Failed Coro attempt

DAY MKPAT ENIN, PDP, AND AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT ROUNDLY REJECTED ENO IBANGA AS POLITICAL LEADER

…despite empty boasts, desperation by Prof. Ibanga and a band of contract seekers, hope of political leader collapsed miserably

…why Gov. Umo Eno was conspicuously absent and sent no representative

…Paramount Ruler, royals fathers absent; chieftaincy conferment fails to hold

…anti-Ibanga protests in Uyo, Mkpat Enin; as politically over-ambitious Works Commissioner reels in shock

By Ofonime Honesty

The conspicuous absence of Governor Umo Eno, his representative, or wife, Her Excellency, Mrs Patience Umo Eno were clear signal that the Akwa Ibom State Government had distanced itself from the ill-advised self-coronation of Prof. Eno Ibanga as the ‘Political Leader’ of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.

For weeks, Prof. Eno Ibanga had namedropped the State Governor and his wife to attend his event. He also worked feverishly for Mkpat Enin Traditional Rulers to confer on him the chieftaincy title, to add colour to his self-declaration as the political leader of Mkpat Enin.

A prominent traditional ruler in Mkpat Enin shocked the people when he disclosed later that Eno Ibanga’s camp had lobbied ambitiously for the chieftaincy title of ‘Enin of Mkpat Enin’. Some of the people wondered why the Works Commissioner had displayed such desperation just for a chieftaincy title, wondering whether he does really needed it, instead of facing his job in the state cabinet.

But last Saturday, the Paramount Ruler of Mkpat Enin, HRM Akpan Akpan Ekpene was nowhere near the venue of Ibanga’s event. He was glaringly absent. So also were members of the Mkpat Enin Traditional Rulers Council and many royal fathers, except a few who came out of sympathy from Eno Ibanga Ukpum Minya Clan.

Prof. Eno Ibanga had apparently piled heavy pressure on the Mkpat Enin TRC to confer him with a chieftaincy title. In fact, two days to the event, he went round to their houses in the dead of the night begging them.

As a result, conflicting meetings of the royal fathers were held on the controversial matter. Finally, the royal fathers cancelled the conferment. Many of them wondered openly why Prof. Eno Ibanga had become so desperate to be conferred with a Chieftaincy title, even as a Commissioner who had limited his presence in Mkpat Enin only to his village and ward. They boycotted the event.

Apart from the absence of the Governor or even his representative nor wife, the absence of the highest political office holder in Mkpat Enin, Senator Ekong Sampson spoke volumes.

Despite the elaborate publicity and invitation, the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Rt Hon Aniekan Akpan was conspicuously absent at the event. The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Udeme Otong, a good number of House Members and the Eket Senatorial District Chairman of the PDP, Hon. Godwin Okponung all failed to show up.

The State Officer of the PDP from the area, Hon. Mfon Nkanteen was equally absent, the Chapter Chairman of PDP, Mkpat Enin, Rt Hon. Anietie Sunday was also absent. The Vice Chairman of Council, Mkpat Enin, Hon.(Lady) Mercy Bassey, Leader of Mkpat Enin Legislature, Hon. Ebong Akpan, Secretary of Council, Princess Eno Ekanem were all absent. Top shots of the PDP 2023 Campaigns in Mkpat Enin led by the Director-General, Rev. Obot Ekanem and Secretary, Hon. Innocent Tom were both absent. Obot Ekanem is also Chairman, Ward Leaders Forum, Mkpat Enin. Also absent were former State Commissioners, Mrs. Cecilia Umanah and Dr. Dominic Udoh, members of the highly respected Mkpat Enin Elders Forum led by its Chairman, Dr. Sidney Udofot.

Other absentees were Clan Heads, Chairman, Conference of Village Heads in Mkpat Enin, Eteidung Sylvester Akpan-Itiat and the Coordinator, Conference of Village Heads in Eket Senatorial District, Eteidung Boniface Ekanem. The Nigerian Council for Women Societies, Mkpat Enin led by Mrs. Dorathy Eyaema, major youth, women and village groups were all absent.

Ibanga’s friends, including some in the State EXCO were, however, in attendance.
The fragment of Mkpat Enin personalities who graced the occasion were mainly those seeking contracts or favours from the Works Commissioner, sources claim. Many of them worked against Mkpat Enin during the last Senate primaries and general elections and have not recovered from their blunders.

For instance, the Council Chairman, Hon. Anieokpon Ekpo, Hon. Bernard Udoh, a former House of Reps Member and Hon. Udo Sam Umoatan, a former Council Chair, all openly supported Eastern Obolo for Senate against the turn of Mkpat Enin. Their failures embarrassed them and showed that they were lightweights in Mkpat Enin politics.

