Senator Godswill Akpabio
By Ernest Udoh-Robert
To many, relationship is a means to an end. Once a goal is attained, relationship is thrown to the gutters.
This means no matter the level of relationship with the things shared, adventures experienced, knowledge bantered and intimacy communed, once we get what we want from that relationship, all that was shared and experienced drops like a pack of cards just for our goal.
The verses and stanzas of lamentation from the hurt soul is inconsequential. Betrayal, backstabber and those who don’t cherish relationship abound in history, our streets, places of worship, business, politics and homes. Go anywhere, you will no doubt eavesdrop on chatters of betrayals.
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For those who have read about Lucifer some see him as the metaphor of Satan, did that angel really debase to Satan and how? No doubt he was an awesome creation and God’s close ally, but he had a mission. He began scheming to fulfil his mission of being God. Jehovah that knows the intent of every creation allowed an angel poison other angels heart against Him. Why? And if this took place in heaven where everything is pristine, does that mean heaven is not a perfect place? My question is sounding heretic to some people. Well, that’s for another day, theologians should help out.
The point is, assuming the popular ‘error’ is the fact; that an angel betrayed God, it would mean betrayal existed even in heaven, how much less earth where fallible men and angels patrol. Lucifer did not cherish his own relationship with God, he slaughtered it for his goal.
Many of us do same, we defecate on honour and snigger at fidelity, justice and fairness. “Whatever stands before you and your goal and desire, Holy Ghost Fire!” Such prayers saliently fuel the disrespect for relationship.
When the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), my spine quacked at the swift denial close allies, family members and political appendages meted at Akpabio.
Recall Akpabio/Udom face-off which led to Akpabio’s defection to APC.
It was an opportunity for boys to become men. Today, those that were Personal Assistants have been bequeathed Commissioners and Special Assistants had to maintain their position, so they spoke ills of Akpabio publicly.
We often hear the adage ‘blood is thicker than water’, for me, hunger is thicker than blood. No matter whose ox is gored, hunger must be satisfied and many of us know where we are coming from and will not want to return there. Unfortunately, the desire not to return to our ‘vomit’ is coloured with greed without a taint of contentment. It is an unstoppable thirst that nothing and nobody matters to us, except our desire to quench our hunger.
There’s a wise saying from the temple of elders that, “the child we taught how to sing has begun using the song to insult us”. This has been Akpabio’s lot. Former Governor Victor Attah had his, our first civilian Governor Akpan Isemin will tell you with a twitch on his face not because you woke him from the dead but because he recalls the various back stabbers and betrayals he had to deal with. Surely, our present Governor, Udom Emmanuel has tales of woes of betrayals to unleash.
Governor Udom Emmanuel.
This has been the lot of our rising stars, we don’t seem to muster support to our brothers who are ahead of us, we do all we can to destroy whatever good image he or she had. For instance Christy Uduak Essien-Igbokwe is ours but there’s no dot to show that such a queen of music hails from here.
There are gifted sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom who loved and passionately excelled in their field of endeavours and they are being celebrated. One would have thought, we would have celebrated our stars who are our own Isaac. The promise is being fulfilled, in the land of promise, though it has been a tedious wait. The joy is our ‘Isaacs’ are celebrated though elsewhere.
We are coming of age in the comity of nations because of the contributions of our sons and daughters in their field of endeavours. Unfortunately, we sacrifice our ‘Isaacs’, and allow the ram to roam. We should rather bring our ‘Isaacs’ home to birth our Israel.
Soon we will breeze into that season where loyalty will be tested, brotherhood will be on trial, and ‘monihood’ will prove its mettle.
Early, we are witnessing the season of abnormalities. For instance, in Imo State, nine Law Makers in the Imo State House of Assembly decamped from the PDP to the APC. This was the direct consequence of the Supreme Court kangaroo judgment that removed Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as governor and declared Hope Uzodinma of the APC as winner of the 2019 governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
What baffles some of us is the swift movement by the members of the State House of Assembly and the obvious lack of honour displayed by them.
Meanwhile, these were people who pledged support to Ihedioha and PDP. Where is that support today? It is slaughtered on the altar of greed. ‘Monihood’ prevailed over brotherhood and ‘partihood’. Whatever hood you belong, it shall be tested. Recently, a senator from the state announced that he was a ‘cultist for Christ’. Soon we will have people telling us that, they are freemason for Christ, Juju man for Christ, Area boy for Christ, prostitute for Christ, armed robber for Christ, witch and wizard for Christ, to mention a few. However, whatever ‘hood’ you belong, when the money that can change your life and destiny is dangled before you, will you change ‘hood’?
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Brotherhood is sweet when the “pay master” can oil the system. It is sweeter when every hunger is satisfied. And as we cruise into the season of abnormalities which has always been, like the weed and the wheat growing together, but at a certain time, the weeds attract the eyes more and we are beginning to see abnormalities again berth at sunset waiting for dawn.
Many cocks are crowing already and they are rising before the sun. Some are refusing to pitch tent, waiting for the highest bidder. While others are bold to sing and carry their tent to their principal, saying,”here we are send us.” Amongst them are trusted allies that will betray and sell out their principal and the project.
Nigeria’s election year is 2023, three years from now, abnormalities would have been at his peak. Not all that begins in your ‘hood’ will end in your ‘hood’. Perhaps, your ‘hood’ was not strong enough to help them to continue to plug in a little longer.
I guess amongst the many grievances will be: “we have been with you for this number of years, yet our lives have not changed. I am moving to where my story will change”.
There are those who are lurking at a corner waiting for your mistake and they are ready to make it known to the principal. These things are seen as normal but must we continue in this ‘sin’ so we could be at the top? It’s not necessary, relationship should be cherished and the sanctity of it preserved in good conscience, this will stop the rise and fall status of most politicians.
