By Thompson Essien.
Ubong Etiebet:
Yes, it is my selfishness that drove you out of Akwa Ibom to seek and take refuge in Abuja. Yes, it is my selfishness that drove one of you, the Etiebets, to run to Abuja and hide because Godswill Akpabio set up former Governor Etiebet by giving him money only to send people to go and kill him in order to retrieve the money.
You wrote that it is ibibio that are kidnapping the Ibibio. That may be true. But, when an Ibibio man was the Governor, how many Annang people (and Ibibio people) went into hidding? When an Ibibio man was the Governor, how many Annang people were kidnapped? When an Ibibio man was the Governor, how many political assassinations occured in Anangland? When an Ibibio man was the Governor, how many Government vehicles were set on fire? When an Ibibio man was a governor, how many Annang politicians were banned from campaigning in Ibibioland?
See, it is Annang biggots like you that are making things difficult in Akwa Ibom State. When it is at your convenienec, Akwa Ibom State becomes a State "for all of us." But when you want to keep everything for yourself, that is when you see and know who is Ibibio and who is Annang.
I am confident that one day, you will go to your grave with the tongue of tribal hatred hanging over your mouth. While all the ethnic groups in Akwa Ibom State are working together to foster unity among themselves, bastards like you are coming out everyday, in different forms, to preach hate and disunity. If you wrote all these to curry favor among the Annangs, I have news for you; the Annangs, except those who are fools like you, have long ago abandoned messages of hate. You can continue to wallow in your self-hate. One day, you will pay the price.
Ikpafak Thompson Essien
Portland, Oregon
Monday, January 30, 2012
How Government and Oil Companies Neglect Children in The Niger Delta
Written by Michael Gbarale, Niger Delta Child Rights Watch(NDCRW) Project Officer, Rivers and Bayelsa States
Today in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, where I come from thousands of children are being abuse daily due to negligence by the Government, Oil companies’ activities, parents, caregivers, religious leaders and other members of the society that discriminate against them.
Children’s rights are being abused through child labor, female genital mutilation, child abandonment, and branding innocent and defenceless children as witches and wizards by religious leaders which sometimes leads to the children being thrown out in the streets or killed. Many such children spend their childhood years on the streets and this is evident in Port-Harcourt, Akwa lbom and Cross River State.
In Rivers and Bayelsa States where I work I am seeing high numbers of cases of rape committed against children as young as 3 years old. Sexual violence in these States is a serious problem and the Government must act now to address the issue. Children are also being abused through child trafficking, recruitment of under age children into child soldiers, child prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation that harm the growth and development of a child in the Niger Delta.
In Nigeria, the mere passage of the Child Rights Act 2003 by the National Assembly and its ratification by some States into Child Rights Law within Nigeria, such as Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, it is regarded as the panacea to all the problems children face in Nigeria. It is common knowledge that hundreds of children are abused daily by Government and its institutions that have failed to provide adequate facilities such as health care centres for safe delivery and infants care; well equipped school; safe drinking water; and accommodation for children at risk of abuse. The recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government shows the height of Government’s ill-consideration towards children as they will suffer the direct consequences of the hardship being encounter by their parents and care-givers. Some will be forced to withdrawn from school because their parents and caregivers cannot meet up the harsh economic reality the masses are made to face.
Government institutions like the Ministries of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation are charged with the responsibilities of protecting children and punishing offenders who are not living up to their expectations by breaking the law. Multinational oil corporations in the Niger Delta region are also contributing largely to child abuses through their operations by flaring gas into the atmosphere and oil spills from their equipment into their land and waters destroying the eco system of the Delta. Through this destruction the livelihood of the Niger Delta people is also destroyed because farming and fishing are the main occupations in the Delta. Oil companies destroy the main sources of income for families who depend on farming and fishing as their only means of survival. Countless of spills have been reported in Niger Delta caused by the operations of oil giants like SHELL, AGIP, CHEVRON, ELF, TOTAL and MOBIL without compensation to the Niger Delta people.
