Edidem Ukpa and the History of Okuibom Stool

Thomas Thomas

Don’t preserve our customs

As some fine curios

To suit some white historians’ tastes.

There’s nothing artificial

That beats the natural way

In culture and ideals of life.

. . .  Let them bury their prejudice . . .

Dennis Osadebay

      

I have decided to give a lengthy analysis of the issue of Okuibom Ibibio and to state my position and why HRM Edidem Ukpabio Udo Ukpa is the OkuIbom III and he should not be dethroned as such.

       As a matter of fact, I naturally would not love to make any comment on any issue bordering on the traditional institution/stool of Ibibio people since I am disappointed by the so called traditional fathers who are now more political than traditional and now more partisan. It is shameful!

       There’s no tribe, race or people without custom, tradition and norms. No people ever existed without a leader or leaders, but the Ibibios, out of sheer greed and timidity, have proven otherwise.

       For more than two years now, our traditional fathers are engaging in a battle over the rightful occupant of Okuibom stool. This battle is so fierce and dirty such that it now exposes their greed, and total lack of knowledge of our tradition.

       I have not met HRM Ukpa one and one, and I’ve not spoken with him either, so my views are neutral and aimed at savaging Ibibio race from shame.

       The Okuibom stool is an agelong and highest traditional stool in Ibibio. It is as old as Ibibio nation. Though so many people would disagree to the fact that there were other Okuiboms before Edidem Udo Uyoata Akpabio. The reason Edidem Udo Uyoata Akpabio was named Okuibom 1 was because his predecessors were not documented since our forebears were not lettered. You see, it is very difficult to reconstruct the history of an illiterate people. But there are empirical evidences to show that there existed many Oku before our present age. That’s why there are many “Ikot” or “Nnung Okus” in Ibibio land. These were places Oku emerged in the time past; or, these were the descendants of different okus.

       Usonnyin Okon Ekpo Ekpo, the Okuibom II confirmed the fact that there were Okus before Udo Uyoata Akpabio. According to him, the honour started right from the beginning of the existence of Ibibio nation . . . It is not a recent development as some people think. According to the late king, the Okuibom stool becomes popular and of great significance to the Ibibio nation, when the importance of the stool was established in the consciousness of Ibibio people and the late Edidem Uyoata Akpabio was selected to become the Okuibom I. The late Usonnyin further stated that the Okuibom office is not just a common office given to anybody and it is not a political office; (Weekly Update, Nov. 4, 2001).

       But the paramount rulers of our local government areas who are all members of Ifim Ibom Ibibio have politicized the Okuibom stool. After the demise of His Eminence, Usonnyin Okon Ekpo Ekpo, Edidem Akpabio Udo Ekpa was selected as the Okuibom Ibibio III and was presented to the State Government, then headed by Obong Victor Attah, in year 2006. The presentation was done by Edidem Robert James Obot (peace on his ashes) who was then the paramount ruler of Nsit Ubium and Secretary of Ifim Ibom Ibibio. The action of Ifim Ibom was informed by the doctrine of necessity since Edidem Ukpa was Okon Ekpo Ekpo’s deputy. The paramount rulers of Ibibio who were members of Ifim Ibom Ibibio had already made a “mistake” consciously or unconsciously by appointing Edidem Ukpa as the Deputy President of Ifim Ibom against their (Ifim Ibom) constitutional provision. The Constitution of Ifim Ibibio provided that:

1.          “the Deputy President-General shall be a paramount ruler appointed by the Kingmakers from the Local Government Council Area next in alphabetical order to the local government council area of Okuibom, to hold office as such”,

2.           “The Deputy President General shall, in the absence of the president-General, assume all functions and responsibilities of the president-general”.

The big questions are: why did members of Ifim Ibom Ibibio decide to appoint Ukpa as the Deputy President-General against the constitution? Didn’t they know that their zoning did not favour him when they crowned him the Okuibom and presented him to the Government? Not that I am standing against the Ifim Ibom Ibibio; but the truth is that Edidem Ukpa was selected as the Okuibom, and that decision should not be revoked, even if it was taken in a haste, for the interest of peace and posterity, after all, the constitution under operation was not adopted, and again the constitution cannot supersede our tradition.

