ABAK CHAIRMANSHIP ZONING: UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN LOCUS

Many people have attached diverse meanings to the word 'politics'. While some believe it's a dirty game, others have opined that it's a game of interest; no permanent friend not enemy. Though I may not really picture what it entails, but from the above illustrations, I can deduce clearly that politics is game, just like other games.

If we choose to consent to the latter meaning as that which genuinely unwrap the naked nature of politics, what would first play into one's mind would be the kangaroo's purported zoning of the Abak Chairmanship seat by some elders few days back. After considering that, the next would be the emergence of questions like 'how', and 'why?

If we also tend to weigh both postulations on a balance scale, one would again realize that politics can make highly reputable personalities dent their image because of selfishness. This is where the dirtiness comes in as clearly stated by the former postulations.

For many years now, Abak Local Government has suffered distressingly from poor leadership. The people have had it bad that some people have no option than to believe the Local Government is under a strong evil enchantment thus, the reason they have bad crop of leaders back to back.

Just few days back, a stakeholders meeting was convened by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, HE Moses Ekpo. In that meeting, it was learnt that the Chairmanship seat has been zoned to Afaha Obong clan. According to the Deputy Governor, the zoning of the Chairmanship seat to the aforementioned clan was as a result of conceding the position by Abak clan who should have been the rightful beneficiary of the seat.

This development is trailed by counter reactions from indigenes of Abak in home and diaspora. Four clans make up Abak Local Government: Abak Urban, Afaha Obong, Midim and Otoro. The present Local Government Chairman, Barr. Imoh Williams is from Afaha Obong clan, why zoned the Chairmanship seat to the same Clan again when some of these clans are technically without anything?

This takes us to the saddening scenario that occured sometime in 2007 and 2018 respectively. Midim clan since 2003 has been without an elective position. In 2019, the State House of Assembly seat was zoned to Midim but later, the elders conspired against the clan, went back on their words and projected Mr. Uwem Udoma from Abak Urban who later won the election, representing Abak at the State House of Assembly between 2007-2015.

Having considered the malignment and rejection of Midim clan, the Deputy Governor in 2018 singlehandedly zoned the State House seat to the clan as a recompensation for their unalloyed loyalty and support to the party and government even in the face of the unspeakable ill treatments on them. On that same day, he zoned the Chairmanship seat of 2020 to Abak Urban. At the end of the day, the event of 2007 replayed itself and behold, the position was sold out to Abak Urban at a platter of gold. The same zoners who speerheaded the zoning exercise went back on their words a second time.

If at all the right thing was to be done this time, it would have been to trace antecedents, combing for an avenue to right the wrongs that have done in Abak, and not to add more fuel to the already existing fire which has been burning the Local Government for a while now. If at all the interest of the people and Local Government is considered the paramount, some elders wouldn't have concluded without necessary consultations that Abak Urban has conceded the Chairmanship seat to Afaha Obong where the present Chairman hails. The seat would have been justifiably conceded to Midim clan.

From all indications, the rezoning of the Chairmanship seat of Abak from Abak Urban to Afaha Obong clan has revealed the kangaroo politics that is going on in the area. The payment of a monthly N100,000 to five people in a certain family by an individual from Afaha Obong clan, and the quest for power in 2023 are the reasons behind the superfluous zoning. What has played out is selfish interest above the collective interest of the people.

From the zoning, one could feel the hand of Esau while the voice is that of Jacob. But all things being equal, the people of Abak cannot be fooled by this known Jacob. It is either Midim clan produces the next Chairman of Abak Local Government or the position goes back to the right owner, Abak Urban clan. We believe there's still time for the right thing to be done.

The zoning arrangement has been selfishly twisted to a point that today, there's problem in Abak even when no one is talking about it. The continuous fight has been ancestral through twisted zoning by our ancestors. For the sake of peace and justice, it's right we correct the misdemeanors done by our past and present leaders so that the next generations would not have to suffer for our mistakes . At this point, I think the help of Abak lies in the above.

Umani Uwemedimo, a Public Affairs Analyst writes from Uyo.