Gil Courtemanche was right in his assertion that “propaganda is as powerful as heroin; it surreptitiously dissolved all capacity to think”. This thought by the Canadian Journalist is apt in conceptualizing the mendacious outburst of a certain self acclaimed evangelist, Pat Akpabio who in recent times, has been fond of dancing shamelessly naked on the social media, creating a negative impression of the majority of virtuous and responsible women in the State of Akwa Ibom. 

Although Pat Akpabio deserves no response from any sane person or group on account of her degenerate escapades which suggest anomie and socio- psychological incoherence, it’s apt to unbundle her as a victim of her past and an ample case study of psychological projection- a defense mechanism in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others.

First, Pat’s attempt at distorting historical facts by associating the government of Deacon Udom Emmanuel to intimidation and arrest of Akwa Ibom people is lacking in truth, facts and reason especially if juxtaposed against the reign of terror that ensued in Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, of which Pat and her husband, Ibanga Akpabio were critical players. 

It is instructive to note that it was during that reign and period of history that some of the illustrious sons and daughters of state were brutally murdered in cold blood, while many others were victims of extrajudicial arrests and kidnapping. Those who were murdered include, a former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Okon Uwah, former Chairman of UCCDA, Obong Charles Umana, Engr. Albert Ukpanah, the Ekpenyong brothers, as well as mother of a Governorship aspirant Mama Udonwa, among others. Other victims of abductions, and arrest included journalists like Pastor Imeime Jerome, Thomas Thomas, an elder statesmen, Chief Edet Ononokpono, who died shortly after his incarceration, newspaper reporters and distributors, among others. 

Against this backdrop it’s evident and deduce-able between Governor Emmanuel whose administration since 2015 till date, has not witnessed any case of politically motivated killings and the one before him (2007-2015), which one is tolerant, people-centric and democratic. Pat is glaringly a victim of structural amnesia. 

Secondly, Pat’s mention and recourse to democracy is laughable. It must be emphasized that democracy, according to Harold Laswel is , “government of the people by the people and for the people”. By possible extrapolation, it’s a system that best guarantees human right and freedom. If we must go by this conceptual clarification, it is crystal clear that the government of Udom Emmanuel is a top flier because this is the first time the people, as exemplified by Pat Akpabio's incessant vituperative outbursts, have real freedom to opine on government policies. 

Thirdly, it begs to ask, What does Pat Akpabio seek to achieve by masquerading in Covid- 19 to disparage Governor Udom Emmanuel and his efforts at nipping the pandemic to the bud?  For instance, her call for the sack of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong is ridiculous and exposes her mental incapacitation and logical comprehension. Dr Ukpong is a seasoned medical doctor whose stewardship, both in private and public life remains untainted. His sacrifices and loyalty in Covid- 19 management in the state and ultimately, in ensuring that the process is not hijacked by unscrupulous crisis contractors have been commendable, hence the recent vote of confidence in him by the state Executive Council. That again, is the apogee of projection against their failures while holding public trust. Pat Akpabio should rather direct her attacks on her husband whose stewardship as Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Development could be classified as an ‘abysmal low’, a situation that earned him dubious notoriety as a mediocre. 

Akwa Ibom people may also wish to ask questions about Ibanga Akpabio’s messy embezzlement and primitive accumulation at SUBEB where he held sway as “Lord of the Manor” for many years. Indeed those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Fourthly, Pat Akpabio’s ad hominem attacks and lamentation on the management of Covid- 19 in the state could best be described with Shakespeare’s thought on Macbeth, “a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. When did Pat become a champion of human right who places premium on the lives of Akwa Ibom people? Pat can only come clean by exonerating herself and husband from the bloodletting that ensued in the state between 2007 and 2015. Pat’s problem stems from her entitlement mentality of misconstruing government privileges to be rights. 

We challenge Pat Akpabio to fault the NCDC which recently scored Akwa Ibom 99 percent in contact tracing vis-a-vis the pandemic. Can she also debunk the fact that the state is currently building a 300- bed isolation center at the Methodist Hospital Ituk Mbang, while a section of Ibom Specialist Hospital has been fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities even before the first case of Covid-19 was recorded in the state? Is Pat aware that 407 doctors and 2000 nurses are on ground with the requisite training to troubleshoot the drained Covid-19 pandemic in the state. Thanks to Governor Udom Emmanuel whose unconventional strategy and unique development paradigm have paid off in a time like this. 

Finally, poetry, according to Percy Shelley, is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted”. Pat Akpabio’s attempt to cast aspersions and curses on father’s of faith in the state is the height of distortion and a recourse to emotional blackmail and cheap sentiment. It is an obscurantist tactics of recompensing the revered fathers of faith for speaking up for the unity of the state during the March  2019 gubernatorial elections in the state- against Warsaw threats- that would have thrown the state into another season of bloodbath. On this, again, Pat has stooped so low!


The Mandate Eyes hereby advises Pat Akpabio to bury her bitterness and seek the help of a Psychotherapist, who would help her overcome her season of anomie and its attendant psychological projection- a product of her dark past. 


We are grateful to His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel for making political inclusiveness a cornerstone of his administration, without which the likes of Pat Akpabio would be facing litigations for making unguarded statements. 

We commend the Governor for being proactive in pandemic preparedness in the state which underscores the value he has for the sanctity of human life!


For Pat and her ilk, who have no sense of decency, we say enough is enough. "Idoho inó inó ikpöng ado abùd"



Comrade Ernest Akpan 
Coordinator 


Comrade Joseph Okon 
Secretary 


            MANDATE EYES