ASSOCIATION OF HOME BASED POLITICIANS
IKONO CHAPTER
Ext/AHBP/009/2017 8th October 2017
Obong Paul Ekpo
The State Chairman,
People Democratic Party,
Akwa Ibom State
AN OPEN LETTER TO OBONG PAUL EKPO, STATE CHAIRMAN, PDP AKS
Dear Obong Paul Ekpo,
We are compelled to send you this letter and we are pleased to do so shortly after the primary elections of all Local Government Areas of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State. No doubt, the outcome of the primaries serve as political “eyes opener” for politicians in Ikono who are interested in learning and understanding contemporary political directions.
Regrettably, the results of the primaries were not determined by which group is assumed to have majority voters in general elections; rather it was dependent only on party decisions. The process of the conduct of the primaries might have created the spirit of bitterness and a sense of frustration in the minds of certain aspirants and therefore require reconciliations.
Association of Home Based Politicians had thought that the election of the councillorship candidates would be determined by the majority members of the party.
Please Sir, in order that you have a clear mental frame work of what Association of Home Based Politicians stands for and why it was imperative to form it; which principally is for the survival of the PDP in Ikono Local Government Area. May it please you to read on; It is difficult to say the truth in this hypocritical society, may be for the fear that if the truth is told that the Satan of falsehood would grasp the sayer’s neck and say “Let your truthfulness give you daily bread or the truth sayer may even be killed; but in this writeup; we shall essay out and analyse certain fundamental issues that plague Ikono PDP; this we do in the hope that since you are a prudent political party manager, that if you understand contemporary Ikono political situation in its real context you would solve the problem very easily:
1. Ikono Local Government Area political system is characterized by a situation where senior politicians from the Local Government Area who have much money to expend for politics, have decamped to APC with the money they made while serving in the PDP government.
2. Some of the current political office holders are not interested in party building, rather they are busy galvanizing their structures to win the PDP primary elections against 2019 general elections; and
3. Above all the PDP at the chapter level was formed based on concession to certain big names; sincerely speaking it was not formed based on political antecedence and free choice of the party members.
Following the identification of the above mentioned impediments; Obong Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, the Political Leader, convoked a meeting of leaders of four (4) socio political organizations of Ikono Local Government Area origin and persuaded them to collapse their Associations into one very strong support group called Association of Home Based Politicians to be composed of only voters card carrying members and vowed to finance and protect the interest of any member that lives within the ambit of the Nigerian laws. Asked what he wants to use the structure for; he said he wants to secure at least 80% votes for His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel and His Excellency, the Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio and any other person(s) that the Government would satisfactorily direct him to do so for the 2019 general elections.
To ensure that Association of Home Based Politicians gain ground in all the wards of Ikono Local Government Area, the Political Leader, Obong Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo introduced praise and worship session; Tagged ‘AKAM MACAIRE’, which use to take place almost on weekly basis; during which time, he used to empower the grassroot politicians and also used to announce on a microphone that anybody that does not have permanent voters card should get money for transport from him to go and register. Based on the hard work of the Association, Ikono Local Government Area political system becomes “macaireised” such that majority voters vow to vote for anybody that is approved by Macaire during general elections.
Based on our numerical strength, we were sure of providing councillorship candidates in all the eleven (11) wards of the Local Government Area, but our numerical strength have been rendered useless by the politics of giving concession to urban based political stakeholders who do not have meaningful grassroot relevance.
The question now is, who is a stakeholder in Ikono politics? What roles are expected of a stakeholder? If a political stakeholder in Ikono Local Government area that merit concession is seen as a man who had held senior political office in the past or who is serving currently but rarely come to Ikono to service the political system; and therefore, has no meaningful grass-root relevance; it is unfortunate, painful, embarrassing, unnerving, exacerbating, heart-breaking and pathetic because it is an invitation to failing general elections. All these stakeholders put together, who has the political leader’s followership?
Now that the political leader instructs the Home Based Politicians to remain intact for PDP, what is the meaning? Does it mean that we will go and vote for the councillorship candidate we did not nominate? Is he not aware that we have become “objects of mockery? What was the essence of our mobilizing people for elections? Let us know where we are going to, if not that he is the major source of our finance and strength, and that we have vowed to do his political bits at all times, we are supposed to get angry, because we did not expect this kind of nomination after he had assured us that power is returned to the people at the grassroot through majority votes. What is the fate of his followers? Can he continue to carter for them through his private purse? Then for how long would the leader do this?