I am persuaded to say that the action of some paramount rulers of Ibibio land is not in the interest of Ibibio. Reason: if you ask an average Ibibio/Akwa Ibom person he or she would tell you that he is in support of Edidem Ukpa’s OkuIbomship. Edidem Ukpa protects/represents the interest of Ibibio people than so many paramount rulers who are now parading themselves as saints. In fact, none of those paramount rulers can sincerely define Ibibio interest in this political dispensation; but Edidem Ukpa can.

       What do Ibibio people want now? They want freedom, they want a voice, they want to be treated fairly in Nigeria nay Akwa Ibom State; they don’t want to be killed; they don’t want to be enslaved in their land; they want to be empowered, and hate to be stigmatized. Which among the factional Ifim Ibom Ibibio members can stand up for the people? None. But Edidem Ukpa has severally spoken on behalf of the people. In January 2010, when Major General Edet Akpan was kidnapped, the State Government pretentiously called for a meeting in Government House, Uyo; in that meeting, Don Etiebet, an Annang man openly said that killings and kidnappings in the State were carried out by the Ibibio politicians; all the paramount rulers were there but could not talk so that their KIA Jeeps would not be retrieved from them, exception of Ukpabio Ukpa, who caused Etiebet and even the Governor to apologize. What do we need from an Okuibom than this?

       All the paramount rulers who are now parading and priding themselves as spokesmen of Ibibio, who are now calling for the execution of Edidem Ukpa are not as good as Ukpa. They say Dr. Ukpa is not working for the interest of Ibibio; I am compelled to ask: who among them is working for the interest of Ibibio and its people? Is it the Edidem who announced in Ikot Udo Oto, during election that he did not want to see anybody supporting ACN in his domain? Is it the same man who drove ACN supporters away from polling units? When Ibibio people were killed and kidnapped was he not the one who installed Gov. Akpabio the Uko Akwa Ibom when the Ibibios were driven away from their land? I am mad! Was it not Edidem Umoette who called Sam Ewang names for contesting against Akpabio to become the Governor of Akwa Ibom State? He said Ewang was Absalom, and that he should be treated as such. He stopped all Ibibio aspirants from paying courtesy call on him. That is a man who sees himself as a saint and spokesman of Ibibio.

       Or, is Edidem Edem Silas Akpan, the Paramount Ruler of Uyo, a spokesman of Ibibio people? Can he speak? Does he know what Ibibio people want? This is a man who wanted to refuse praying for Udoedehe in Uyo Traditional Rulers Council Hall if not for the intervention of Clan Heads of Uyo. This is a man who openly opposed all Ibibio sons who were aspiring to take over from Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and openly campaigned against Udoedehe, but now says he is speaking for Ibibios. Which Ibibio?

       The paramount rulers of Ibibio are more political than royal. I love them, but I hate their lifestyles. Some of them are greedy. Sorry, I am writing this to get you corrected because it is a disgrace to the Ibibio society. The plot to remove Edidem Ukpa is selfish and political. The excuses for his removal are too flimsy, especially as they are marshaled by people who are more anti-Ibibio than Edidem Ukpa.

       I am persuaded to say that traditional fathers are supposed to be men of integrity and substance, not men who are perpetual at war with each other. They are supposed to be custodians of traditions, customs and cultures of the people; they are supposed to be arbiters, go-between for the government and the governed, but not sycophants. Let me use this opportunity to State that the display of sycophancy in the political scenario in Akwa Ibom State in recent days by some of our paramount rulers tends to inform us that royalty has a different meaning in the State.

       Ibibio people must resist putting their destiny in the fangs of hyenas and wolves now parading as lambs, we must resist those who will sell-out our collective interest for selfish gains. I am not saying Edidem Akpabio Udo Ukpa is a saint, what I’m saying is that he was selected and presented as the Okuibom III, hence, he should not be disgraced. I am sorry for being this blunt!