IKPOTO AKWA IBOM IS NOT SWAY BY THE IBIBIO SENTIMENT – UWAK

IKPOTO AKWA IBOM IS NOT SWAY BY THE IBIBIO SENTIMENT – UWAK

The Etinan born businessman and Mechanical Engineering graduate of Petroleum Training Institute, Nsima Uwak, is the National Coordinator of Ikpoto Akwa Ibom, a foremost socio-cultural and political group in the state. In this exclusive interview with Ibom Telegraph, Uwak, who will be 45 soon, tells us the essence of his organization, its aims and politics. Excerpts:

Why the name ‘Ikpoto Akwa Ibom’ for your organization?

Ikpoto Akwa Ibom is a fascinating idea, an idea which took shape as a response by Akwa Ibom indigenes who avowed to themselves the desire to stamp out images associated with the last general election which characterized hatred, superpower politics, intolerance and contempt for human dignity. It was just an idea conceived by a few friends who were not satisfied with the conducts of various persons within the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) during the previous campaigns and elections which witnessed so much tension and violence. A sober acknowledgement of the anti-progressive and decisive tendency inspired the founding of the organization by indigenes of the state who realized the need to unite as a people for common good, and with full consciousness of its collective responsibility to promote understanding and harmony for purposes of fostering and maintaining intercultural cohesion and being desirous to create for our people a platform for positive socio-cultural/political integration, educational and economic advancement.

So, after the idea was conceived, we thought of a name and felt since it’s was an indigenous thing that a local name should be given to it, so we came up with the name Ikpoto, meaning an umbrella. We have a constitution that was carefully drawn up by ourselves and for ourselves. On the political front, our constitution empowers us to support and encourage sustainability of good leadership in the state and in the country. The watchword of our organization is the advancement of mankind and the enhancement of the cause of peace, prosperity and progress through mutual respect and co-operation between ethnic groups.

Our organization values are social democratic values. Our commitment to equality is the same concept our forefathers promoted over a quarter of a century ago through community development, harmonious integration and oneness. We believe in a strong society where we owe obligations to each other. What gives us in Ikpoto Akwa Ibom moral purpose is our conviction that the fortunate have a responsibility to the unfortunate, that the strong should help the weak.

So, how much of the campaign against electoral violence have you done?

When we started in 2011, we had support from likeminded persons to hold seminars and workshops in smaller fashion as we could manage. None of our programmes were funded by government but by individuals whom we identified and went to, because to them Akwa Ibom is a project that must be sustained. We went to several state and federal constituencies as well as senatorial districts to assemble a few party men, discuss with them and also advised them against these vices. So, in that regard, we have touched virtually every local government in the state and have even gone beyond the state.

From the feedback you got, don’t you think there might still be pockets of violence around?

Yes. There are pockets of violence here and there but not necessarily promoted by the PDP. The feedback has been very encouraging and we have gone beyond the campaign against violence.

So, where is Ikpoto Akwa Ibom now?

Ikpoto Akwa Ibom is committed to building a united, stable and prosperous state and as a socio-political organization that is very much interested in governance, especially the Governorship in 2015. We have a project and a programme that we are pursuing and God willing, we will achieve our aim.

Is Ikpoto Akwa Ibom around a person?

Yes. We had to build it around somebody. There are individuals that have so much love for the state and to them Akwa Ibom is a project that must succeed. So, when we saw such actions in these people we had to go to them. We asked them “with this much love that you have for your state, why don’t you aspire to govern this state? Because it is not enough to support people to govern, you have lots of ideas and programmes that can transform the state, why don’t you aspire?” So today, we built our programmes around somebody like the Leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Etteh for Governorship of the state in 2015. We have other persons we are supporting for Senate, House of Representatives and all that.

In fact, whenever we have our meetings in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, our supports for the Senatorial ambition of the State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has always been uppermost, though he has actually not declared yet. In Eket Senatorial District, we support that the Senate seat should go to Oron Federal Constituency, though we have actually not pitch tent with anyone yet. As it concerns Governorship of the state in 2015, Ikpoto Akwa Ibom is in total support and partnership with Rt. Hon. Etteh.

