Dear Editor: As I write this treatise in a remote village in the Niger Delta settlement of Oyorokoto, my heart bleeds for the inhuman incarceration of Mrs. Comfort Ewang, wife of retired Air Commodore Sam Ewang who served as the terminal Military Administrator of Rivers State up to May 29 1999.
Dear Editor: As I write this treatise in a remote village in the Niger Delta settlement of Oyorokoto, my heart bleeds for the inhuman incarceration of Mrs. Comfort Ewang, wife of retired Air Commodore Sam Ewang who served as the terminal Military Administrator of Rivers State up to May 29 1999.
By today, October 20th, this hapless lady is doing her 14th day in that strange environment around hostile, bohemian characters who are still keeping her against her will.
The husband, a senior citizen of Akwa Ibom State and by extension, Nigeria, having served and distinguished himself as a military officer, has been having sleepless nights. In some other climes, such a man is respected because they are still on the reserved list of military men/women who can be called upon to serve again (incase) there is any aggression or war against the Nation. That is the standard practice in the civilized world.
But if Ewang like any other Nigerian has decided to try his hands in politics culminating in his declaration of intent to run for the office of Governor of Akwa Ibom State in the 2011, general elections; is it a crime?
The constitution allows any citizen above the age 35, to run for Governorship or any political office in Nigeria.
Mrs. Ewang should not be punished for this. There are signs on ground to show that the Government may be complicit in this politics of intolerance currently on display in Akwa Ibom State.
Firstly, he was denied the use of the popular Ibom Hall field where he paid for the declaration. The police Command through C.P Walter Rughere’s alleged double standard at play when he couldn’t proffer any reason for stoppage of the rally after according to reports, a series of meetings with the Police Commissioner.
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But Ewang, undeterred by the unprovoked assault on his right as a citizen changed the venue to the premises of his private school- Beulah International College run by his wife, Comfort.
Kidnap as political punishment: According to reports, barely 3 days after that declaration, these hoodlums attacked the school in broad day light under the watchful eyes of pupils and visitors in a commando style, detonated explosives and seized their main target after destroying about ten vehicles belonging to the school and visitors.
Ransom demand: Inside 48 hrs of the attack, Ewang was told to renounce the ambition to run as Governor in addition to payment of a whopping N300m as condition for the release of his beloved wife.
So far, the various commentaries that have attained the Ewangs’ travail point accusing fingers on the Government as masterminds of this heinous crime.
The popular Yoruba adage says; “the evil bird cried on roof top last night while the sick baby dies the following morning – who wouldn’t concluded that the evil bird was the harbinger of the death of the child”.
But let us separate superstitious beliefs from this matter and take a look at the situation on ground together with the alleged involvement of Government.
The facts on ground are that Ewang an Ibibio son, is eyeing the office of Governor where Akpabio a minority from Annang tribe is the incumbent. The curious demands by the woman’s abductors are that Ewang must renounce his ambition cannot be swept under the carpet.
How he is to do that to their satisfaction was not specified because up to the time of the incident, it is not confirmed if Ewang had picked up the ANPP forms yet given the official position of the national chairman Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu that the party is awaiting the time –table from INEC to enable them declare their time lines for its primaries.
Payment of Ransom: According to reports, Ewang summoned the courage (maybe as a soldier) to meet with Governor Akpabio last Wednesday September 13, 2010, though it is not stated who initiated the meeting, but the good news in that he (Ewang) met with Akpabio, perhaps to dispel the rumored involvement of the State Government.
But according to Ewang, he barely entered his home after the meeting when he got calls from sympathizers all over the world congratulating him over the unconditional release of his wife. He suspects the deliberate politicization of the matter by Akpabio.
In assessing the claims and counter accusations between the duos, lies the truth that the hapless Lady is still suffering for an offence she did not commit. What exactly did Akpabio tell Ewang at that meeting? According to the embattled husband, “the Governor tried to politicize the issue” But is the incontrovertible fact that Mrs. Ewang is still being held against her wish within the territory of Governor Akpabio’s area of authority as the chief security officer of the State speaks volumes. What notable effort has he put in place for the rescue of the woman and indeed other person’s being held illegally by those hoodlums?
A dangerous trend: The latest victim is the father of the State Assembly Speaker; 78yrs old Pa Etuk whose police orderly was killed in the attack. To fulfill all righteousness as they say, Ewang had raised the sum of (N25m negotiated sum) to the criminals who not only collected the cash, but also set the vehicle a brand new Mazda 929 ablaze and detained the emissaries. A driver, and with Personal Assistant. The driver was released the next morning that they are still expecting 100m before the woman could be released; saying it was order from above.
Pray, why should Akpabio and his advisers think it is bad politics that all accusing fingers are pointing at his direction? As they say in the popular folk story – When the people sighted a tiger at the neighborhood ravaging the area, the neighbors merely exclaimed, “suits them right”, but when it came close to those who didn’t care, there was nobody left to repel the rampaging tiger.
Fact is it could be turn of Akpabio’s wife tomorrow or any member of his family. Where was Akpabio during late President Yar’Adua’s amnesty for ex- militants, kidnappers and armed robbers?
President Jonathan and IGP Hafiz Ringim are not doing well so far in this regard. It took the kidnap of 15 school pupils in Aba for President Jonathan to deploy the army to stem the scourge in Abia State.
This issue is not about politics. It’s about human rights as it affects the right to life in accordance with United Nations Charter.
The proactive actions of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Theodore Orji in Rivers and Abia State to combat the menace of Kidnapping and armed robbery is a very clear pointer for the State Government of Akwa Ibom to adopt if the security of his people is of paramount importance.
Akpabio’s handlers should look beyond 2011 and the politics because it would soon come and go, but the consequence of the heinous crime will not depart in a hurry. What legacy is Akpabio thinking of leaving behind at the end of his tenure? Let him go and ask Odili, Nnamani and Co.
My advice to Akpabio now is that he should set all security apparatus in place to smoke out these undesirable elements and bequeath in the people a safe place to live and do business as was the case before. Enough is Enough.
Dr. Terry Justman Imama, a Public Analyst lives in Port Harcourt
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