Date Published: 08/31/09

Sir,

On the defense of Obong Akpan Isemin

The Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio once announced donation of 17 dialysis equipments to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH); hospital where Obong Akpan Isemin breathed last. The dialysis centre at the UUTH was built to contain only 6 dialysis equipments by the immediate past administration of Akwa Ibom that also put 4 of the equipments in place. It follows that Akpabio may have been misinformed by his aides.  

At the Uyo stadium, Governor Akpabio while pouring encomiums on our beloved late Obong Akpan Isemin who laid-in-state there, said among other things; that it was the late Isemin (only) that fought and secured the abrogation of the obnoxious onshore/offshore oil dichotomy. This cannot be totally true and I believe that the spirit of the late man would have wished a factual credit.

Governance is a continuum: Isemin (then governor), continued vigorously from where Idongesit Nkanga took the onshore/offshore dichotomy struggle to hence, while acknowledging the instrument of the abrogation from IBB, Isemin said: “what we have received today is what we have all been fighting for years and which became fast-tracked through additional efforts of our illustrious son and daughter, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (the past military governor of Akwa Ibom State) and Christy Essien Igbokwe (the Lady of Songs)”.