Beyond the passion for the good of the state, what other quality do you think brings Etteh into the race and why him, especially when you compare him with other aspirants on ground?

So much that we do in life has to do with passion and I know it is only one who is passionate about your plight that can affect you positively to an extent of eliminating what might have been your problem. Rt. Hon. Etteh is one man that is detribalize, liberal and he is always willing at all time to reason with you. We have had leaders who came from no way and had little responsibility entrusted in them and suddenly they are aspiring without due knowledge and understanding of the geopolitical entity called Akwa Ibom and the inherent persons within there. But Etteh is a home-grown politician. He has lived his entire life here and has interacted with virtually a cross section of Akwa Ibom persons and has felt the pains of every Akwa Ibom sons and daughters and understands their drive for success and what that success should represent.

That is how I see Etteh. I know that if somebody like that, who understands the workings of the state and had served in various capacity of governance, most especially, the legislative arm which has the responsibility of making laws. So, if somebody like that is given the opportunity to serve he will do better than all others who may not have understood what Akwa Ibom is and hope to be. Etteh has so much to bring to governance if given the opportunity.

In politics, the name Nsima Uwak rings a bell and you have been around politics for a very long time. What is your view about politics then and now? And who really is Nsima Uwak?

Politically, I have been a student activist and Speaker of the Students Representatives’ Council. I have been fortunate to work with leaders who affected me tremendously. The likes of late Etukudo Ekpro, late Hon. Dan Etukudo, whom I followed till his death, I have never held any position of authority in the party but have always believed that if you are capable of influencing the choices of persons to serve in any platform, it had better not be you. I had the opportunity of being whatever I wanted to be in the party as at 1998 when it was formed because I was closed to the leadership. They could have made me whatever I wanted to be.

And as it concerns politics back then and today, I will say emergence of leaders had a process. We were made to believe in following first before you can lead. The leaders then practiced this: “having to watch his followers and identifying the leadership quality before they decide on who should lead depending on the offices and positions available.” The leaders then were very practical; they never chose people based on sentiment. They adopted the concept of allowing for an open contest. As much as late Etukudo Ekpro would love you as his political son, one thing he would not do would be choose you ahead of any other person, the same thing with the late Dan Etukudo. They will always ask that you go to the field and display your strength. Today, the reverse is the case. We believe so much in the politics of adopting someone base on sentiment and sometime we even go those who are not aspiring to adopt them ahead of others who may have worked over a period. So, the difference is in the process leaders emerge in the present day political structure.

We are in the election period and you have just mentioned allowing for an open contest, but the issue of zoning and non-zoning run counter to each other, where does your organization stand?

Members of Ikpot Akwa Ibom are all PDP members. The system we are now is that you have to go through the primaries before you become the party’s candidate for the general election and we know that part of the process entails having to mobilize of both the statutory delegates and ad hoc delegates that will emerge eventually through congress and the party’s constitution says there will be three ad hoc delegates per Ward. So, all we do is preach the gospel of whoever we are supporting from the Unit level, and zoning, as far as I am concern, God has always provided us with leaders that fits in.

In 1998, Atuekong Don Etiebet made a pronouncement that Uyo Senatorial District should be given the opportunity to produce the Governor of the state and that led to the emergence of Obong Victor Attah as the party flag bearer and eventually the Governor of the State. In 2006, Obong Attah, based on the principle and provision of the constitution of the party, emerged its leader, and he made pronouncement that his successor should come from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. And because he spoke, the voters voted for somebody from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

In fact, the first two candidates came from that district. As God will have it today, the incumbent Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, also the leader of the party has come out early to make his own pronouncement that his successor should come from Eket Senatorial District. No other member of the party can do or say otherwise. Yes, it will be an open contest but I can assure you that voters will be sway be that sentiment because as the leader of the party he is given the task of giving direction to the party.

