Beggary Instead Of Employment

By UbongAbasi Ise

“Beggars, they work harder than regular people with regular jobs to earn their pittance” – Ben Caesar

Senator James Akpanudoedehe was on Talk Radio, a breakfast programme of Inspiration FM in Uyo, on Saturday 7^th July 2018. He told many stories of course. But one striking cord he struck which prompted this writer to action was the issue of beggary in the state. The Senator noted that a lot of Akwa Ibomites are increasingly becoming dependent on pittance from government officials. In Akwa Ibom, youths could identify one who is ono owo mkpo (somebody who gives) and the one who is not. Those that attend events from time to time may notice that after the public function, a group of young people would encircle some officials for cash saying ‘ono owo mkpo (I),’ sometimes ‘Honourable, mbiong aba oboho ooh!’ meaning, there is serious hunger ooh! That aside, at government public offices, ministries, departments or agencies, a keen observer would find well-dressed individuals that have no official engagement but are just there to solicit for assistance. They know who are ‘Ono Owo Mkpo’ and those who are ‘ubok okpo’ (tight-fisted). Another scenario is that, if you go to these so-called Honourables’ houses, you would see young men cackling all day, at the end, it would still boil down to uno owo mkpo. Ask them who is ano owo mkpo (giver) and anye misinoho owo mkpo (one that doesn’t give) they would name them, all of them.  Udoedehe was stressing on the radio programme that people are roaming the streets in Akwa Ibom today because of uno owo mkpo.

                But who is to be faulted? Is the blame to be apportioned on the poor unemployed citizens who are seeking a civilized way to survive instead of indulging in criminalities? Can one call them lazy when they have both the zeal and the qualification to work but opportunities are not there?  Or were there engaged productively but opted out to go a-begging? How did we get here? When did the standard downswing to this level? Who is to be blamed for this glitch?

                No matter our varying reasons, the blames would still point out to the complete failure of governance. Where government is working, people are working too. Where government is functional, citizenry don’t depend on the generosity and openhandedness of officials to survive.  When government works to expand production base, citizens engage themselves productively, and pressure is taken off public officials.

                Since democracy is the government of majority, or a game of numbers, while having people as its raw material, those in power seem to enjoy the luxury of exercising unfair control over the majority because that is where their power is derived. They achieve this by systemizing ‘hunger’ in order to keep the citizenry weak and lethargic so that they could easily be manipulated to meet their self-serving political needs. The logic is that if the political officials have the majority of citizenry getting busy with sustainable jobs, it becomes hard to exert control over them. Politicians know that a hungry man would lose his rationality, and would be willing to go any mile to do their bidding as far as his meal is assured. The government adopts this evil stratagem and decides to dash money around for loyalty instead of finding a way to engage people productively.

                Dr. Dominic Akpan of the Department of History and International Studies in the University of Uyo, in a recent interaction with this writer, was irked by the way Governor Udom Emmanuel was throwing money about in the market, probably for the political reasons. According to him, it was astonishing that the Governor who read banking would take money to market and spread them without seeking for a way to utilize them. He maintained that even somebody who did not read banking would know that the right place money would go to in times where all tiers of government are seeking economic recovery is investment.

Senator Akpanudoedehe had made strong allegation on the radio programme that former Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his family stole trillions and that “what Udom is doing is balancing Papers for Akpabio.” This is a strong point that could beckon concerned Akwa Ibomites to embark on a campaign placing a demand on the state government to give account on how Akwa Ibom money was expended since Akpabio’s tenure despite the state being one of the highest earners of federal allocation. They should also ask why the state is rated by the NBS as the second in the federation with the highest rate of unemployment.

Akwa Ibom youths should know that they cannot keep their heads high when their hands are out. They should demand for the dividends of democracy within the ambit of the law instead of begging for lifeline.  And our rich officials should assist the younger ones with everything it takes to help them fish, instead of giving them small pieces of fish.

Yes! I am UbongAbasi Ise, for comment, send SMS to 08189914609 | ubongabasiise@gmail.com

Source: The Sensor Newspaper