Ibibio History Book Controversy: Dr Akpan Challenges Opponents To Public Debate... Says He Owes No One Apologies
By UbongAbasi Ise
Dr. Uwem Akpan, the author of the controversial book, Ikono The Cradle of Ibibio: A Refutation, says he owes no one apologies following a seven-day ultimatum issued to him over weekend by Ikono and Ini monarchs asking him to apologize for referencing them without their authorization in his publication.
In a press statement released on Tuesday to the media, Dr. Akpan said his book is intended to promote and perpetuate the antiquity of the Ibibio race, and correct the distortion in the book, Ikono the Cradle of Ibibio Nation: Historical Origin and Cultural Heritage, written by who he described as “three non-historians.” He requested an apology from his opponents on behalf of all those he claimed to have been misinformed for almost two decades.
The authors of the refuted book which was published in 2001, include David Ukpong, who studied Political Science, currently a teacher of Social Studies; Martin Akpan, a medical practitioner and Nnamso Akang, who also studied Political Science.
Dr. Uwem Akpan challenged the three authors to a public debate over the position of Ikono as the cradle of Ibibio nation.
“I challenge the three authors to a public debate on the matter. I wish to state categorically that my book is intended to promote and perpetuate the antiquity of the Ibibio race, correct the inherent monumental distortion in their book and for posterity. I do not have any apology to offer to any individual or groups, rather, I demand an apology on behalf of all those who have been misinformed for almost two decades by the Ikono storytellers. In fact, I view the threats and intimidation as a deliberate ploy to divert attention from the substance of the issues at stake to perpetuate the scam of the millennium. I stand firmly by my irrefutable thesis which has not been contradicted,” the statement reads.
The lecturer in the Department of History and international Studies, University of Uyo, frowned at the threat by Ikono and Ini monarchs to penalize his informants while describing it as a contravention of the constitution of Nigeria, believing that the court of law would bring justice at the end.
“I challenge them to contest the matter at the realm of knowledge, leave intimidation and sentiments and face the substance. For condescending to force some of my informants with a threat to strip them of their certificate of recognition, they have contravened the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and behaved in an uncivilised manner. Even though these men freely volunteered information, it was not their own place to determine how and when to use the information. I will forever believe in the wisdom of the court of law, even though the court is not the ideal place to settle matters relating to history, let them embark on a new round of research,” he said.
Uwem Akpan pointed that the authors were sponsored by a socio-cultural organization known as Mboho Ndito Ikono Ndo Ini who inaugurated the Ikono-Ini Research and Documentation Committee (IRDC) on the 5th of March 2000 with the terms of reference to produce a document on the historical origin and cultural heritage of Ikono-Ini people and to present the final document to the association for final ratification and publication.
Despite their terms of reference, Mr.Akpan said the authors expanded the orbit of their assignment to cover the entire Ibibio land and the other groups in Akwa Ibom State, questioning if it was right for non-historians from one group of Ibibio race domiciling in only two Local Government Areas to write on the Ibibio from their own perspective without expecting reactions from indigenes of other parts of Ibibio land, adding that “it is in the light of the above observation that one can say that it is natural for me, as an Ibibio son, to join the debate almost two decades after.”
©The Sensor Newspaper
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