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.