So, how about giving direction in terms of a candidate?

That has never worked before. It is always a collective effort of the members of the party. Yes, Obong Attah gave direction in 2006 but members of the party voted against that direction and we all closed ranks to vote PDP to power. That the Governor today, based on his understanding and reasons, has given direction on which district should produce the next Governor, he has not come out openly to say who he wants. And mind you, party politics has never recognized ethnic sentiment but senatorial district.

What would have been your agitations if you were to be a delegate from the state to the ongoing National Conference?

I will agitate for 50 per cent derivation. Because that is the only way you can truly develop yourself. Let us start using our resources to determine where we want to go and what our destination should be and we should always give back to where we took from. Let everyone of us start looking inward to those things we have. It need not be mineral resources; it could be the inherent strength and the ideas we have that we can use to transform our places. So, when you feed a hungry man every day, you don’t allow him room to think for himself. I think Nigeria, as a nation, has fed too many of its sons and daughters without allowing them room for self expression, to think within their immediate environment and on how they can conquer that environment. That is basically what is wrong with this country. So, I will agitate for 50 per cent derivation and true federalism.

What will you advise the electorate concerning the voter’ registration?

They should all ensure that they are duly registered and also get their voter’s cards because the Nigeria of today can only be transformed if at all times all of us are interested in who emerges as our leader. It is important for one to enrich himself with that instrument, the voter’s card.

As an organization, how far have you gone in that regards? Have you been able to sensitize your members towards that?

Yes. We have advised all our Ward and Chapter Coordinators to convene meetings in that regard before the exercise started. We have empower them with materials to enable them sensitize people within their localities.

You are Ibibio, from Etinan Local Government Area, there is a sentiment on ground about the Ibibios getting back power and you are here not supporting an ‘Ibibio’ candidate, why that?

That concept, Ibibio, comes from where God must have sent you to. It is just an expression. That I am Ibibio today is not by choice and that some other person is Oron or Annang today is not by choice. None of us knew where God was going to send us to. God sent us to our parents, who practically, had identity. In our inauguration of Uyo Federal Constituency, I said something and that got to the ears of everybody. That I know too well that we have PDP as a party, but there is no Ibibio party that would have had only Ibibio sons and daughters as members of the party that could eventually lead to successfully nominating an Ibibio son as the flag bearer of the party.

So, when you have people of various ethnic backgrounds within the party, the sentiment of: “it should be Ibibio son should not arise,” for fair play and equity to prevail. Uyo Senatorial District, predominantly Ibibio, had their turn. When it went to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, it is not as if we do not have Ibibios in that district, but common sense prevailed that it should be a minority within the state in that district that should benefit from it. As it goes to Eket Senatorial District, same sentiment should prevail because the rotational clause that was inserted in the party’s constitution was to allow everyone get a sense of belonging. So, if you do not give the so called minority of that district the opportunity, you would have robbed them of the opportunity of feeling that they part of the state. So, common sense should prevail that it should be the minority of that district.

That is why we are not sway by the Ibibio sentiment. After all, there is no way I can consider the Ikpoto Akwa Ibom choice, Rt. Hon. Etteh, as non-Ibibio. As far as I am concerned, he is an Ibibio son, because his mother that is alive today is an Ibibio woman, from Ikono Local Government Area. So, if the blood that flows in our vein could be quantified in percentages of where we come from, then the man is 50% Ibeno and 50% Ibibio. That is if sentiment should ever hold sway. His grandmother is from Offot in Uyo Local Government Area. So, if you do not give opportunity to those, who originally were considered not privileged how then will you convince them to love you or to be believe that you love them.

What is the structure of your organization in the state like?

We have a 76-man National Executive that comprises the National Coordinators, Regional Coordinators for all the six geo-political zones in the country. We have the Senatorial District and Federal Constituency Coordinators. We have Local Government Chapter Leaders and from there we go down to the Ward, Village and Unit Coordinators. So, our campaign for Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Etteh has gone to every Unit in the state.