12th
January, 2014
Mr. Aniekan
Umanah
Commissioner
for Information & Communications
Akwa Ibom
State
Uyo
Sir,
ENJOY WHILE IT LAST;
AKWA IBOM BELONGS TO ALL
I feel it is necessary to put things straight to you, for a
number of reasons.
Firstly, you are a Commissioner in Akwa Ibom which is my
state of origin. Secondly, you happen to come from Abak Local Government Area,
same with me. Thirdly, your area of political assignment happens to align with
media which I have been preoccupied with in the last six year. Fourthly, your
attitude towards the citizenry of the State especially the media professionals
is very repulsive, and as a younger brother, I am persuaded to tell you the
truth. Fifthly, your actions and activities as spokesperson of the Chief
Akpabio-led government is devoid of patriotism but a strong drive for personal
aggrandizement and profit making; a concern I share because of my unflinching support
and belief in H.E, chief Godswill Akpabio administration. Sixthly, that you may
by this letter, change your ways and move swiftly to a path of honour, “before
it is too late’ (apology to Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, rtd).
Seventhly, every other avenue to reach you to express my
humble opinion failed including text messages and phone calls which you
blatantly ignored.
May I remind you that your achievements as the information
boss in the State prior to May 2011, was unprecedented and a testimony of the
stuff you were made of earning you the “Information Man of the Decade” by
Pioneer Applause Magazine on May 2010.
However, you deviated from the task of projecting the image
of Governor Godswill Akpabio and his government and took to an ungodly path of
self-destruction by pursuing personal interest against the interest of your
boss, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio.
Mr. Commissioner, there is a German word called
“Schaden-freude”. It means “damage and joy”. You seem to derive joy when you
set out to damage people, their visions and reputations for the sake of
material things.
I will embark on this journey of consciencetizing you with an
accurate psychoanalysis of your egocentric sojourn to self pity, perdition and
job insecurity.
Sir, until I am proved wrong, you are the architect of many
people’s problems in the state. I will not hesitate to mention few names of
those genuine supporters of the governor that you have manipulated and slander
as well as give examples of how your greed for wealth has almost caused great
havoc to your principal, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
Let me start with Mr. Sampson Akpan, alias ‘Politics Today’
before others including my humble self.
Sampson Akpan, a core loyalist and supporter of the governor
nearly lost his life to assassin’s bullets because of his hard stance for the
governor’s reelection on the electronic media among other avenues. It is no
longer secret that you hideously kicked against his appointment as a media aide
to the governor. Who among the governor’s present media team had worked
genuinely for the benefit of the governor a little close to the smooth talking
broadcaster? But you will dare not have good people reap from where they sow.
Not only did you succeed in keeping the die-hard supporter of Chief Akpabio out
of the system, you have continually frustrated him for reasons known to you. I
wish to ask you Mr. Commissioner, where the programme “Uncommon Transformation”
on AIT emanated from? Only you, Sampson Akpan and God Almighty can tell.
Before your appointment on July 8, 2008 as Commissioner for
Information, a fine gentleman Mr. Udo Silas, the General Manager of Akwa Ibom
Newspaper Corporation, Publisher of The Pioneer Groups of Newspapers shone like
a thousand stars when he took The Pioneer to the next level in the newspaper’s
content and production. No other paper could dare compete with The Pioneer
because of its re-branding and innovations introduced by Mr. Udo Silas. But you
set out to frustrate the efforts of Mr. Udo Silas so that he will not get the
attention and recommendations from higher authorities because you were insecure
of your job since he was performing better than you in his assignment. Today,
The Pioneer, a state owned newspaper is producing far behind many local
newspapers because you do not want Udo Silas to be noticed. Many thanks to you
Mr. Commissioner; I am sure you will add that to your list of achievements.
You cannot also deny your alleged attempt to usurp the duties
of your brother from Abak, the governor’s Special Assistant on Media, who is
currently the CPS, Pastor Anietie Ukpe immediately after the 2011 general
elections. Before political appointments were appropriated, you were insecure
and scared that Ukpe may be elevated to commissionership position. You
therefore schemed to have him out of the system without success. Ukpe, whose
difference from you is only in the title “Pastor”, is lucky to still be in the
government payroll.
Mr. Commissioner, you also frustrated the musical duo of
KCPRESH, (Presh is an indigene of Essien Udim). Prior to the governor’s
re-election in 2010, they got some international movie producers from South Africa
to do a documentary on H.E projects. You made concise efforts to stall the
project until they got to the governor through former Deputy Governor, Engr.
Patrick Ekpotu. And when it got to the time for payment, it is on record that
you highly shortchanged and underpaid them.
Ndueso Essien, your former Special Assistant on Media is not
left out of your iniquitous onslaught. You relieved him of his job a month to
his wedding because he was hired to do a documentary magazine for the Ministry
of Special Duties headed by the erstwhile Commissioner, Barr. Austine Mbeh. If
both you and Mbeh were serving the interest of the governor does working for
any Ministry warrant a sack or you were angry that the young man was making
money to sponsor his wedding?