It could be recalled that during his last praise and worship session in Ukpom Ward 5 just before the primaries, he advised and warned on a microphone that any Home Based Politicians that would be involved in any kind of violence or crime during and after the primaries would be on his/her own. He concluded after paying for mobilization of all party members by saying that any ward that wins without the slightest form of violence stand to win a prize. That we were not given opportunity to show the world that it pays to come home and mobilize people for election instead of staying outside Ikono to spread blatant falsehood, is annoying and capable of changing our human impulse to that of monsters. For the Home Based Politicians to have been so quiet and peaceful amidst this day light robbery of democratic right, Obong Paul Ekpo, please direct further because we cannot compromise a situation where Home Based Politicians cannot have even one councillorship candidate of our PDP.
As it is today, the Home Based Politicians are disadvantaged due to politics of giving concession to certain persons who are big in names but lack meaningful grassroot relevance. If the present concession to (stakeholders) is maintained in the appointment of supervisors, believe us or not it shall bring serious pressure to bear on 2019 general elections. The Political Leader had told us that one of the major reasons for staking so much money, time and other resources is to stop the politics of “monkey dey work baboon dey chop”. Today, that hope, aspiration and interest have been swallowed up in the mess of politics of ‘concession democracy’. Why should PDP Ikono Local Government Chapter practice Aristocracy, (politics of the blue blood) during their councillorship nomination but preaches democracy during general elections. This is an invitation to failing general elections and technical way of calling electorate fools. Association of Home Based Politicians humbly request you, Obong Paul Ekpo, our worshipful state chairman of PDP to tell us the usefulness of the election committee that you swore in on 5/9/2017 as meeting was not held for even one day, talkless of seeking the opinion of members of the committee.
It appears your PDP Ikono Chapter does not understand the difference between the politics of the last dispensation which was PDP on top and PDP on the base? Now that there is APC on top and PDP at the middle and base, there are serious balance of forces; please direct your PDP urban based stakeholders to change their technique; “had I known always come last”.
On the issue of the nomination of the chairmanship candidate of PDP in Ikono LGA, Itoro Columba emergence is as a result of the divine intervention by God, it is not due to the political power of any politician in Ikono or the woman commissioner, Dr. Glory Edet who was at his assistance; rather he emerged because God had designed him for the position of an elected Chairman of Ikono Local Government Area in this political dispensation. This is why after all hope was gone God sent a very powerful individual contactor to factorise political equation for him.
An individual contactor as it is used in politics is the kind of individual that his presence or involvement in a particular decision making would swallow up the decision of thousands or millions or even billions of people. If the home based politicians had taken reasonable care, they would have paid a courtesy visit or send a write-up to explain the political situation in Ikono Local Government Area because we are a subset in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Political System, by the time we shall revisit and republish the way and manner the empowerment materials from this God sent political redeemer to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large, the Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio would see and know the political reasoning of the people who used to tell him that they are on ground and that they would deliver PDP come 2019, there and then would they tell him what happened that they concentrated his empowerment materials on certain units to the detriment of other units.
It is worth our while to let you know, the activities of Dr. Glory Edet, Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, in Ikono Local Government Area; it could be recalled that when Dr. Glory Edet was first appointed Commissioner, in this political dispensation that Ikemesit Ndito Ikono sent full page newspaper congratulatory message to her; this was meant to show how pleased Ikemesit Ndito Ikono Organization, which is part of the Association of Home Based politicians today was comfortable with the appointment. It is also on record that since her appointment, the Association has never called her on phone not to talk of asking her for appreciation for congratulating her. We are very focused, we are no sycophant; our political leader is trying his best for us.
We became suspicious of the Hon. Commissioner, right from the day she came to Ikono under the pretext of coming to empower widows, because she gave N5,000.00 each to statutory delegates to house of representatives primary election of PDP; neglecting other members of the parties. It is also rumored that certain statutory members of the said delegates are on her monthly pay list. As if this was not enough, on the day her Excellency Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel visited Ikono Local Government Area, the PDP Chapter Chairman, Chief Moses Akpan instead of focusing his address on her Excellency only, openly said that Dr. Glory Edet can aspire for elective position, not minding the fact that because of the political position he is occupying in PDP Ikono Local Government Area, he is supposed to know that every statement he makes in a political gathering is seen as PDP policy statement.
In one of the PDP Ikono Chapter enlarged executive meetings, Dr. Glory Edet was one of the invitees; the above are enough early warning signals for the people of Ikono to have sensed the intention of Dr. Glory Edet to temper with the zoning system existing in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency. If it is through the provision of quarter bags of rice and seven hundred naira (N700.00) wrappers over which she wants to cause political problem in the Federal constituency, we shall consider the refund through her chapter chairman during our next general meeting. If she wants to learn about empowerment, let her come and count from the number of vehicles, small scale businesses, financial grants, scholarships etc etc provided by Obong Emmanuel Ukpong-udo. “No matter how a butterfly is coloured, it cannot fly like a bird”
Association of Home Based Politicians Ikono Chapter is not against the Political aspiration of anybody but we feel that the political interests of all the appointees of our Governor are subsumed in government interest; because in a presidential system of government, at the state level, the governor is the single executive voted into power, whoever he appoints as commissioner, special adviser, Board Chairman, etc. is purely for administrative convenience, failing to pursue government political interest is invitation to vacating his or her seat in the government cabinet. We of the Association of Home Based Politicians, Ikono Local Government Area are uncomfortable with the roles she played in the last PDP councillorship primaries in Ikono Local Government Area, we do not want to wash our dirty clothes in the public for the interest of our party, should you call us for details we are well equipped to substantiate our claims. She should be advised to stop stressing herself further because, Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency seat is not yet vacant for an indigene of Ini Local Government Area.
