The murder in Sarejevo on June 28, 1914 of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria somewhere in Europe could have passed for just one of those murders if the events unfolding after it had not led to one of the gravest wars the world had ever known the First World War.
When news broke, therefore, of the kidnap of a one-time Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps NYSC, retired Director of the Army Education Corps, Maj-General Edet Akpan, many had speculated that this was not going to be treated as another of the recent kidnap incidents in the state and the nation. Some even went as far as to predict that this might be the kidnap to end all kidnappings in the state.
Presto, the Governor of the state summoned an enlarged meeting of stakeholders, cutting across all segments of the state. At the meeting the Governor was seen talking very tough, apparently the way he never did since coming to office. This was as it should be for, once to every leader comes the moment to talk tough. He has not always talked this way, and so he did not talk this way for nothing. It is expected that from talking tough he will go on to acting tough.
The bottom line of his address can be summed up in a few words: the enemy has done this. Enemies, detractors of the administration, the opposition want to gain at the bend what they lost at the roundabout, by seeking to cause unrest in the state so as to warrant the declaration of a state of emergency. Many have seen the governor's rationalization of the situation as quite plausible, but many have also criticized it as oversimplifying a situation that requires to be analyzed more critically thoroughly and deeply. The latter opine that buck-passing in matters such as this between the government and the opposition is a very old, well-known political antics. When government says that the opposition has resorted to kidnapping to make the government unpopular or the state ungovernable, leading to a state of emergency, what if the so-called opposition retorts by alleging that the government is targeting for incapacitation any one that it feels could have the
influence or the financial muscle to sponsor opposition come 2011? This too, may sound plausible. Nero, the great persecutor of Christians, was alleged to have set fire to Rome and fiddled while the fire raged, accusing Christians of responsibility, while the Christians were said to have turned around to accuse him of seeking a subterfuge for their further and more intense persecution. On Wednesday February 17, 2010 however, the Governor opened up the more at a press briefing, naming names specifically. One however notes as unfortunate the Governor's disclosure that friends had told him they got the story of the kidnap of Maj-General Akpan on internet two days to the event. In a coup situation those friends of his would have been culpable as accessories after the facts (of kidnap) and the Governor would be disposed to name their names and disclose their identities. The Governor is therefore advice to be very guarded in his utterances in times like this, however much heat is turned on him. This is by the way.
On the anatomy of kidnap in the state people have stepped across the labyrinth and dutifully counseled against any form of buck-passing that is capable, not only of further heating and confusing the polity, but also diverting attention from the very serious issues at stake. Only if the “opposition” were overly naïve would it scheme that kidnapping which has become the portion of other parts of Nigeria and not exclusive to Akwa Ibom State could lead to a state of emergency in the State alone. The whole menace calls for a many pronged assault, comprising immediate, short term, interim and long term measures.
First of all, the political class generally is being called upon to do everything possible within their powers to mop up and thoroughly demobilize the electoral militia that they had once found so useful in their hours of need. No government in a democracy has ever been able to adequately cater to every such interest, especially the youth, who had worked and even risked their persons to see to its emergence. After much shall have been done in the area of appointments, contracts and other forms of empowerment, a large number will still be left uncompensated and to that extent disgruntled and desperate. They then pose a grave danger to government and the people.
The long term measure may well be that the next six years are going to be spent in aggressive pursuit of job creation instead of luxury related projects that will benefit only the elite. The highly-skilled, the skilled, the semi-skilled and the unskilled will be accommodated through the establishment of even cottage industries.
Closely-related to this, the opulent class, targets of ransom kidnap, can do themselves a favour by pooling their munificent resources to also consider the poor of the land, if they want to enjoy their affluence in peace and not in repining restlessness. According to Jimmy Cliff”, too many people are suffering; too many people are sad; too many people got everything while too many people got nothing. Remake the world. The early generation of commentators on public affairs had harped on redistribution of the commonwealth of the nation if the nation is to know peace.
While the clergy have a duty to pray without ceasing, the traditional class cannot be left out of this matter, since every kidnapper is a subject of one royal father or another. The royal fathers should do their traditional duties to keep away from the allure of engaging in partisan politics-related activities. Even the youngest of them must have heard of how their predecessors contained the menace of “ekpe ikpaukot” (man leopard cult) that had ravaged parts of Ibibio and Annang lands in the 40s during the halcyon days of Ibibio Union. They took the shine off the colonial law enforcement agents and handled the danger traditionally and succeeded immensely.
Still on the immediate measure, it is suggested that the ADUMA that was launched with fanfare early in the Gov Akpabio administration at much cost to the exchequer of the state should be seen to live up to its billing or get disbanded. The same goes for the State Anti Robbery Squad. For now they do not seem to make much impact. It is believed that much still remains to be done. Buck-passing is not enough as nothing shall be gained from either politicizing or ethnicizing the problem either by the government or the so called opposition.
Since government had earlier claimed knowledge of a list of prominent names that have been penciled for kidnap, this list should be publicized, as doing so will help immensely to place everyone, whether listed or not, on the alert.
A recent called through an editorial in The Community Shield an Uyo-based weekly for the appointment of an indigenous security adviser to the government should now be looked into. Many still believe in it, just as they count on the assurance that in spite of everything, government is on top of this prevailing situation.
The anatomy of kidnapping must be carefully and sincerely, clinically studied if the right diagnosis is to be arrived at and a permanent cure found. Finally, it is pertinent to advise at this stage that 2011 being at the bend, every process leading to the elections that will follow must be duly democratic right from the primaries, and less of robbing Peter to pay Paul. The catch phrase shall be: eyak unen owo eno mmendinyie.