Date Published: 09/26/09
Press Statement issued by
Ms. Ijeoma Orjih
(PS to Obong Victor B. Attah)
Playing Politics Beyond the Grave
It is such a pity that some people, in their frustration and desperate bid to further their political misadventure will stop at nothing in the name of playing politics. Out of reverence for the dead, Obong Attah would have preferred to ignore the open letter addressed to him and published as an advertorial in the name of one Obong Okon Ime Asuquo which appeared in some newspapers soon after the burial of Obong Akpan Isemin, the first civilian governor of Akwa Ibom State. But for record purposes, this statement of clarification has become necessary.
First of all, Obong Akpan Isemin, God rest his soul in peace, was buried on Saturday August 22, 2009. Anyone familiar with newspaper production “deadlines and weekend interventions” would know that it is impossible for anyone who would have noticed Obong Attah’s absence on that day to have composed the said open letter and secured full pages in several newspapers for its publication on Monday 24 th August and Tuesday 25 th August. This clearly is the handiwork of political desperadoes who want to play politics with someone’s death because the letter could only have been written by someone who knew or had reasons to believe that Obong Attah would not be present at the burial.
The self styled Obong Okon Ime Asuquo claims that he flew in from the United States to pay his last respects to the late Obong Akpan Isemin; he also claims that he had a first and only chance meeting with Obong Victor Attah a couple of months earlier. How unfortunate, because since the Akwa Ibom Convention of 2007, Obong Attah’s only visit to the United States was in January 2009 to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington. Obong Attah has never met and does not know who Obong Okon Ime Asuquo is, if in fact he exists.
As it is, Obong Victor Attah had paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Obong Akpan Isemin where he met his wife and other members of the family and also signed the condolence register in which he paid his respects to this great son of Akwa Ibom. If in fact it is true that an empty seat was kept for Obong Victor Attah during the ceremonies, then it was pure mischief because, knowing that Obong Akpan Isemin would be granted a state burial, Obong Attah, out of courtesy, had duly informed the governor, Barrister Godswill Akpabio of his inability to attend because of a long standing arrangement that would take him (Attah) out of the country over that period.
Obong Attah, it should be known had no reason to bear any form of animosity towards the late Obong Akpan Isemin. Admittedly they were political opponents at the gubernatorial election of 1999 which Obong Victor Attah won. After the 2003 elections which Obong Attah won again, he turned round and wooed Obong Akpan Isemin into PDP. It should also be known that it is Obong Attah that built and equipped with three machines, the dialysis centre at which the late Obong Isemin was regularly dialyzed. The same dialysis centre that governor Godswill Akpabio now claims to have built and equipped with seventeen dialysis machines.
There is no way Obong Attah can know who the late Obong Isemin supported during the elections of 2007 but one thing certain is that due to the entrance of his son-in-law, Dr. Udoma Bob Ekarika, Obong Attah, as a true democrat had distanced himself from the nomination process. The constant attempt to attribute everything that happens in Akwa Ibom to Attah’s hatred for those who did not support his son-in-law has become like a gentleman’s top hat – the longer you stand on it the flatter it becomes.
As for a meeting between Obong Attah and the incumbent governor which is purported to have been hosted by several bishops, Obong Attah would wish to know where and when this was supposed to have taken place because he is not aware.
Perhaps this is also a good opportunity to speak about the PDP Stakeholders and Elders Forum, the PDP 10 th Anniversary celebration which held in Akwa Ibom in 2008 to which reference was made in the advertorial. It is sad for those who think that they can make political mileage out of Obong Attah’s absence on that occasion. It was neither an affront to the President nor a slap in the face of the party because the President, the Party and indeed the State Governor were duly informed by letters that Obong Attah was on an important assignment in London for this country. As the consultant for the Abuja Boulevards Project, he had to attend the “Best of Nigeria” exhibition which was holding in London at that time to explain the Project to prospective investors.
Obong Attah has asked that this statement be concluded with a sincere appeal to the sponsors of the and other such advertorials that it would be by far more beneficial if more attention was paid to the people of Akwa Ibom State and more effort put into improving their conditions of life than in trying to malign Obong Attah.
Ms Ijeoma Orjih
ijeomaorjih11@rocketmail.com
September 25, 2009