Children are the ones who suffer more when Oil companies fail to take responsibility as they are made to face hardships encountered by their bread winners. As a result some drop out of school and are given out as domestic servants to care-givers, who then go on to abuse these children by forcing them into child labour or trafficking them into prostitution. Whilst millions of barrels of oil flow from the soil on daily basis our female children are being forced into prostitution in order to survive and assist their families. This is both wrong and inhumane and the Government should be ashamed of itself in allowing this to happen to our people.
The law enforcement agencies are also contributing to child abuse through their negligence in enforcing the law. When offenders are apprehended, some see it as opportunity to extort huge amounts of money for bail from the perpetrators.
Children must enjoy their legal rights to be protected from harm in every home of Nigeria because if urgent steps are not taken to prevent the abuse of children today our children, your children, will be victims of this unjust treatment and cruel conditions for many more years to come. Let’s make sure this does not happen. Together let us unite and put a stop to child abuse.
POLICE NABS CHILD-WITCH SELLER IN AKWA IBOM STATE.
A 28 year old woman (name withheld) has been arrested by a special police detective team in Eket for attempting to sell a seven year old boy. A police source said in Eket.
The youngster who is said to be her step-son was, however, living with his biological mother until the father requested to take full responsibility of him. Apparently angered by the child’s arrival, the step-mother contracted a pastor to screen the little boy to ascertain if he was possessed with witchcraft spell or not. On confirmation that the boy was possessed, he was reportedly disappeared from the house a few days after.
A dependable source said the lady who operates a local Hotel called Prince Udoette Hotel in Ikot Idung Offiong community had arranged with a Port-Harcourt based child trafficking syndicate to pick the boy in a location along Uqua Road, in the heart of Eket, but the late arrival of the Port Harcourt dealer spoiled the show, as the detectives swooped the scene and arrested the lady on a tip-off.
The community source did not confirm whether the hotel was used as a conduit for the sales of other children; but stressed that she’s been notorious for dealing with suspicious elements coming to the community.
She confessed to the police that she was scared based on the prophet’s instruction that the boy will infect her children with his magical power. When the man of God told me that he will transfer the spell to my children, or kill them, I was really afraid…” she said.
The a police inspector in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who did not want his name mentioned said that sales of children of Akwa Ibom origin to syndicates coming from Aba and Port-Harcourt was a common phenomenon. “They have a robust network, which keeps buying more and more children here in the State. It depends on the sex, the age of the child and the negotiation. A male child is said to be sold between N150, 000 to N170, 000 a female is between N130, 000 to N50, 000. But it varies on age.” The officer said. “Our team is monitoring them… We will get them all,” he added.
But the coordinator of a human right group, Freedom Impact International (FII), Mr Jackson Bas, though commended the police for rescuing the child; he expressed scepticism over the willingness of the police to prosecute the culprit.
“This is not the first time they have arrested child traffickers. They have been doing so before; we know about this. How many of them have been taken to court. Police will keep them in the cell till their men will come and bail them out with money they called bond…” Bas noted.
He appealed to the government not to turn a blind eye to the torture and killing of children and elderly people who are accused of practicing witchcraft or sorcery.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
AKWA IBOM GOVT N150 BILLION BOND: GOP CALLS IT FRAUD, MOVES TO SCUTTLE IT.
3rd January,2012
The Director-General
Securities and Exchange Commission
Headquarters
SEC TOWERS
Garki,Abuja
Dear Madam,
PROPOSED 150 BILLION BOND ISSUE BY AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT
We are the alternative government in Akwa Ibom State and we represent
a vast majority of the citizens therefrom.It is on their instructions
and behalf that we lodge this protest.
We are constrained by circumstances enumerated hereunder to bring to
your notice certain material non-disclosure on the part of Akwa Ibom
State Government in the information submitted to you in pursuance of
their unpopular decision to issue subject bond through you.
