This article is not necessarily on Akwa Ibom State but because that State Information Officers have been dissipating energy, man-hour and resources shouting wolf where there exist none. It had come out with unnecessary alarming advertisements claiming that Media Contractors in Lagos and Abuja have come again; they even forgot to include those ‘Media Contractors’ right there at their noses (locally) who can be said to be more ‘dangerous’. Nevertheless, abound in the federation are also the likes of Akwa Ibom.
When there are constructive criticisms, it is to help government correct itself and not necessarily that ‘those losers have come again’. The Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Information had through advertisements and other ways called critics of Akwa Ibom government, names.
When Obasanjo came and, through the media, labeled Governor Akpabio as a good material for position of Vice-President, there was no counter or cry from the Akwa Ibom State government officials. Now that it was rumoured that he would run with the former VP Atiku (seen as untouchable by their clique), the government started raising its voice.
On other matters, one would like to mention that exposing abnormal activities of any State government should not ever be misconstrued: Let us take for instance how it is claimed that roads in Akwa Ibom state is N1billion per kilometer as against the federal east-west road projects (with worst terrain), going for maximum N650m per kilometer. How the on-going but controversial Ibom Tropicana Centre is for N33billion while Abuja Water Parks Island, a private initiative project that is almost similar in quantity going for below N7billion. How a road 2-km Cardinal Ekandem Road in Ikot Ekpene, originally awarded to indigenous contractor, Tiken Nigeria Limited by past administration for N217million moved up in price to N600million and got awarded to a Lebanese Company - Semco Nigeria Limited. How a Government House project was for N6.5billion; an advertisement has recently gone out for additional construction cost regarding the same project. No one knows how much that would be but worthy of note in the advertisement is a rider that urging any contractor that has not handled a job above N2-billion need not apply, thereby automatically excluding indigenous contractors. What of the airport constructions in Delta State and Anambra States respectively costing N7billion and N25billion while Akwa Ibom’s is N47billion. Or was it wrong asking the Governor how much of State fund he spent to get his kidnapped home local government Chairman released; the action negates his recent call for capital punishment for kidnappers. Or when the masses continue asking to know who owns and in whose interests are there in the Diamond Engineering Nigeria Limited, Emem & Sons Nigeria Limited, Sinoeng Nigeria Limited. One can go on and on, and all these need be satisfactorily explained to the populace; it is their right to know and therefore should not be misconstrued as professional petition writers or media contractors have come to work.
Ironically, the Akwa Ibom government that shouted Wolf is among those actually employing Media Contractors, directly and indirectly, by dishing out mouth-watering amounts of cash to select media practitioners to continue covering its corrupt practices and sins against the governed. This is a fact that consciences of those involved would agree. To such practitioners, I say, let your consciences and duty to the masses allow the correct things to be written or allowed to be published. With that you are contributing to the nation building.
Nigerian can be described as a country gasping for breathes; where anti-graft and security agencies have compromised a great deal to the detriment and annoying to the masses; where the leadership is like a privatized estate management; where the masses are made to smile while they are suffering and above all, caged.
Dr. Peter Kosowei,
421 Aba Road,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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