By Fejiro,
There was a time ehnicity wasn't ever mentioned in Akwa Ibom State and every body lived like their "brothers keeper" and this was a time where Obong Victor Attah 1999-2007 held sway as the executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State . He matter of factly went about the business of government without keeping any Ill feeling about anybody and never practiced acts of victimization (unlike his successor) .
It was simply this:- if you were discovered to be "too-comfortable" or "found wanting" you were simply dropped or warned but in the case of dropped would be heavily compensated that the smile you would get from this compensation is much more than when you were an appointee of government. He historically refused dropping a particular commissioner who later went on to be Governor even after changing his cabinet more than once and this commissioner ( an annang indigene ) was favored above all (this was the feeling at the time).
Our economy in all aspects was booming especially the "people economy" and the expectation at the time was that of "a bumper harvest" because we had a beautiful man who doubled as an Architect and evidently and effectively produced the blue-print to Akwa Ibom's greatness via designs for the state to include the Airport,the ring roads meant to connect the airport+hanger ...etc which sadly never materialized.
However and howbeit sadly his administration ended abruptly and this commissioner was sworn in (in a manner of speaking "as a cat with nine lives") as the next Governor against all political permutations and this ushered in the most brutish regime where intimidation...etc took centre-stage and every non-democratic machinery you can think of were deployed against the good people of Akwa Ibom State against his predecessors legacies.
Much sadly the grand and widely accepted political calculation which divided the state along three lines :- i.e Ibibio / Annang and Oro was abandoned to the trash bin .
This former commissioner-cum-Governor effectively and efficiently deployed another mind-boggling gutter-type tactic by pitting brother against brother and sister against sister (nicknamed "divide and rule") wherein if your senior brother indicated interest in contesting for a position he went behind to sponsor your junior brother so it appeared to be like as they say "a house divided against itself cannot stand" there by successfully discrediting any and such campaign from such individuals & family.
This was where the Oro people fell face down and accepted peanuts after this commissioner cum Governor was almost at the end of his constitutionally allowed term of 8years and traded their right (even moreso as minority) by the selfishness and cowardice displayed by their leaders at that time.
It is pertinent now to say that the Oro are only afraid of their own shadow and must put their acts together especially if they ever want to taste governance come 2019 (because the Ibibio and Annang are watching and effectively reusing the tool of "divide and rule" which if when used accurately achieves right results or when abused "backfires" by bringing them together or dividing them which in anyway it's expected by these "sadist" that the Oro must fail) .
It's important to let sleeping dogs lie but it's cowardly being a pun in the minds of these sleeping dogs or better still a bone to chew up on while day-dreaming.
This day-dream of producing a Governor must be transmitted into reality now more than ever and the less biased Akwa Ibom indigenes (which I must assure you are in greater number now more than ever)who still hold dear to the legacy of Obong Victor Bassey Attah will rise up and greatly support you.
Always remember that the right people are watching and these people can't be rail-roaded into accepting less from the Oro. You people have more support than you bring yourself to believe so now is the time to ACT!
Fejiro writes from Uyo,Akwa Ibom State.
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