IBIBIO AND ANNANG ARE SETTLERS BY TOROBONG EKPO

Timid politicians who feel intimidated by the antecedent of renowned
aspirants in the forthcoming governorship and general elections have
started resorting to Blackmail and character assassination in a bid to
tarnish the image of those aspirants they perceived constitute a threat to
their success at the pool.
In recent times, it is common to hear some political jobbers branding a
contender as a cultist, novice, and settler. Some of the avenues employed
by those timid politicians in propagating this barbaric act include; political
gathering, unregistered tabloid, bulk text messages, social network, blog
etc.
I read in a blog christened ‘Ibibio Political Forum’ where an Ibibio political
stalwart accused the State Governor Chief Dr. Godswill Akpabio of
spearheading crises between the Ibibio and urged the Ibibios to rally round
and produce a governor from the Ibibio tribe, in order for the person to
revenge the Annang tribe of its Governor misdeeds.
One of the commentators remarked that, soon after the expiration of the
present administration, the quest for the creation of Itai State by the
Annang will continue, as the Ibibio governor will make things too difficult
for the Annang nation.
One Mrs. Edidiong Akpan wrote this ‘AKPABIO'S GRAND PLAN FOR 2015
REVEALED ‘Folks, The grand plan for 2015 by Gov Akpabio has just been
revealed. Akpabio is set to handover to an Oron person. He had vowed
that no Ibibio person will ever have the temerity to govern the state after
him. He has Barr Effiong Abia, Larry Esin and Barr Ntekim to choose from.
The SSG is just porn in his succession gambit using him as a
smokescreen and will later claim that the ibibios did not want him. His
detaste for the ibibios has finally reared its very ugly head. This is a
wakeup call to the ibibios.’
I perceived from this nebulous propaganda that, upon all the good things
the present administration have done in terms of good roads, education,
health, sports among others, tribal blind politicians tend never to
appreciate.
I wonder why, a politician should insist on promoting Ibibio/Annang crises
after the expiration of this government in 2015. In order to ensure that, no
other tribe except Ibibio occupies the Hilltop Mansion in 2015 upward, this
political hoodlumps have ventured into labeling other contenders early
settlers.
I wept, when a governorship hopeful, openly called a chairman from Ikot
Abasi Federal Constituency a settler. It is a height of insult for Ibibio tribal
motivated politicians to think that an Obolo, Oro or Ekid man is an early.
If early migration is synonymous with settler, then, the Ibibios and
Annangs are the core settlers in the state.
Historically, It is pertinent to note that, the original homeland of Ibibio is at
Usak Edet (Isangele) in Cameroun, its migration into the present stay,
commences in 7000 B.C. as a fact, Ibibio Language is the most ancients of
all the semi Bantu languages.
Ford and Jones, a renowned anthropologist said ‘Ibibio settlement in
Isangele forms a small tribe in the Kumba division of Cameroun’ upon,
leaving Cameroun, Ibibio arrived at present location in 8000 B.C via
Arochukwu and Ikono (Ntippe Ibibio the origin of Ibibio) Oral history
reveals that Annang has its origins in Egypt and settled in Ghana before
arriving in the present area. The name Annang in Twi in Ghana means
fourth son. It is believed that Annangs started their migration from Egypt
around 7500 BC. The Abiakpo came to the northern range of Annang from
Eka Abiakpo. They were quickly followed by the Ukana clan, the Utu, Ekpu,
Ebom and Nyama.
The same oral tradition has it that their ancestors were Israelites (Jews)
of the Northern Kingdom who left Israel to Egypt before the Babylonian
captivity and that the ancestors of the Annangs and other people of Akwa
Ibom and Cross River States (the Efik, the Ibibio, etc.) of Nigeria were the
products of marriages of the people of Israel and Egyptians who migrated
from Egypt to their coastal southeastern land in Nigeria via Ethiopia and
Sudan.
Another evidence of their Egyptian origin is found in the burial customs and
veneration of the dead. Migration brought the groups to live among the Twi
of Ghana where the name Annang means fourth son. From Ghana, the
group moved eastward into present day Cameroon. It was in the Cameroon
highlands that the group broke off but later arrived at same territory in the
Coastal Southeastern Nigeria.
It is believed that upon their arrival at the virgin coastal southeastern
Nigeria the groups took an oath of solidarity to be together and bonded to
fight whatever was seen as a common enemy. Lineages were recognized
and the groups organized themselves into clans based on old family
origins known as Iman, a similar structure extends into the land of their
northern neighbors.
It is crystal clear from the analysis that Ibibio, Annang and other tribes
migrated from a foreign land to the present place, it is useless to call the
Obolo, Oro or Ekid man, a settler, whereas, the Ibibio and Annang migrated
from other parts of the globe and settled here in Akwa Ibom State.
The quest for the next governor should be devoid of blackmail and
character assassination, after all it is impossible to know a pregnant
woman womb that will give birth to a king via its physical look.
Prior to swearing in of the State Chief Executive in 2007, Who had believed
that the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah will
denied the privilege of hosting his birthday at Le meridien Ibom Hotel and
Golf resort- a five star inn he laid the foundation and erected structures, or
who had imagine that, the only surviving civilian governor of Akwa Ibom
State will not witness the cutting of silver jubilee cake of the state?
I am sure, nobody would have believe such, even the State Governor, Chief
Godswill Akpabio whom Obong Attah became his destiny helper by
appointed him into the state executive cabinet in 1999 would have joined
the doubting ‘Thomases’.
Obong Victor Attah, was an Ibibio son who devoid of political sentiment,
prudently used as low as 800 million naira federal allocation to build
International Airport, Ibom Power Plant, le meridian hotel and golf resort,
among others. None of the contracts were given to his brothers, nor
projects cited in his hometown- Ibesikpo.
He strongly advocated for power shift to Annang speaking local
governments of the state (not Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District), at the
detriment of his kinsmen. One wonders why such a person name should
be abandon so soon by an administration he laboured for.
Maybe, he would have been relevant to the government of the day, if he
did not make mistake of supporting his son in law-Dr. Udoma Bob
Ekarika, at the detriment of the incumbent governor- Chief Dr. Godswill
Akpabio. However, during the 2007 election, the incumbent was blackmail
by other aspirant, one of the Annang governorship hopeful called him an
Igbo Man, yet the almighty God made him the governor.
We should shun all this vices, but work in accordance with the zoning
principles as entrenched in section 7 (c) of the PDP constitution. This
zoning entails that, Oro federal constituency should produce senator, Uyo
Senatorial District should produce the first Deputy Governor and Eket
Senatorial District should produce the first Governor since the creation of
Akwa Ibom State.
However, I want to suggest that, for fairness, justice and equity, since
Ibibio is the only occupant of Uyo Senatorial District, it will not be proper
for an Ibibio to deputize Ibibio, hence, we should select a credible
governorship candidate from other minority tribes in Eket Senatorial
district, at least we have, the Oro, Obolo, Ekid and other minority tribes.
(This is my candid opinion)
TOROBONG EKPO, IS A CORE IBIBIO LAD, HE IS A NATIVE OF IKOT UDO
ABIA, IN ETINAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM STATE.