“Only if you empower the liberals, if you empower the moderate socialists, if you empower all factions of society, only then will the extremists be ‘marginalized”. Mohamed Elbaradai – 1942, Egyptian Scientist.
This humble opinion and advice by one of the foremost Egyptian scientists has given an insight to how a community, no matter how lowly rated, should be accommodated in the scheme of things or better still be integrated into the system, at least, to give the people of the said community a sense of belonging. This, possibly implies that all communities must be empowered with positions of economic strength, infrastructures and other vital social amenities that could make a remarkable impact or difference in the lives of the people of the said communities.
Today, a certain local government area (community) is seriously crying and yearning for a significant political empowerment that will translate into economic development. This could be through mandating or appointing of indigenes of the Local Government Area to occupy sensitive positions in the state that will attract development or progress of whatever kind to the area. The simple narrative here is that Ikono is short of lucrative appointments or positions that could enforce or influence any far-reaching fortunes either that of the people or the community.
In furtherance of this, I know too well that there are language forms that are considered impolite and out of order, no matter what truths it might be communicating that if you talk with a harsh, urbanized accent or use too many profanities, that will often get you barred, no matter what you are trying to say. On the other hand, polite, formal language is allowed almost anywhere even when all it is communicating is hatred and violence. Power always privileges its own discourse while marginalizing those who would challenge it.
This piece is not designed to fight the rest of the state for positions or insult their sensibilities, but to passionately appeal to them to support the interest of Ikono people. the social media space and other information medium have been inundated with appeal to the government and people of Akwa Ibom State to pick an Ikono Local Government son as the next Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Akwa Ibom State Chapter, which is perceivably zoned to Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District, where Ikono happens to be one of the Local Government Areas that make up the Senatorial District.
In Nigerian politics, equity, fairness and justice have been veritable elements in the sharing of power and positions to ease tension, anguish, hatred and by extension the spread of dividends of democracy. Akwa Ibom State is held in a very high esteem in Nigeria as the pioneer State to conceptualize and promote this people-oriented political ideologies. This has laid bare the fact that no community or Local Government Area should be too marginalized to produce who to occupy what position of responsibility.
To buttress my point here, I want to deliberately and stoutly align myself with the ongoing agitation by the people of Ikono Local Government area for the coveted position of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Akwa Ibom State Chapter. This is sequel to the fact that no Ikono person has enjoyed any plump appointment in the state in the last eight years or thereabout, despite the fact that the people of Ikono Local Government Area give every successive state administration their undiluted support, loyalty and votes to succeed. Why are we always relegated to the background when it comes to power and positions sharing? The people of Ikono Local Government Area have suffered untold deprivations and insults as a result of their humble dispositions.
Available records have confirmed that after more than sixty years of co-existing with our Annang brothers speaking areas in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Ikono could only pride itself with eight years of Senate representation while the rest of the Local Government Areas, particularly the Annang have enjoyed juicy appointments ranging from the State Governor, Deputy Governor, Ministerial appointments, Speaker of State Assembly, Deputy State Chairman of the PDP, Heads of Boards/parastatals etc.
This writer is not attempting to be tribalistic here, but only trying to refresh our memories as the PDP heads to their forth-coming Congresses that will eventually produce the next State Chapter Chairman of the party. Rumour has it that individual have already been projected to succeed Obong Paul Ekpo as the State Chairman of the PDP and that preferred choice is not from Ikono Local Government Area. (Not confirmed).
However, if the principles of fair-play, equity and justice are anything to go by, then, it is expected that, Ikono Local Government Area is the best and only Local Government to produce the next Chairman of PDP, Akwa Ibom State Chapter as it will be morally, ‘societally’ and legally justifiable to do so.
