Henshaw NYONG.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Senatorial Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, has said, for the twelve Local Government Areas to come out of the myriad of challenges bedevilling it as a Senatorial District, it needs a vocal, focused, generous and selfless politician as the next Senator in the 10 National Assembly.
According to the YPP candidate who is enjoying massive support across the three Federal constituencies of Akwa Ibom South, the capacity of a contender, his genuine love to help the poor constituents out of poverty and make them self reliant and attract Federal Government attention to the Senatorial District should be a top priority and not controversies on micro-zoning.
Inyang-Eyen, a former Nigerian Customs boss stated this recently while responding to questions from journalist in Uyo, the State capital.
“At this point there is no need of micro-zoning to mediocrity just for the purpose of zoning… let us all come out and tell our people what we have in stock to offer at the Senate; because if we are not going to have a voice, a competent and loud enough voice, even the issue of PIA, do you know how it was that when the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) came up, our Senator did not have a contribution to it? It was a Senator from Uyo that championed it. And people were silent now that the Senator who championed that cause for us is going out of the Senate. He wants to be the Governor. So, who will go and continue in the pursuit of the PIA so that it could come to fruition?
“The oil companies operating here treat us as if we are not part of Nigeria. This is not the treatment they give to the people of Delta State and other oil-producing states of this country. It is because we lack a voice at the centre.
“Therefore, Akwa Ibom South needs a loud, clear and audible voice at the Senate. And if we don’t, we will have ourselves to blame.
“Please, let it be on record that I’m not opposing my brothers from Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi or any part of the Senatorial District; not at all. But let them come to the table and let all of us tell the people what we have. Let’s showcase what God has put in us for a time like this; not just waiting in the house and keep saying, “zoning, zoning”.
Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, who went memory lane, stressed that any qualified man or woman from the Senatorial District has the right to go to the Senate in 2023, recalling that, Ikot Abasi started the cycle, and when Ikot Abasi started, he emphasized that, there was no agreement of who should contest and who should not.
“The truth is that, the Distinguished Senator Udo Udoma, was the best of the candidates at that time. He defeated the man who came out from Eket federal constituency. Eket people supported Udo Udoma not because people had sat down to say there was zoning, no. Udo Udoma was shoulder-higher than all other candidates, nobody zoned it to him. The Distinguished Senator came out with scholarship, he came out with capacity, he came out with a previous record of what he had done in the private sector, and the people queued up behind him.
“If it was about zoning, probably Eket would have taken it, or Oron would have taken it. But it was not zoning. We have not had zoning in our Senatorial District. What we had has been a question of rotation. When Ikot Abasi finished it was not zoning, it was rotation. It became good conscience to allow Eket and Oron to take their turn. Remember, when Mma Ufot Ekaette came out, Nelson Effiong also came out. So, where was the zoning? If Nelson Effiong had won in 2007 at the completion of the tenure of Udo Udoma, it wouldn’t have been Eket. It would have been Nelson Effiong of Oron. So, where was zoning? When Nelson Effiong lost and Mma Ufot Ekaette won, she did one term. Chief Nduese Essien came out, Nelson Effiong came out, the present SSG, Emmanuel Ekuwem, came out. Where was zoning? If at that time after Mma Ekaette lost, and if Nelson Effiong had won, would he not have gone to the Senate? Would the people have taken it and said: “it was the turn of Eket”? So, we have not had a documented zoning in this Senatorial District.””
The YPP candidate noted that time has come in 2023 to correct the wrongs in the senatorial district saying the people need a senator who will be vocal and not shy away from his responsibility of being the mouthpiece of the 12 LGAs.
“”Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District is the largest, producing 33% of our oil. We need someone who will be able to tell Nigerians that we’ve not been fairly treated. Sir, why should ExxonMobil remain in Lagos? Even if it would require protest to tell the federal government that ExxonMobil can’t be in Lagos while taking our oil and damaging our ecosystem, and our marine system has collapsed. Bring that office to Eket in Eket Senatorial District. At least let our people…, even if they are cleaners being employed, they will be able to cater for their families. There are those who would be employed as Senior officers and so on. We really need to address the myriads of issues in our senatorial district.
“By God’s grace I’m not going to the Senate because I’m hungry. God has blessed me; God has given me food to eat. I have also tried my best in using what God has blessed me with to touch lives of the people by way of giving them permanent abode, work, further their education, care for the sick, aged, pensioners, the vulnerable and rejected members of the why would I be silent that my Senatorial District being the basket of resources of this nation is society.
“From June 2023, by God’s grace and with the connections that I’ve built over these years while working with the Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos and others, I will bring the National Assembly to our Senatorial District and take our senatorial district to the National Assembly because we are not heard of for so many years. We’re not given a fair share of what this country ought to give to us.”
Inyang-Eyen, also used the opportunity and appealed for support of the good people of Akwa Ibom State to the Governorship candidate of the YPP, Obong Bassey Albert (OBA).
“It isimportant that when Sen. Bassey Albert becomes the Governor…, because he will become, God said so, so that we should have a son of Senatorial District who he will respect and listen to, so that at least some things would come here.
“So, we need to be part of the next government; and we will not just say: “let us stay on the sideline.” We need to be part of the next government. So, it’s important and very critical that our people do a proper analysis of what it is and come to the fact that it is better to sacrifice micro-zoning. And, that zoning that was done…, Sir, it was not our people that did it. It was PDP. PDP is not Akwa Ibom and Akwa Ibom is not PDP. PDP cannot impose their zoning on us. Ok, look at now, PDP said that the presidential candidature will come to the South. But they gave it to the North. APC said that its presidential candidature will leave the North and come to the South. They gave it to the South. Sir, if we extrapolate, who is saying the truth? PDP cannot do zoning and impose it on Akwa Ibom. It’s not a law that what PDP does becomes sacrosanct. NNPP has come up, and Sen. Udoedeghe is going for governorship from Uyo. His deputy is from Ikot Ekpene – Godwin Afangide. So, who said that what PDP does is a law in Akwa Ibom? No, it’s not! Akwa Ibom belongs to everybody and can’t belong to just one person or a political party”
