"Ignorance speaks loudly, so as to be heard; but its volume proves reason to doubt every word.” – Wes Fessler.

When desperation is laced with ignorance, it makes a fool out of the man who has chosen such path. True to the words of Johann Wolfang "There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”
The reason is not far fetched. The outcome will always be error magnified in false glory. Quite threatening is the fact that Akan Okon has not yet realized that as he is dancing naked in the market square of politics, his kinsmen are already suffocated with shame. This is in alignment with the saying in our local parlance that it is the kinsmen of a mad man that feel the shame and not the mad man.

The man who was in charge of the ministry of special duties and then the Economic Development and Ibom Deep Sea project has been in the news of late, albeit not for good reasons. His recent familiarity with the media is not unconnected with the outcome of the governorship primary in the state. Dissatisfied with his poor outing, instead of accepting defeat honourably as would be expected of a man of his stature and status, he is running from pillar to pole, looking for whom to blame.

It is quite disheartening that this is coming from a man who is assumed to be enlightened in the school of politics, by virtue of his positions in the state since the birth of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria.

Akan Okon should know the working of government better than others. He has been in government close to a decade now, piloting the affairs of different ministries. He has benefitted from Udom's administration more than others, and should be ruled by knowledge gathered. But it is like too much knowledge is making some people mad, a familiar line in the Book of Acts.

Little wonder Confucius observed that ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.”

The other day he was sighted in Ghana where he had gone to the Headquarters of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to verify his claim that Pst Umo Eno, the governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), his one time colleague in the State Executive Council does not have a valid West African Senior Secondary School Certificate.

This was a proof that his claims were based on hearsay. Where did he get the information from in the first place? He would have verified from the Examination body before accusing someone.

And not only has he goofed in this, he is also basking in the euphoria of prophecy from self-installed prophets who claimed God had ordained him to be the governor. Despite the fact that he failed to get the party's ticket, he is still wabbling in ignorance and the illusion of such prophecy. The earlier he wakes up from this illusionary dream likened to a mirage, the better for him and his life.

Already, he has wasted some months pursuing his shadow in the name of instituting court cases against a man who is doing his best to promote the Arise Agenda, a flagship of the plans to effect a people-oriented government.

Akan Okon has not left any stone unturned in ensuring that he releases any information he feels will be damaging to the Udom Emmanuel administration and paid media hirelings to attack the government at every turn, yet the ship is sailing gently, steadily and unperturbed to the shore.

Like Ralph Perry said, "Ignorance deprives people of freedom because they do not know what alternatives there are.” Akan Okon is already blinded by hired crowds who are still hailing him to his doom. He should back out while he yet have an opportunity to redeem the respect he has damaged through pressing the self-destructive button.

The worst form of battle to engage in is one where one is not sure of winning. Whoever is pushing Akan Okon to this "war" does not wish well for him. Whether this is done out of ignorance, confusion or fear of accepting defeat, he cannot eat his cake and have it.

"The Yoruba will say that you cannot merchandise sand and refuse to collect stones as payment; something that Pete Edochie, in his striking local proverbs on Twitter, expressed as, “a man who puts local gin in a Hennessey bottle may deceive onlookers but not his own throat.” The end will tell.

Is that so?