Uwem Akpan's Book: Author Raises Alarm Over Threat On Informants...Says Intimidation Threat To Scholarship
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 Traditional Rulers Council, as they have already compiled the names of the informants in Ikono and Ini local government areas and then summoned them to appear before a disciplinary panel of the Ikono Traditional Rulers Council for the purpose of signing an already prepared document in order to recant the information they volunteered in the course of writing the refutation, which they intend to publish in the newspaper in a no-distant time, in an attempt to weaken the position of his work.Akpan, who is a lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies, University of Uyo, noted that his opponents had first issued a traditional injunction against the chiefs from Ikono not to attend the public presentation of the book over a fortnight ago.
“The intimidation by David Ukpong and some Ikono elite, in conjunction with Ikono Traditional Rulers Council, first started with the issuance of traditional injunction against the chiefs from Ikono not to attend the public presentation of the book. Subsequently, the issue escalated to an extent that they threatened the informants, having already compiled their names, summoned the informants to appear before a disciplinary panel of the Ikono Traditional Rulers Council to sign an already prepared document recanting the information they volunteered which I used to corroborate the extensive written evidence and ethnographic data in the course of my research. The signed document, I have been reliably informed, is intended to be published in a newspaper in a no-distant future with the intent of weakening/diluting the robust historical evidence contained in my book. In fact, they have threatened to influence the withdrawal of the certificates of recognition of the village heads whose names appear in my book should they fail to sign the document,” the statement reads.
While the authors of the refuted work charged his opponents to concede to his superior submission, Dr. Uwem Akpan warned that threats and intimidation on informants are anti-intellectual as these could instill fear in knowledgeable resource persons and hinder future research, stressing that their action violates the fundamental human rights and the basic principles of freedom of expression of the informants.
“Having successfully punctured their “story book”, I would have expected these authors to be humble and introspective, accept “defeat”, retire and research further and come back with superior arguments to challenge what I have done. I openly challenge them to mention any issue that is contained in their book that I have not punctured.
“They should know that intellectual controversy is best handled at the realm of knowledge and ideas and in scholarship; it is superior argument that prevails. Their resort to unorthodox means such as threats and intimidation rather that coming to the public space to argue out their case is anti-intellectual. Their latest action will certainly instill fear in knowledgeable resource persons and hinder future research. I hold this opinion strongly since history is evidence based discipline and human beings are custodians of historical information which can be gathered and processed to re-construct the past.
“Their latest action has justified my claim in the book that the policy thrust of the sponsors and authors of the refuted book was “empire building”, the foisting of “cultural hegemony” and projection of a section of Ibibio as primus inter peres over the rest. This action clearly violates the fundamental human rights and the basic principles of freedom of expression of these innocent Ibibio,” he stated.According to the statement, some of the informants included Eteidung Ikpe Umoh of Ikot Idaha, Ikot Idaha Group, Ikono Local Government Area; Chief Gregory Umoren of Ikot Oku Ubo Ediene, Uyo Group, Ediene Clan, Ikono Local Government Area; Eteidung Akpan Akpaden of Ikot Antem, Ediene Clan, Ikono Local Government Area; Chief Godwin Uba of Ikot Nseyen Nkwot, Ikono Local Government Area; Eteidung Effiong John Akpan of Nnung Ukim Ikot Etefia; Eteidung John Inyang Akpan of Mbiakpa Ibakesi, Odoro Ikono Clan, Ini Local Government Area, among others.
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