It is axiomatic to reiterate the obvious truism that every transaction
done in the Capital Market must be clothed by uberrime fidei,that is
good faith.This necessarily includes the duty of frank disclosure of
every factor that may debilitate if not totally destroy the substratum
of the transaction.We make bold to inform you that Akwa Ibom State
Government[hereinafter referred to as AKSG] has wilfully concealed
useful information from you even as they hurry to hoodwink you into
this potentially failed transaction.Particulars of this Material
Concealment are as follows.
1.There is a pending pre-election litigation with a very high
probability of flushing Governor Godswill Akpabio and his government
out of office very soon.This is Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/365/2011
pending before Honourable Justice Kafarti sitting in Federal High
Court No 2,Abuja.Part of the numerous critical issues involved in this
matter is the very serious allegation of forgery of result of the
Primary election held on January 15th which purportedly produced
Govenor Akpabio as the candidate of PDP.The uncontroverted fact is
that as at the 15th of January,2011,Dr Nwodo had lost the powers to
act as the Chairman of PDP having been restrained by a court
injunction.That is why he could not preside over the PDP National
convention that took place on 13th and could not have possibly signed
a result for Governor Akpabio on the 15th of January 2011.
This case has reached an advanced stage and will be decided very
soon.Its next adjourned date is 30th January.Please find attached
hereto a copy of the Originating Summons filed against Governor
Akpabio in this case for your independent assessment.
2.There is also an equally very potent post election case instituted
by our great party against Governor Akpabio.On the 14th of November
2011,the Supreme Court ruled in our favour and ordered that this case
should be tried on the merit as contradistinguished from pyhrric
technical victories apparently preferred by Governor
Akpabio.Consequent upon the Supreme Court judgement in our favour,the
acting president of Court of Appeal,set up a totally fresh panel of
Judges to hear this case in uyo.The inaugural sitting has been
scheduled for 10th Tof january 2012.Our likely success in this matter
will also oust Governor Akpabio from office.
3.There is yet another case against Governor Akpabio instituted by the
Governorship candidate of Progressive Action Congress,Mr Steve
Ibanga.This is SC/354/2011.This case was recently re-listed by the
Supreme Court and a hearing date will soon be issued.The logo of this
party was excluded by INEC and the potential effect of their success
in court will be the nullification of Governor Akpabio's election.
4.The last but not the least is also another case recently filed yet
again by the PAC Governorship Candidate this time challenging the
disbursement of funds to the unconstitutional transition committees at
the Local Government level.This is in Suit No FHC/CS/1008/2011.The
Accountant -General of the Federation as well as Revenue Mobilisation
and Fiscal Management Commission are parties and injunction against
the debitting of our FAAC proceeds is in issue here.
With this kind of baggage of potentially dangerous litigations,it is
better for to err on the side of caution before mortgaging the future
of Akwa Ibom people at the behest of an outgoing Governor.The timing
of this transaction is suspect.Why was it not done in his first term
where he had security of tenure?Why now?We need hardly add that no
incoming Governor would want to be saddled by this kind of wanton
financial recklessness especially against the backdrop of our
squandered FAAC proceeds as well as IGR.
Finally,based on the foregoing,we respectfully demand that you stop
this process forthwith as a potentially embarrassing situation is best
avioded.
Thank you.
Dr Amadu Attai
Acting State ACN Chairman
Barrister Andem Ndem
State Legal Adviser
Sunday, January 8, 2012
DISCLAIMER COMMUNIQUÉ: AKS LEADERS IN THE DIASPORA REACT TO CURRENT CRISES IN NIGERIA
My attention has been drawn to an article written on behalf of AKS LEADERS IN THE DIASPORA and forwarded to different fora by a group of AKS government loyalist.
Let it be known that at no time did I participate in any conference call where the decisions in the COMMUNIQUÉ were taken.
