
Some persons had thought Nkan would immediately kick up a shindy with his political leader, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, and begin building his own political dynasty.
He has not. He said, "I am only the commissioner, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk is the political leader".
This decision has not gratified the sentiments of some persons. However, Nkan's decision on this is a better deal, because he has saved himself the sufficient distractions that would have arisen from such narrowmindedness.
Together with Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, Elder Aniekan Uko, Barr. Ukana Udofia, the PDP, and Ibesikpo Asutan people, Mr. Linus "Peace" Nkan is building bridges of peace and unity.
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