Why we insist there is no zoning in AKS Governorship

-Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh
The nation is undergoing serious political and social upheavals. We have the issue of insecurity occasioned by the Boko Haram menace and now the issue of removal of oil subsidy. What is your opinion on current happenings in the country? 
Nigeria is passing through another critical period as a country. We have come a long way in our history and have passed through even more critical times, including a civil war. I believe that this one will also become history one day. I believe in our ability as Nigerians to solve our problems. The security issue, I think is even more compelling, because the lives daily wasted can never be regained. As Nigerians, we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, irrespective of our ethnic, religious or regional leanings. I see the attacks on Nigerians anywhere as highly unacceptable and an affront to our national security. As Nigerians, we must understand that we practice different religions and there is no religion in Nigeria that preaches violence. Those perpetrating violence in the guise of religion are pure enemies of our country and must be identified and prosecuted for their heinous crimes against the nation. No one should be spared. I also want Nigerians to be more circumspect in their comments at this volatile time in our history. It is not time to apportion blames and make inflammatory statements capable of increasing tension in the polity. Nigerians from the north, from the south, Nigerians of all religious persuasions should eschew violence and learn to live together.
As for the subsidy debate, I want Nigerians to listen to the president. Let us understand what he is saying about the removal. He means well for us. I am sure that by the time we come to terms with the benefits derivable from the removal of subsidies, we will join hands and make the new policy succeed. If we are actually feeding a cabal somewhere to the overall advantage of the common man, then I don’t see any reason why we should not embrace the removal. Let labour and government engage themselves in more dialogue for better understanding of the issues at stake. To me, there is a clear over politicization of the whole thing, making the average Nigerian more confused on what is actually the true position of things. But generally speaking, we should give the new order the needed chance to succeed. We will experience the hardship in the short term, but I am convinced that we will gain more in the long run and at the same time have our government run the economy smoothly.
Do you think the spate of problems confronting President Jonathan is because he is from the minority South South?
There is every temptation to think along that line, but I must hasten to say that no matter who is at the helm of affairs now, these problems would still have confronted him. The Boko Haram issue is so bad that it is difficult to determine where they are operating from. They cannot be confronted headlong because they are not an organized army and so they are very fluid in their presence and operation. Therefore, any president, no matter where he comes from, would still have faced the dilemma on how to tackle their menace. The fuel issue on the other hand, has been an intractable problem facing the country. The subsidy issue has confronted every government that has operated in Nigeria. It just happened that President Goodluck Jonathan is currently the man at the helm of affairs and has mustered the courage to deal with the recurring issue of fuel subsidy once and for all. I think we should just support him and hold him and his team accountable on how to apply what will be saved from the removal of subsidy.
Now to Akwa Ibom state sir. In your opinion, how has the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio faired in his four and half years of piloting the affairs of the state?
Well, what do I say? You are in Akwa Ibom state, so I can only tell you that seeing is believing! But to be more pointed, I think we have had a good run so far. He has been able to transform irrevocably the infrastructural base of the state. He has opened up the state for the next level, which he has correctly identified and started doing something about and that is industrialization. The governor has the best interest of the state at heart. His developmental initiative runs through every sector, with education and road infrastructure taking a pride of place. You can never appreciate his investment on roads until you venture into other states of the federation. Most Akwa Ibom people will also begin to appreciate what he has done with the free education policy until many years when we start reaping the benefit of an educated populace. The great thing about his achievements is that they are mostly futuristic. The massive investment in the area of infrastructure will mean a future rush into the state by investors looking for better investment environment defined by developed social and economic infrastructure. He is currently investing in the gas and energy sector through the Septa Energy gas plant and the pipeline to Ikot Abasi. The implication of this investment is that both the power plant and ALSCON will operate with assured supply of gas. That will make the state self sufficient in energy production and invariably lead to uninterrupted power supply. You know what that means to industrialization and employment. I am even more excited by the possibilities open to our people by the industrial initiative that he has promised the state in his second term. I am just asking our people to key into the plans of government by uniting in their support to his administration.
As an Ibibio Elder and Uyo senatorial district person, there have been insinuations that the governor has not treated the Ibibio fairly. What is your take on this? 