I received a call a couple of days ago from one of the signatories to the communiqué but missed that call because I was at work. When I later returned the call, I was advised by this person to read the information that was sent to me and give my input. Before I could get around to reading the email, I started receiving calls from some people enquiring what the communiqué (which purportedly had my name) was all about.
I was very upset to say the least, because these people never waited for my so called input before appending my name to a document for which I have serious reservations. Although I am not against the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government, I would have preferred a different method of implementation. Secondly I do not support the activities of Boko Haram which I consider despicable however, I cannot be a party to those who have chosen to rubber-stamp all the activities of the Akwa Ibom state government. These people see no evil and hear no evil, I do, and for that reason, we are diametrically opposed.
How can I support a government that chose to starve state workers of their duly earned salary at Christmas time while throwing parties for themselves in total disregard for the hard working men and women of the state?
As an Akwa Ibom leader within the Eket Community, I am still very disappointed with the role the Akwa Ibom State government played during the Amakpe Refinery saga. Many Akwa Ibomites, especially those from the Eket Senatorial district were deprived of gainful employment.
The communiqué with my name appended to it, is calculated to misrepresent my stance within Akwa Ibomites and the Eket community in particular. With all due respect to some of the signatories of the said communiqué, who may have good intentions, I will suggest that my name should not be used in any communiqué or document in future without my express permission.
Thank you.
Margaret Itauma.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The NewsWatch Big Rip-Off and The Fuss About Sam Itauma
Written By Marshall Jones 
I might have missed this as well. The NewWatch magazine edition of December 5, 2011 is smack of shame to new breed journalism in Nigeria and indeed a dent on their image. It calls for probe of those who are on the editorial board of the magazine as their integrity has been called to question. I think an attempt to blackmail Mr Sam Itauma or CRARN for the rescue mission work is merely sacrificing the heroes for the villains. Is this the only way you can seek revenge for the Liberty Gospel Foundation Church after failing in the court battles? A gracious loser in all court cases against CRARN for that matter! This is indicating that our judicial system, in spite of the mounting challenges, can still be relied upon for the dispensation of justice. I know I might be criticised at this point. But this is the fact.
Ini Ubong of LAGOS, Andy Effiong in faraway BELGIUM, and others who try to make people believe the deliberate calumny stunt of NewWatch magazine need to come out with their fact and not breeding insinuations. I think if they cannot surf the web to get the correct truth or find out about this cooked and distortion story of Victor Ukutt, the lazy lawyer of Helen Ukpabio or that of master liar of Godswill Akpabio called Aniekan Umanah they better humble themselves and ask those who are in the state to help with the truth. Or are they deliberately trying to sell themselves for the BIG buyers of lies as a few of them are doing? This might be why those requesting the actual whereabouts of Itauma might be having a dubious motif, given that they already know geometric rise in the number of the present government’s hit-men. Are they quick to forget that Itauma who does not believe in witchcraft and campaigns against dubbing children witches was arraigned in Oron High Court by Gov. Akpabio himself for accusing children as witches? This is how a lot of people are made to face trump-up charges by this government and made to rot in the jail if not die.
Truly, you guys have not still got off the wood blanketing your eyes for good. I already have reports on this but sometime don't need to border myself much because I always thought people know the truth about this. Or may be putting out at the appropriate time could be ok.
Have you ever sat down to wonder why Victor Ukutt is trying to push this stuff again into the public domain when he was given an ample opportunity to make his case in the Godswill Akpabio’s Child Witch Commission of Inquiry but failed woefully because he did not have fact to prove his lies? Do you know that he had failed in all the cases he and his paid mistress dragged CRARN to court for daring to orientate people not to believe in witchcraft and torture children in the name of witches? Do you know that 'End of the Wicked' a home-made video of Evangelist/Apostle/Dr/Ms Helen Ukpabio is one of the biggest NIGTHMARE that brought about the child witches problem in Nigeria? I am sick of this frame-up you are bringing up again. It will be injurious to the psyche if not treacherous to those who know the truth but fail to tell. This is a way of trying to distort history. Those who work hard to save lives in any cruel part of the world are always the victims. You can go ahead and celebrate your villains; it is not strange. It seems it is part of our own society and culture to celebrate the corrupt and the villains. But those whose consciences are sacred to them will stand up for the truth and be counted for good.
