My attention has been drawn to a malicious publication on social media channels credited to one Comrade Iberedem Eshiet, a former Zonal Treasurer of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone B. The import of the said publication conveyed death wishes on my person, twisted history and went ahead to cast dangerous aspersions on the past leaders of the Organized Students Movement in Akwa Ibom State.
Ordinarily, I would not have dignified such infantile attitude with any response, nor give it a second thought, but when considering the calls, visits, comments and positions of well meaning individuals on the subject matter, and the need to put records straight, I am constrained to respond as follows.
1. That Iberedem Eshiet was entirely on a frolick of his own, never represented the views and positions of the students of Akwa Ibom State, and has acted in a manner that questions his maturity level and standard of education.
2. That contrary to opinion from some quarters, Iberedem Eshiet has never been on my staff, and has nothing directly to do with my office. Appearing with me on some instances in public just like any other student or student leader was just a matter of privilege of his office then as Zonal Treasurer of NANS Zone B, and could not on any way imply any sort of employment directly or indirectly.
3. That in as much as we wouldn't want to join issues on the outcome of the Bayelsa Zonal Convention that led to the emergence of Comrade Michael Ibanga as Zonal Public Relations Officer, we regret and reject the resort to name calling and bad language deployed by Iberedem Eshiet in reference to the Office and person of the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke the gift of student unionism to governance,and the State Publicity Secretary of our great party, Comrade INI Ememobong. We strongly condemn the insulting language of Iberedem Eshiet on the duo, asbit falls short of the long standing tradition of respect for hierarchy upheld by the Students Movement.
4. That contrary to the remarks in the said publication by Iberedem Eshiet, I have enjoyed enormous goodwill and support from majority of well meaning Akwa Ibom people in the discharge of my schedule as Special Assistant to His Excellency on Student Affairs. I am convinced and persuaded that we have restored the confidence of the students movement in the political leadership of the State, and have gotten the State Government to give priority attention to the welfare of students and their quality of education, and as such have not had time to observe those whose stock in trade is to cause confusion and pull down our hard earned pedigree. Therefore, it is totally unacceptable for an individual like Iberedem Eshiet to presuppose that the duo are working to undermine the authority and functions of my office.
Finally, I strongly warn students and their leaders to desist from hiding under the guise of students unionism and or activism to insult our past leaders, especially in the social media spaces. It is unthinkable to imagine that we shall foldbour hands and watch as a few people attempts to assassinate the characters of men who worked hard to sustain the tempo of students unionism and made it attractive to those of us who were inspired to make a difference. This 2018,We will not tolerate divides, factions, and unnecessary media attacks, we must put our dear students community together and shun all social vices even as we are moving into the polity. Remember we are all aspiring to become great leaders.let this be the first and the last time this will happen. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Comrade Otobong Akpan
Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs
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