UbongAbasi Ise

By UbongAbasi Ise Controversies  surrounding a recent publication by Dr. Uwem Akpan are far from being over as the opponents of the work in Ikono and Ini local government areas have taken the battle to the persons that volunteered information, the author revealed in a statement yesterday. As it would be recalled, Dr. Akpan launched a book in Uyo on December 9, 2019 titled,  Ikono the Cradle of Ibibio Nation: A Refutation,  to counter the position of Ikono as the cradle of Ibibio as contained in the work of David Ukpong, Martin Akpan and Nnamso Akang, titled,  Ikono the Cradle of Ibibio Nation: Historical Origin and Cultural Heritage,  which was sponsored by a socio-cultural organisation known as Mboho Ndito Ikono Ndo Ini and published in 2001. The author of the refutation, Dr. Uwem Akpan, alleged in a statement that there is intimidation  on his sources of information spearheaded by the lead author of the refuted book, David Ukpong and some Ikono elites, in conjunction with Ikono

By UbongAbasi Ise The council Chairman of Essien Udim local government area, Elder Raphael Isobara, says the gale of defection that erupted during the buildup to the 2019 general elections has completely destabilized the unity of the area. While interacting with newsmen yesterday during Mkpatak 2019 Day Celebration in Essien Udim local government area, Elder Isobara said prevailing situation in the local government especially the rerun elections coming up on January 25, 2020 are the products of defections that took place prior to the general elections, stressing that Essien Udim would be the only local government area in the state that would pass through the rigours of elections once more.  The council boss said Essien Udim, as one of the three largest local government in Akwa Ibom State, possesses some peculiar characteristics, pointing that the area has 148 villages, 105,555 registered voters,  159 polling units, 14 secondary schools, 56 primary schools, and 107 private scho

By UbongAbasi Ise  "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln It was Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union's de facto dictator, that reinvented and popularized the phrase, ‘enemy of the people,' just to combat political opponents or his personal critics real or imagined. Anyone referred to as the enemy of the people was at the risk of being tortured, imprisoned or summarily executed. With this Stalinist language routinely used to inspire fears in the Soviet society, hard lucked citizens were having their properties confiscated; their families scattered, millions murdered and millions more perished in the camps of the gulaps, until Nikita Khrushchev banned the phrase after Stalin's death in 1953. Apart from Soviet Union, the coinage, enemy of the people, is mostly used by the authoritarian leaders or repressive governments to silence opposition forces. It is unpopular governments that use the phrase as part of the diversionary

The General Overseer of Great Faith Ministries, Bishop Udeme Simon has landed in stormy waters with the sale of his home by Prudential Cooperative Microfinance Bank (PCMFB) over loans he is unable to pay back. According to the Head of Recoveries of the bank, Mr. Iboro Albert, the loan which was obtained about six years ago had had a protracted recovery history.   According to him, several meetings had been held with Bishop Udeme Simon and his guarantors after the bank offered to withdraw from the multi-door court house it had earlier sued Bishop Simon for recovery. He said the efforts of the bank were not appreciated by Bishop Simon who neglected resolutions of those meetings and refused to pay up. Following renewed directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to PCMFB to intensify efforts in its recovery to improve the loan to losses position of the bank, the bank has to embark on aggressive recovery campaign. Already over ten properties had been sold and other vict

By UbongAbasi Ise "A dancer doesn't know his back is at awkward position" - Annang Proverbs Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP publicity secretary in Akwa Ibom State, is one promising politician with youth, glamour and pizzazz whom I naturally have fair admiration for. Recently, he won my heart when he donated plots of land in Uyo to about 10 young media practitioners who probably aided him fulfill his job's expectations during last electioneering campaign. As one may know, his office is not the type to receive any allocation from the state's budget, neither is he occupying a decision-making position in his political party, but he was generous enough to sacrifice his personal resources to demonstrate gratitude and to significantly encourage the media gentlemen to begin steps to a settled life. This shows that if he gets an opportunity to move up the higher rung of the ladder, he might profoundly epitomize selfless leadership that has fast become a rarity in our

By UbongAbasi Ise Pastor Sunny Ibuot, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Political and Legislative Affairs, says he knew Senator Godswill Akpabio would not contest a rerun of Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial election. While speaking on Planet FM in Uyo yesterday, Pastor Ibuot said Senator Akpabio known to him for a long time understands the implications of having to abandon ministerial job for a rerun election whose outcome is uncertain, describing his decision of pulling out from the race as a win-win situation. On Akpabio’s directive to his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to shop for his replacement for the January 2020 rerun, Ibuot charged legal practitioners to look into the law to see if there is such arrangement. The immediate past secretary to the Technical Committee on Agriculture and Food Sufficiency  said the rerun of Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial election including rerun of Ikot Ekpene Federal constituency as well as Essien Udim state

By UbongAbasi Ise Regarding the controversies surrounding Dr. Uwem Akpan’s rebuttal to the claim of Ikono as the cradle of Ibibio nation, Dr. Philip Afaha, an Associate Professor of Intergroup Relations and Head of Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja, has called for cessation of media attacks and insults, urging other researchers to equally review Akpan’s work. While delivering keynote address on Monday during the launching of the book entitled, I kono The Cradle of Ibibio Nation: A Refutation , written by Dr. Uwem Akpan, a lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies in the University of Uyo, Dr. Afaha confessed he was troubled at the offer by the author to be a guest speaker, owing to possibility of being caught up in a controversy that dominated the social media. He said academics must accept criticism as an important aspect of scholarship, while urging them to take the conversation beyond Dr. Uwem Akpan and the authors w

By UbongAbasi Ise The Aspirants Forum of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has called for the head of Barr. Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, ahead of rerun elections scheduled for January 25, 2020. While addressing a press conference in Uyo weekend, the state coordinator of the forum, Dr. Chris Enoch, expressed lack of confidence in Mr. Igini declaring that the REC must not conduct rerun election in Akwa Ibom State, linking him to unprofessional conducts and heavy bias against the APC before, during, and after the 2019 general elections.  Dr. Enoch said Igini’s post-election utterances clearly demonstrated his dislike for the APC as a party, noting how the Akwa Ibom REC lampooned the aggrieved candidates of the party for complaining just to seek recognition for possible appointment from the president, adding that the forum feels “it was unbecoming of an electoral umpire who is expected at all times to register

Title: Ikono The Cradle Of Ibibio Nation: A Refutation Author: Uwem Jonah Akpan, PhD Pagination: 614 pages Publication: Heritage Preservation Foundation, Uyo Year of Publication: 2019 Reviewer: UbongAbasi Ise Introduction Ikono The Cradle Of Ibibio Nation: A Refutation is the latest of the numerous works undertaken by Uwem Jonah Akpan, a journalist and a historian, who at present lectures in the Department of History and International Studies, University of Uyo. The author has published seven historical books, co-authored one and writes over 80 articles published both in reputable local and international journals. In addition to M.A. and PhD in African History/International Studies obtained from the University of Calabar, Akpan holds a B.A. Hons. (Second Class Upper) in History and International Studies as well as National Diploma in Mass Communication. His research interests are African social, political and cultural history, including diplomatic history, developme