This is the same magazine that did what was seen as a professional and balanced reportage in its January 4, 2009 edition, tagged: The Ordeal of Kid Witches. It opens its story line with “In Akwa Ibom State hundreds of children labeled as witches have died or have been badly tortured and brutalised by their own parents and relations…” Was NewsWatch ripping people off then? Which of the stories should one believe now? Other news outfit have done their researches and reports, which one do we believe? Or between NewsWatch and UNICEF which should I believe? Between NewsWatch and the UK Channel 4 TV which should I believe? NewsWatch and BBC which one should I believe? NewsWatch and US HBO which should I believe? NewsWatch and Dutch TV which should I believe? NewsWatch and our own Tell Magazine which should I believe? NewsWatch and Sahara Reporters, which one should I believe? The question is endless.
The NewsWatch magazine scraps christened ''A Big Rip-Off...'' is a shame to the magazine's editors like Dan Agbese and and Ray Ekpu for allowing the once dignified Nigerian tabloid to become a rotten egg eaten by the 'unkempt'. The story is just a vendetta from those who feel guilty of the crime they have committed against innocent children or those who failed to protect them from the hands of religious war lords who called themselves prophets. In no distant time we will bring reports of this kind including, the UNICEF research work which indicts Helen Ukpabio of crime against humanity which until now the Akwa Ibom State government has turned a blind eye because some of the government officials are sheepishly worshipping her.
Bishop Sunday William Ulup-Aya had made his confession of killing 110 people including children. Before the open confession, he was already recorded with undercover camera by Mr. Itauma who was trying his best to expose the criminal act and brutality carried out by these so called men of God who tag children and aged people witches and wizards and consign them to all sort of danger including their early graves. The new part of the story you are hearing now is Aniekan Umanah's version; assisted by Victor Ukutt. But who doesn't know Umanah, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information for his captivating eloquence in lies production and fabrication!! If you go to Enwang, Ibaka, Unyege, Afi-Uda, Uko Ntighe, Urukim (Ulup-Aya's maternal area, along Mbo River) in Mbo Local government Area of Oron Axis, you will get the real stories about the level of killings that took place in 2001/2002 orchestrated by the self-made Bishop himself. But for the intervention of former Inspector of General Police, Mr Etim Inyang who himself, too, is from Enwang, more than 500 lives would have been wasted by William Ulup-Aya, according to one Mr Edet Esin from Ibaka. The former police boss had made William to be detained for about three years before he was released, without trial. He had also confessed to using his "spiritual gift" of identifying and killing of witches to now delivering them. Sources in Urukum say, though William has changed the practice or otherwise of the modus operandi, but his former boys are still doing so covertly. 'It is not strange to hear that a person has been escorted...this means that he was taken to the forest and killed.' A 58 year old man who trades in fish had said on account of anonymity. He explained that in a village called Asak Ikang, every body is believed to be a witch. Witchcraft suspicion is the dominant factor there. 'No body is willing to collect water from you and drink let alone food..." he said. This is where the government should invest in orientating the people beyond rhetoric. This will help save lives and improve the economy and make the people have some level of trust in consonant with our age-long culture.
