Attack on Akwa Ibom assembly and matters arising

BY MICHAEL EFFIONG

Anybody that loves Nigeria should condemn the invasion of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by APC thugs this morning. It is high time Nigeria moved from this backwardness. How can thugs be evading Houses of Assembly stopping elected members from performing their duties in the 21st century?

This morning, cultists, some accounts referred to them as thugs, said to be sponsored by APC , invaded the state House of Assembly. Reports claimed they were chanting APC slogans; they put fire around the complex and prevented the members from gaining access to the House.

Their action was said to have been based on a court order that vacated the seat of Idongesit Ituen for cross carpeting to another political party without an acceptable reason in law.

To say that a former governor of the state could be fingered in this messy affair is to say the least unbecoming of anyone that has ever held such an exalted position of responsibility.

Are we saying court orders should no longer be obeyed? Any society that does not have respect for the rule of law has no future. Violence is the weapon of the weak. They use it to cover their inadequacies. If the opposition has started sponsoring thugs to evade House of Assembly now what will they do in 2019.

It is bad enough that thugs have always been used by politicians during campaigns but to now elevate them to the point of attempting to stop legislative sessions is dangerous.

The other time, thugs invaded the Ondo State House of Assembly and prevented the members from sitting. Where is Nigeria heading to- all in the name of politics? Imagine a situation where thugs are now supreme, even above security agencies in the country. They have lost respect even for the police. We are seeing this kind of situation because the police are afraid to do their job. The police seem to be in the know that some attacks have some almighty federal backings. Or how do you explain a situation where it took hours for the police to dislodge cults or thugs from taking over the lawmakers ‘ complex.

Sincerely, this shouldn’t be the case in any 21st century nation. Are we in banana republic? To now think that these same Nigerians will waste their energy condemning US President, Donald Trump, for referring to the nation as a shit hole country makes one laugh.

How do people want anyone in a sane society see Nigeria if our politicians still use thugs to fight political wars?

All these thugs are taking their cue from what is happening at the national level. Just this year, hooded DSS operatives attempted to sack even the National Assembly. That is novel even in the history of democracy in Nigeria. One just wonders why Nigeria would want to be known for the bad reasons in the world. The current APC government is making things worse. The party is toying with Nigeria’s progress, democracy and growth. We can’t afford to be a lawless country.

No party has ever been seen to back official recklessness and lawlessness as it is being seen in Nigeria today. No, this must not continue. If APC is sure of having the support of the people, it should keep calm, and allow Nigerians to choose who to rule them in peace.

Using the weapon of intimidation and violence as being done in Akwa Ibom will not work.

And as for Senator Godswill Akpabio, if you really love your people you won’t resort to violence to get their attention. You can’t be using federal might against your people if you truly love them.

It’s just that thugs by their orientation don’t engage their senses before they take action. Otherwise, they should have asked themselves where politicians that engage them keep their own children. Politicians will keep their own children in safe havens in different parts of the world and engage them as thugs to die like rats on the war front.

Somebody that says Warsaw will see war cleverly hides his own children from war and you now subject others to unnecessary violence for personal gains and people still sheepishly follow such persons. It doesn’t make sense at all.
Be that as it may, Akpabio should talk to his thugs to leave Akwa Ibom State alone.

The state needs an atmosphere of peace to keep the goal of Governor Udom Emmanuel of industrializing the state a continued reality.
The people can feel the gains in the last three and half years. And they are yearning for more.

Whatever could have pushed Godswill Akpabio to declare war on his people still beats one’s imagination. Unfortunately , with the open attack on lawmakers, it appears the war script is already being played out.

There have been insinuations that the Federal Government is planning to make Akwa Ibom State ungovernable so that elections won’t hold in the state. Since the APC led Federal Government is desperate to get the oil rich state by all means, available information indicate that they want a situation where they can concentrate security in the state to intimidate the voters so they could have their way. Well, the onus is on the Federal Government to prove peddlers of this information wrong.

But if the kind of invasion that happened this morning continues, people won’t need to be convinced of a possible deadlier plan in APC’s war chest.