Since the controversial story in Weekly Insight, “Udoma Bows”, Dr. Udoma Bob Ekarika has maintained a deafening silence. His silence contrasted sharply with the uproar that greeted his controversial letter to the governor on the new governor's lodge. The Udoma Bows story made people assume that all was now well with the two gladiators who slugged it out in the 2006 primary where Akpabio triumphed. Politics is once more in the air and Udoma Ekarika is back. This time, he has chosen to pitch his tent with Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, the man primed to wrest power from the incumbent. It was in the senator's house during a high profile political meeting that our reporter, Franklyn Isong had a chance meeting with the politician. He fielded questions on a number of issues. You can have any opinion of him, but you can't deny the fact that he shoots straight when he wants to. Excerpts:
Sir, you are from the Annang nation, the area where Governor Akpabio hails from, what motivated you to attend the meeting of senator Akpanudoedehe an Ibibio man who wants to wrest power from your brother?
Well! The slogan of this meeting is positive change, when you talk of change, it is a permanent thing. Godswill Akpabio came in 2007 as the Governor, through the strength of the Annang, Ibibios and the Oros, pleading that power should rotate within Senatorial District, but today everybody have seen that Godswill Akpabio, if he is allowed to continue will lead this state to total destruction, because what he is doing presently is not in tandem with what is supposed to be. There is complete capital flight, no Akwa Ibom person has been given a job up to one hundred Million naira, all the students are languishing on the street, all our graduates are jobless at home, but this government is talking about free and compulsory education without anything to show, so, having seen and having known too well that this government has no direction, we decided to go for functional, effective and reasonable government that will carry everybody along come 2011.
But, people are saying that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District should hold office of Governor for 2 terms of 4 years each, which will elapse in 2015. Are you against such arrangement?
Well, power was shifted to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, having looked at that based on our strength. But, you cannot wait until you are consumed but fire, that is the honest truth. So, it was not zoned to an individual, that is the honest truth and that is of course, because change is inevitable when you see that something is not where they are supposed to be. Because this government does not carry even the Annang sector along. For instance in Abak Local Government, as I am talking to you now, how many people have been carried along in Abak Axis? How many roads have been constructed in Abak? How many Abak people have been in this government, even in Ikot Ekpene, I am talking to you convincingly that if election is held today in Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio will fail in Essien Udim Local Government, his own Local Government, because when it comes to Ikot Ekpene axis it is only Akpabio's family and that is all.
What is your reaction to the PDP reconciliation panel.
In terms of what? That has nothing to do with the election, the executive of PDP will still be in place and we will chose our own governorship candidate. It has nothing to do with the exco at all. What is going to happen is that the electorate will form the delegates and the delegate will chose all the aspirants because at that time, the present governor will also be an aspirant. So, the delegates will chose the best among all the aspirants.
Do you envisage a level playing field for all the aspirants?
Of course! There are no two ways about it. Let me tell you, they say that when the collective will of the people is galvanized for action, steel and iron cannot stop it.
What if other aspirants emerge from your zone?
Until then.
What is your reaction to the speculation in the state that you bowed to Governor Akpabio?
What do you mean by bow? Do you look at me as somebody that will go and bow to anybody? Godswill Akpabio is the governor, he has to be given our respect as per his office, and that does not mean bowing to anybody. If anybody has published that that person is an idiot and if the governor, himself has condescended to that, you can see the level he is operating.
Today, Senator Akpabudoedehe has commended you for turning around to support him, despite the fact that he opposed your governorship ambition in 2007, How would you disabuse the minds of the people of the state on your action?
Politics is a game that should be played without bitterness. We have to put behind us what has happened in the past, what is most important in life is the future. It is wrong to cry over spilled milk. John James Udoedehe as a former senator; a former minister of the Federal Republic, has come to realize that I am still a better candidate, a neater person as it relates to Akwa Ibom State and the Government House. And everybody in Akwa Ibom State today have come to realize that if I had been the governor, I would have done better. I know my capability. One thing about me is that if I don't want to do something I can not be forced, but once I am willing to do something the Sky is my limit. When it comes the issue of politics, I started as far back as my primary school, it is unfortunate that today we don't have dormitories any longer in primary schools. In those days we used to have dormitories, I was a prefect; and if you look at that, that is a leadership position; in my secondary, I was a senior labour prefect, I can mention my secondary, and that was a leadership position. Even in the University of Calabar; though I was reading medicine, the university authority on their own having seen my political involvement, appointed me the Welfare Officer of the Student Union government for 2 years; that was leadership position. Even in my professional body (Medicine), as at the time I was appointed commissioner for Health, I was the P.R.O of Nigerian Medical Association in Akwa Ibom State.
So, what is your political ambition in 2011?
The issue is that, as far as I have now declared openly that, I don't want to vie for governorship, because I have seen somebody, I know that has another quality like me and I know if he comes into Office, as he is a Christian because if you go to proverb 29 vs. 2, it says that when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice and when the wicked is there, the people will be languishing and mourning. Everybody today in Akwa Ibom State is mourning, because of bad leadership which Akpaudoedehe brought to the state and he has told us that he has repented, and I have seen it in him, so why won't I support him? Politics is a game of interest, so now that he has come to redeem Akwa Ibom people from the hand of bad ruler, why won't I stand by him. Look, this thing we are talking about, is not a child's play. I am speaking my mind as an Annang person, I can challenge anybody to wait and see that very soon everybody in Annang land will join this project, because when the chips are down, politics is a game of numbers. When we negotiated power shift to Ikot Ekpene senatorial District, we did not go on our own; we went talking to the Ibibios and they agreed, but now, everybody and I mean, all ethnic nationalities in the state are aggrieved with what is happening today, because Akpabio is not leading, he is ruling Akwa Ibom State. He is holding back our money and he said he wants to bring it out during election and everybody is starving. Do you know the number of people that have been coming to me, begging for one or two naira to just feed? And let me tell you, on 28 of November, 1999 we fought in Bolingo. Why is Obong Attah today being tagged as confrontational? Because, he stood up to fight for resource control and even the person that is enjoying the money does not recognize the person who fought for it. And not only that, all the previous chapter excos of PDP, how many of them have been recognized by this government? And these are the people who stood with the government of Attah to fight for the resource control money, which is coming to the state now. So, let me tell you, we are the people who refuse to fear. And we stand by the truth even though Godswill Akpabio is my brother, but a good friend is better than a bad brother. I am a politician; I am supporting John Akpanudoedehe. After all, when I became a commissioner did I not perform? If at the end of the day, I am made a minister won't I perform? We are talking of those who will go and bring something, let me go and bring something, let me tell you that when I was the commissioner for works what I did, without me, there won't have been Ibawa bridge and under one year I finished the construction of Ibawa bridge and that is the truth; under one year I finished all the dualized roads in Uyo and we did not make noise because road construction is part of small infrastructure we should put for the people. It is not a question of a government that does not have direction to say massive road construction; what do you mean by that? Free and compulsory education that is on pages of newspapers, look the time is now for you all to change this government. There is no sentiment. Any Annang person that will be coming to make sentiments I am not part and parcel of that. What we are standing for, we are standing for the truth and the truth must always be told, but it is always very bitter; it is very very bitter and any Annang son should challenge me, I am truly an Annang son, but when something is not good, I will say it is not good. And, I have said it, that it is not good; apart from that, Uyo is the seat of government and if the owners say we have to give it to them, so be it!
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