If you take a street survey in Akwa Ibom and parts of Cross River and River States, you will realise that today children mostly from Akwa Ibom origin are swimming the streets because they have been dubbed witches or wizards. This is disheartening, in spite of the much trumpeted free education that is said to be in our state. To say that the only organisation (CRARN) that started the campaign and rescue of these children is constantly hounded and under attack is making an understatement. This has given the religious profiteers the leeway to continue their job of stigmatising and torturing children at will. It is not too late for this government to start a vigorous campaign to end this war on vulnerable children and the aged people. Signing a law is one thing, but implementation is another. Government should stop donating vast of its time on media for blackmail and propaganda brigandage simply because it has control of the media, and resources to do so. It should learn to see criticism as a major tool for improvement and make amends; and not clamping down on dissenting views, if democracy is really anything to go by, which as it is now, it is a far cry from the reality
People who campaign for the right of such vulnerable ones in the society should be encouraged to do so. Doing otherwise is giving a tacit approval to the villains and corrupts to take over the society that we belong.
Mr. Jones is an Uyo based journalist and human right activist.
I might have missed this as well. The NewWatch magazine edition of December 5, 2011 is smack of shame to new breed journalism in Nigeria and indeed a dent on their image. It calls for probe of those who are on the editorial board of the magazine as their integrity has been called to question. I think an attempt to blackmail Mr Sam Itauma or CRARN for the rescue mission work is merely sacrificing the heroes for the villains. Is this the only way you can seek revenge for the Liberty Gospel Foundation Church after failing in the court battles? A gracious loser in all court cases against CRARN for that matter! This is indicating that our judicial system, in spite of the mounting challenges, can still be relied upon for the dispensation of justice. I know I might be criticised at this point. But this is the fact.
Ini Ubong of LAGOS, Andy Effiong in faraway BELGIUM, and others who try to make people believe the deliberate calumny stunt of NewWatch magazine need to come out with their fact and not breeding insinuations. I think if they cannot surf the web to get the correct truth or find out about this cooked and distortion story of Victor Ukutt, the lazy lawyer of Helen Ukpabio or that of master liar of Godswill Akpabio called Aniekan Umanah they better humble themselves and ask those who are in the state to help with the truth. Or are they deliberately trying to sell themselves for the BIG buyers of lies as a few of them are doing? This might be why those requesting the actual whereabouts of Itauma might be having a dubious motif, given that they already know geometric rise in the number of the present government’s hit-men. Are they quick to forget that Itauma who does not believe in witchcraft and campaigns against dubbing children witches was arraigned in Oron High Court by Gov. Akpabio himself for accusing children as witches? This is how a lot of people are made to face trump-up charges by this government and made to rot in the jail if not die.
Truly, you guys have not still got off the wood blanketing your eyes for good. I already have reports on this but sometime don't need to border myself much because I always thought people know the truth about this. Or may be putting out at the appropriate time could be ok.
Have you ever sat down to wonder why Victor Ukutt is trying to push this stuff again into the public domain when he was given an ample opportunity to make his case in the Godswill Akpabio’s Child Witch Commission of Inquiry but failed woefully because he did not have fact to prove his lies? Do you know that he had failed in all the cases he and his paid mistress dragged CRARN to court for daring to orientate people not to believe in witchcraft and torture children in the name of witches? Do you know that 'End of the Wicked' a home-made video of Evangelist/Apostle/Dr/Ms Helen Ukpabio is one of the biggest NIGTHMARE that brought about the child witches problem in Nigeria? I am sick of this frame-up you are bringing up again. It will be injurious to the psyche if not treacherous to those who know the truth but fail to tell. This is a way of trying to distort history. Those who work hard to save lives in any cruel part of the world are always the victims. You can go ahead and celebrate your villains; it is not strange. It seems it is part of our own society and culture to celebrate the corrupt and the villains. But those whose consciences are sacred to them will stand up for the truth and be counted for good.
