UbongAbasi Ise

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 ...

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...

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 10...

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 ...

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 s...