The Council Chairman, Anieokpon Ekpo meanwhile, is alleged to be chasing reappointment as Transition Committee Chairman from Eno Ibanga while Rt Hon Bernard Udoh did not feature at all in the just concluded PDP Campaigns and electioneering in Mkpat Enin. He was alleged to have been hobnobbing with some opposition parties in the state in exchange for patronage.

Hon. Uwem Imoh-ita, until recently, served as Personal Assistant to Prof. Eno Ibanga, who facilitated his emergence in the State House of Assembly. So, together, their supports for Prof. Ibanga were only to be expected.

Meanwhile, protests against Prof. Eno Ibanga continued even to the morning of the event in Uyo and Mkpat Enin. In Uyo, the protesting women led by Mrs Dorathy Eyaema – President, Nigerian Council for Women Societies, Mkpat Enin, lambasted Prof. Eno Ibanga for sowing seeds of disunity and creating unnecessary tension in Mkpat Enin through his divisive self-declaration as political leader. Back home in Mkpat Enin, youths in the area marched to the palace of the Paramount Ruler, protesting of how Prof. Ibanga had thrown the security of the area into jeopardy with his ill-timed self proclamation which had caused palpable tensions. Mkpat Enin Paramount Ruler, HRM Akpan Akpan Ekpene promised to look into their complains.

It was learnt that Akwa Ibom Government House Sources expressed displeasure that Prof. Eno Ibanga had abandoned his official duties to the Government of Gov. Umo Eno to seek reckless political powers in his Local Government Area. A reliable Source said that Prof. Ibanga had been warned before the event to limit himself only to his reception on the said day and not to delve into political leadership or chieftaincy matters for himself. However, he might have hidden this fact from his supporters, who were misled by his boasts that The System was supporting him.

The hired crowd waited frustratingly to see the Governor they had been deceived into believing was going to attend the event but never saw the State Chief Executive. Later that day, Gov. Umo Eno was however, rather, spotted at the birthday party of Hon. Frank Archibong – his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Eket.

It is also revealed that the Akwa Ibom Works Commissioner spent a fortune to hire praise-singers to the event. However, many people at the event wondered why he had not channeled such resources and energy to attracting attention to the condition of major roads in Mkpat Enin, which are now impassable.

Recall that eminent stakeholders in Mkpat Enin had already earlier distanced themselves from Ibanga’s purported political leadership ‘announcement’. A former Council Chairman and current PDP State Officer, Hon. Mfon Nkanteen as well as the Chapter Chairman, Hon. Anietie Sunday had stated those who announced Eno Ibanga were only expressing their personal sentiments and not the position of Mkpat Enin PDP.

A former Transition Committee Chairman and serving Commissioner in EARCOM, Sir Ubong Ekefre said announcing Prof. Eno Ibanga as ‘political leader’, while Obong Richard Umoren, who had not abdicated the seat was still alive, was akin to burying the elder statesman alive. The leader of the influential Ward Leaders Forum, Mkpat Enin, Rev. Obot Ekanem said Eno Ibanga was on his own.

On his part, a former Senatorial candidate in the area, Mr. Dominic Essien noted that ‘in a political dispensation, elected officers are ranked higher than any appointees of government’. He advised Prof. Eno Ibanga against embarking on such political leadership misadventure.

A notable former Councillor and Leader of Ukpum Minya Ward IV(Mkpat Enin Urban), Hon. Aniedi Ekanem, commenting on last Saturday’s event in his ward lamented that Prof. Eno Ibanga had been scammed into an imaginary political leadership. He said:

‘Some people just discovered that they can make quick money from Prof. Eno Ibanga because of his political inexperience. That is why you are seeing this hastily organized event. This is a real job-man harvest for some people’.

Like Dominic Essien, Ekanem maintained that it is sheer wild dream for Prof. Eno Ibanga to ever think that he can a political leader in Mkpat Enin over a serving Senator and when Chief Richard Umoren, who has not renounced his title of political leader is still alive. To Ekanem, common sense should have shown Prof. Ibanga that since earlier political leaders Obong D.S. Udoinyang and Chief Richard Umoren all came from Ukpum Minya, after the era of Chief Umoren, the next political leader of Mkpat Enin will come from either Ikpa Ibom, Ibiaku or Ikpa Ikono Clan.

Some party stalwarts in Mkpat Enin have accused Eno Ibanga of reckless name-dropping and creating factions for his selfish interest.

Meanwhile also, residents of Mkpat Enin Urban have counted loss following Ibanga’s event. It is alleged that the cultists, brought in Prof. Ibanga’s camp went amok and inflicted matchet cut on innocent passersby in a post event melee with some youths of the area.

Despite the heavy inducements and name dropping, the propaganda to pronounce Prof. Ibanga as ‘political leader’ of Mkpat Enin by a few persons could not receive the needed validation to see the of light. Dominic Essien had warned that Eno Ibanga’s dream of becoming political leader of Mkpat Enin was laughable. As events showed on Saturday, DUE was right.