I feel very sad when I hear such remarks. It was a propaganda tool in the hands of government opposition during the election. It is a destructive propaganda that even the propagators know very well is not true. To me, there should never really be any question of these contrived ethnic issues. They are pure distractions. The governor, as far as I can see from the spread of his projects, has no consideration for such ethnic sentiments. Look at the projects for instance. He came in and met so many projects started by the previous administration. Many, if not all of them are located in Ibibio land, he continued with them. He did not say, ‘let me take them to other places’. No! He continued with the projects where they were located. Now you have the airport, the Ibom power plant, the state university etc. Governor Akpabio has the most ambitious developmental plan for Uyo. Take a look at the urban renewal projects. Look at the World-class hospital, look at the E-library, look at the sprawling Tropicana project, look at the various roads. Does that appear to you like a man who hates a place? The problem with some people is that either they have it or no one should. Politics is not warfare. If you seek a position today and fail, you should go back and re-strategise. But some politicians here do not understand that. They fight so destructively that you begin to wonder if they actually wanted to serve or destroy. In terms of appointment, you will notice that the Ibibio constitute an overwhelming number of government appointees. They are given offices of high responsibilities. For a people who produced the Deputy Governor, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Secretary to the state government, Commissioner for finance, Chief Judge of the state, Chairman of the ruling party, and many other plum ministries and interministerial positions, there should never really be any question of marginalization. We have never had it so well, even when we had an Ibibio as governor.
Your group the Uyo Senatorial District Elders Council recently came up with their position on the governorship of the state and the issue of zoning. Why did the council insist that there should be no zoning when there is an existing clamour that Eket, which has not produced a governor, should have the slot as of right?
Thank you. In our release, we stated clearly that there has never been zoning in Akwa Ibom state as far as the governorship position is concerned. That is the simple truth! We did not just wake up to make the assertion. There is a history behind our argument. This history may be worth restating for the sake of emphasis. In 1991, during the IBB transition election, two parties were decreed. On the platform of the National Republican Congress, the late Obong Akpan Isemin from Uyo senatorial district slugged it out at the primary election with Sir Sunday U. Akpan from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, Mfon Amana from Eket senatorial district and E W Ekpontak from Uyo. The party allowed them. Isemin won the primary and subsequently won the general election to become the governor. In the build up to the 1999 election, the dominant party then, the PDP had many aspirants that cut across the three senatorial districts. They included Obong Victor Attah, from Uyo, Mr Benjamin Okoko from Eket, Dr Ime Okopido, Dr Ekeng Anamdu and Dr David Ekanem, all from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, as well as late Etukudo Ekpro, from Uyo. Obong Attah won the primary and the subsequent election to become the governor. For his reelection in 2003, Obong Victor Attah once more faced the challenges posed by Mr Benjamin Okoko and Dr Samuel Udonsak both from Eket senatorial zone at the PDP primary election. Attah again won. In 2007, the incumbent governor contested the primary election with aspirants from all the senatorial districts. Engr Larry Esin, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, Obong Nsima Ekere, from Eket senatorial district, as well as Arch Okon Inwang from Uyo senatorial district contested the primary election and Chief Godswill Akpabio won. He did not win because he is from Ikot Ekpene, he clearly won because he had the largest support base among the over 58 other aspirants. In 2011, as the incumbent, Governor Akpabio had to contend with Engr Frank Okon from Eket, and Imo Udo from Uyo, for the party ticket, Governor Akpabio again won. These are incontrovertible facts. Any person that has a contrary history should present it.
But for equity…
(Cuts in) There is still the equitable distribution of the other offices of government once the position of the governor is democratically taken care of. If you notice you will see that the other offices of government are shared in such a way as to give every segment a sense of belonging. The position of governor or president is too critical to be allowed to the vagaries of zoning. That explains why despite zoning in the PDP constitution, even at the national level there has never really been a time when other people from other zones are officially disallowed. What should actually concern us as a people is to get a credible person who will not fritter the giant developmental advance we have already made as a state. 
Does your council have any aspirant in mind? 
I have told you that our main concern is to ensure that the coast is clear for all those who think they want to be governor to come and face the people’s scrutiny. We are watching the political turf and any time we think we have the type of material that can give Akwa Ibom state good leadership; we will be bold again to step out and declare our stand. We have never shied away from the responsibility of speaking out when we should. For now let the wheat and the tares grow together at the appropriate time of harvest, they will be separated.