Thinking about Obong Emmanuel Ukpong (Macaire) and contemporary Ikono politics, we are reminded and likened his situation to a story we read about Ikono Ibom empire. The story is that Ikono Ibom empire, happened to be a political empire that was blessed with both human and materials resources, but lack a visionary leader to harness the natural endowment for speedy progress; It happened also that because of the wealth of the empire, the neighbouring empires had always been in the habit of annexing the said Ikono Ibom empire such that many Ikono Ibomites became poverty stricken and desolate. Upon continuous prayers, God provided the said empire with a veritable young messiah with tremendous wealth, spiritual insight, courage, simplicity, political strength, philanthropic disposition, patience, love for humanity, etc; because of these sterling qualities that God provided the Messiah, he upturned the economy of the empire, expanded territorial boundaries, restored peace and integrity to the empire such that the populace nicknamed him, you cannot beat, Udoeka Jesus, philanthropist, prophet, etc and above all crowned him with the title of political Leader General. Premised on the popularity, respect and glory accorded to the God sent Messiah, the emperor of Ikono Ibom empire developed fear that in the nearest future, he would be asked to step down for the messiah to take over control of the empire; convoked, a meeting with his sub-political heads, requested their co-operation for the banishment of the reigning messiah, but feared that if the banishment is done abruptly that there would be rebellion since the messiah is sincerely loved by the populace. Then the emperor and his subordinates resolved that the best way to do it is by voting and that they would succeed, since they are the controller of the finance of the empire. The story went further that before voting by the populace to determine whether, the Messiah should be banished or not. Then the emperor released money and questionnaires for campaign and voting for the banishment of the messiah, during the process of this campaign, one day, the messiah was moving on the road behold an old illiterate woman confronted him and requested him to show her how she can put her finger print in favour of the banishment of the messiah not knowing that the person she wants to vote against is the very person she is requesting for assistance in his disfavour; the messiah however, before showing the women how to vote against him asked the old illiterate women whether the messiah has ever offended her, the woman response was that, she has never known or met the messiah before but explained that she wants to vote against the messiah because she has been paid to do so. The messiah before showing the woman how to vote against him had prayed to God that situation should not compel, the emperor and his people to look for him in the day of trouble; few months after the banishment of the messiah from Ikono Ibom empire, God unanswered his prayer, the neighbouring empire, attacked and annexed her territories, the populace threatened to rebel if the messiah is not recalled; the empire was forced to revoke the law of banishment and recalled the messiah, in the subsequent war, the messiah helped the empire to be victorious. In this connection, we are praying that condition should not force the PDP Ikono Chapter to look for Obong Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo and his followers during 2017 and 2019 against the APC ardent desire to take over the government of Ikono Local Government Area.
We do not understand why people should concentrate and channel their energy towards internal struggle of how to displease the political leader in face of the government instead of doing grassroot mobilization which is the basis to winning general elections. Honestly Speaking if the present situation is maintained there would be weeping, serious weeping, indeed, for those who see the need to weep on account of electoral defeat that would have been avoided had reasonable care been taken. To the home based politicians we are immune to cheating; hardship has been our tutor in recent years. That is why we do not want to remember the past except for goodness, after all without our bitter experience in Ikono politics there would not have been any need for the formation of Association of Home Based politicians, whether anybody is willing to accept this fact or not Macaire has changed the pattern and direction of Ikono politics; For instance those who never cared for the politicians are gradually, recruiting people for fear of total usurpation of Ikono politics by Macaire. Every camp is asking God to bless Macaire that without his presence in Ikono politics those who are now pampering them would not have been picking their calls.
To our dear political leader, we know it is natural for him to be uncomfortable because the people he assisted to climb political ladders are now showing him the gratitude of a leopard to a monkey by whose tail it climbed out of a dingy pit; Let him not mind, in real life situation reward for good works do not always come from the expected sources.
We wish you the best in your endeavour to solve all the internal problems of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State and most especially that of Ikono Local Government Area.
Thank you Sir.
DAVID AKPAN NTUK
International Chairman Association of Home Based Politicians/
Political Analyst/Registered Human Right Activist
For Association of Home Based Politicians
Ikono LGA Chapter.
08034053592
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