This is the same magazine that did what was seen as a professional and balanced reportage in its January 4, 2009 edition, tagged: The Ordeal of Kid Witches. It opens its story line with “In Akwa Ibom State hundreds of children labeled as witches have died or have been badly tortured and brutalised by their own parents and relations…” Was NewsWatch ripping people off then? Which of the stories should one believe now? Other news outfit have done their researches and reports, which one do we believe? Or between NewsWatch and UNICEF which should I believe? Between NewsWatch and the UK Channel 4 TV which should I believe? NewsWatch and BBC which one should I believe? NewsWatch and US HBO which should I believe? NewsWatch and Dutch TV which should I believe? NewsWatch and our own Tell Magazine which should I believe? NewsWatch and Sahara Reporters, which one should I believe? The question is endless.
The NewsWatch magazine scraps christened ''A Big Rip-Off...'' is a shame to the magazine's editors like Dan Agbese and and Ray Ekpu for allowing the once dignified Nigerian tabloid to become a rotten egg eaten by the 'unkempt'. The story is just a vendetta from those who feel guilty of the crime they have committed against innocent children or those who failed to protect them from the hands of religious war lords who called themselves prophets. In no distant time we will bring reports of this kind including, the UNICEF research work which indicts Helen Ukpabio of crime against humanity which until now the Akwa Ibom State government has turned a blind eye because some of the government officials are sheepishly worshipping her.
Bishop Sunday William Ulup-Aya had made his confession of killing 110 people including children. Before the open confession, he was already recorded with undercover camera by Mr. Itauma who was trying his best to expose the criminal act and brutality carried out by these so called men of God who tag children and aged people witches and wizards and consign them to all sort of danger including their early graves. The new part of the story you are hearing now is Aniekan Umanah's version; assisted by Victor Ukutt. But who doesn't know Umanah, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information for his captivating eloquence in lies production and fabrication!! If you go to Enwang, Ibaka, Unyege, Afi-Uda, Uko Ntighe, Urukim (Ulup-Aya's maternal area, along Mbo River) in Mbo Local government Area of Oron Axis, you will get the real stories about the level of killings that took place in 2001/2002 orchestrated by the self-made Bishop himself. But for the intervention of former Inspector of General Police, Mr Etim Inyang who himself, too, is from Enwang, more than 500 lives would have been wasted by William Ulup-Aya, according to one Mr Edet Esin from Ibaka. The former police boss had made William to be detained for about three years before he was released, without trial. He had also confessed to using his "spiritual gift" of identifying and killing of witches to now delivering them. Sources in Urukum say, though William has changed the practice or otherwise of the modus operandi, but his former boys are still doing so covertly. 'It is not strange to hear that a person has been escorted...this means that he was taken to the forest and killed.' A 58 year old man who trades in fish had said on account of anonymity. He explained that in a village called Asak Ikang, every body is believed to be a witch. Witchcraft suspicion is the dominant factor there. 'No body is willing to collect water from you and drink let alone food..." he said. This is where the government should invest in orientating the people beyond rhetoric. This will help save lives and improve the economy and make the people have some level of trust in consonant with our age-long culture.
If you take a street survey in Akwa Ibom and parts of Cross River and River States, you will realise that today children mostly from Akwa Ibom origin are swimming the streets because they have been dubbed witches or wizards. This is disheartening, in spite of the much trumpeted free education that is said to be in our state. To say that the only organisation (CRARN) that started the campaign and rescue of these children is constantly hounded and under attack is making an understatement. This has given the religious profiteers the leeway to continue their job of stigmatising and torturing children at will. It is not too late for this government to start a vigorous campaign to end this war on vulnerable children and the aged people. Signing a law is one thing, but implementation is another. Government should stop donating vast of its time on media for blackmail and propaganda brigandage simply because it has control of the media, and resources to do so. It should learn to see criticism as a major tool for improvement and make amends; and not clamping down on dissenting views, if democracy is really anything to go by, which as it is now, it is a far cry from the reality
People who campaign for the right of such vulnerable ones in the society should be encouraged to do so. Doing otherwise is giving a tacit approval to the villains and corrupts to take over the society that we belong.
Mr. Jones is an Uyo based journalist and human right activist.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)