By Unwana Assam

I understand that Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (MMI) has every right to speak for and advocate for the Ibibio people. But I want to say without any form of equivocation that if this empowerment advocacy they have started is really about the welfare, empowerment, and advancement of the Ibibio people, then it should start at the top.

 

 

Start with the Governor, Umo Eno, a frontline Ibibio son and the number-one citizen of Akwa Ibom. Then move to the SSG, Enobong Uwah, another frontline Ibibio son occupying arguably the most powerful office after the Governor.

 

 

Recently, Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo, an Annang man, was challenged to show what he had done for his people. He responded with a comprehensive list of people whose employment he reportedly facilitated, largely from the Annang extraction. Even though the minister has now disowned the purported list, it had circulated for almost a week and earned him considerable praise.

 

 

But assuming the list was authentic, MMI should leave Ekperikpe Ekpo alone. He used his position to empower his people. Whether anybody likes it or not, that is precisely what many people expect from someone who occupies political power.

 

 

My question for MMI is: with an Ibibio Governor and an Ibibio SSG controlling enormous political power today in the state, where is the Ibibio empowerment scorecard?

 

 

How many Ibibio youths have been empowered substantially? How many have received appointments, contracts, jobs, vehicles or other meaningful opportunities through their offices?

 

 

After all, charity, they say, must begin at home.

 

 

The SSG’s office, in particular, sits at the centre of enormous administrative and political influence. Appointments, government opportunities and several key responsibilities pass through that office. Today in the state, you cannot secure an appointment, government favour, a vehicle, an inter-ministerial opportunity or certain forms of empowerment without passing through the SSG’s office.

 

 

Responsibilities and opportunities that were previously spread across different offices through appointments under past administrations are now boxed, domiciled, and controlled by the SSG’s office.

 

 

That is an enormous amount of power and privilege for one man. He is positioned to influence who gets an appointment, whose appointment letter is released, and who receives opportunities from government. So, how many Ibibio people have benefited from that enormous power wielded by an Ibibio SSG?

 

 

Even some people who supported the Governor through the SSG are reportedly complaining that after Enobong Uwah became SSG, he became so insulated that ordinary people can hardly reach him. For some, being an “Ibibio brother” no longer seems to count for much unless you are already an elite.

 

 

This is where the frustration becomes even more painful. Many Ibibio people who supported the administration in 2023 did so with the expectation that an administration led by an Ibibio Governor would create opportunities for them. Today, some of them are murmuring in regret because they believe that speaking openly about public issues could make them appear “disloyal” and jeopardise whatever appointment or opportunity they are hoping for.

 

 

The government has practically reduced its core Ibibio supporters to political puppets who must surrender their voices, dignity, and humanity before they can be considered loyal enough for an appointment. That’s the trend now under this administration. The Ibibio governor is so intentional about keeping everybody at that pace that is why you must prove by all means possible that you are loyal, you are not angry with the system, and your voice must never be heard complaining or your face must never frown. Never

 

 

We were here during the Akpabio administration. We saw how people around the Governor leveraged their proximity to power to create opportunities for their Annang people. Let me mention one familiar name they all know: Prince Akpabio.

 

 

Those Annang political actors understood something very simple: political power is not merely about enjoying the privileges that come with office; it is also about building people and creating political structures. The Annangs in power understood this, while the Ibibios don’t.

 

 

One may be tempted to ask: Under Umo Eno today, who are the Governor’s well-positioned lieutenants with enough influence and resources to replicate that kind of empowerment for Ibibio youths?

 

 

The MMI PRO, Akparawa Idongesit Ikono, signed the statement demanding an equitable distribution of empowerment opportunities from Ekperikpe Ekpo. Fine. Let me give him an assignment.

 

 

Go to Shelter Afrique Junction when the SSG’s convoy passes, and stand. The Auto Manufacturing Company, Toyota of Japan in celebration of its 70 years of existence rolled out a specialized edition of the Land Cruiser Jeep called the 70th Edition.

 

 

In the convoy of the SSG, check if you won’t find that customized SUV. In his convoy, most times, you will find G-Wagons in black and ash colours. You will still sometimes find sophisticated classes of Mercedes-Benz saloons. Put the price of those high-end cars together and see if that would not have provided strong investment grants or out-of-Uyo high-tech initiatives for young minds across Ibibio land.

 

 

Imagine bringing down a multi-million-naira duplex to build another multi-billion-naira duplex just to reflect his new status simply because he has access to our common wealth. Just imagine the billions gone down the drain just for personal show and aggrandizement.

 

 

Apart from recommending a select few people of his Offot Clan for appointments as PA, SA, and SSA in the stagnant and shallow government of the day, what sustainable positioning has he provided or extended to other Ibibio youths leveraging his office, whom his praise singers describe as the “engine room of government?”

 

 

Instead of using their positions to provide enduring initiatives and opportunities, what concerns the Ibibio political elites is showmanship and flaunting of affluence.

 

 

I know that his praise and worship choristers will run to town with the Enobong Uwah Foundation hullabaloo. I am waiting for them.

 

 

That is the conversation MMI should be having.

 

 

Don’t demand an empowerment scorecard from Ekperikpe Ekpo of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District while ignoring the Ibibio sons sitting at the very top of Akwa Ibom’s power structure.

 

 

Start with the Governor. Start with the SSG. Hold your own to account first.

 

 

Then we can talk about everybody else.

 

 

MMI should be at the forefront of demanding opportunities, jobs, empowerment, and a better future for Ibibio youths. But you cannot seriously talk about the future of your people while ignoring the realities of today. If MMI truly wants accountability, let it begin from the corridors of power closest to home.