Mr. Commissioner, do you remember Home Page Limited, Lagos? A media outfit that
organized Governorship Debate in 2011 for gubernatorial aspirants in Akwa Ibom
State. The debate was in
partnership with AIT, NTA International and AKBC TV/Radio. I was privileged to
be the Organizing Secretary of the Debate and six governorship candidates had
given letters of intention to participate, except Chief Godswill Akpabio. Home
Page held a meeting with the Country Director, International Republican
Institute (IRI), Washington
DC, in the presence of the INEC
Chairman, Atahiru Jega at Tinapa Calabar and the Democratic Institute agreed to
sponsor the debate on the condition that Governor Godswill Akpabio must
participate. At a time when the governor who had performed creditably during
his first term was campaigning and looking for an avenue to propagate his many
achievements and manifestoes if voted in for a second term, as well as instill
confidence and put away doubt in the minds of his many supporters, Mr.
Commissioner, you sat on the letter inviting H.E for the debate. You reasoned
that since sponsorship was not coming from the government, you would not make
money from the debate; hence you decided to sit on the letter and dissuade the
governor from attending the debate.
In order to gain more support and votes for Chief Akpabio in
the 2011 gubernatorial elections, I put together and headed a team of
consultants with a mandate to break through the ranks of the opposition parties
so as to give PDP an edge at the election. Ten days to the election, I led a
team to discuss with three governorship aspirants on the need to forgo their
ambitions and declare support for H.E. It was a positive meeting and the
outcome were communicated to Pastor Anietie Ukpe who later drove us on a convoy
to inform the former SSG, Mr. Umana Okon Umana on the development. Umana
referred him (Ukpe) to see Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem. After that, we were able to
lure in four political parties’ State Chairmen who paraded governorship
candidates, their Exco members and the Chairman of the Conference of All
Political Parties in the State into declaring for Chief Akpabio. They agreed to
denounce their support for their candidates and declare support for Chief
Godswill Akpabio at a world press briefing. Since my group was working with
little resources, we couldn’t afford hosting a World Press Conference. So we
sought for your help through Pastor Ukpe. Ukpe informed us that he had spoken
with you and you fixed a date and time for the world press briefing. We then
secured a hall through the help of Pastor Ukpe for the press briefing. Everyone
was seated on the day you fixed from 10am to 5pm but Mr. Commissioner, you never
showed up or sent anyone to the venue. We later got to find out that the reason
why you did not show up was that no one called you to discuss your financial
benefit in the matter should the governor reciprocate the parties’ good
gesture.
Time and space will not allow me mention more instances
however there are many other people whose efforts have been undermined and
thwarted by your seemingly greedy attitude. Mine is not the least worst than
others.
On November 15, 2010, TELL Communications Limited, viz a viz
TELL Magazine & two others desecrated the Altar of Governance and the
highest seat of power in Akwa Ibom State, when they called Governor Godswill
Akpabio a terrorist and murderer. The over 800 socio-political groups,
individuals and political office holders including you Mr. Commissioner who
happens to be the mouthpiece of government kept mute. That was the highest
betray of trust on H.E to have allowed such publication to go unrequited.
Knowing the negative implications of that publication to the
hard earned reputation of Chief Akpabio and his administration, especially his
political future, I felt it was politically precarious for the governor to
allow such publication remain in public domain unchallenged. And since the
governor was busy governing the State and pursuing reelection, someone has to
fight to protect the state and his good family name. That was the reason why I
initiated the 100 million naira suit with number HU/405/2010 against TELL
Communications Ltd.
When you got wind of my actions, you called me and expressed
happiness and encouraged me to fight on that the governor will be very happy.
But it was a fool’s hardy to have believed you or craved your support.
When the case came up, you kept me floating, unsupported and
exposed to the dangers inherent of taking up such highly politicized matter. I
was maligned, intimidated and threatened. A number of times, I informed you
about the threats to my life and my predicament through text messages, you
blatantly ignored me. I am obliged to believe now Mr. Commissioner that you
never believed in the governor’s innocence but encouraged me to go on so as to
have an avenue to milk the state government of cash.
How did I get to this conclusion? You recall a number of
times you asked me to write an executive summary so that you can forward it to
the governor for financial assistance to enable me hold a strong case, which I
did. But you never made any move. You were waiting for the right time to hit.
And it came one year after.
Two days before I met the governor through one of his friends
in the academia, Dr. Peter Esuh, you told me you had informed the governor
about the case and he directed you to take me to see the Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice, however meeting with H.E, I discovered it was another
of your many lies because the governor was unaware, shocked and happy to
realize I had been fighting on his behalf in the court of law. He urged me on
with promise of every support.
I sought audience with you to inform you of my encounter with
the governor. I was advised by people who knew you too well not to tell you
about my direct encounter with the governor. They claim you have a trademark of
betraying and blackmailing people in Akpabio’s government and that you will
feel disappointed thinking that you have been outsmarted as the link between me
and the governor, and may destroy the relationship which now existed. But I
immediately waved their concern aside; which was my greatest undoing. When we
met, you weren’t interested on how I met the governor. Your interest was what
the governor told me. And I told you exactly what he said.
That was the beginning of my setback orchestrated by you, Mr.
Commissioner.
You felt I had a link to the governor and feared your
usefulness in the case not knowing that my meeting the governor was an
opportunistic one. So you swung into action.
Mr. Commissioner, you collaborated with others still unknown
to frustrate my suit by instituting a new suit number HU/676/2011, Chief (Dr)
Godswill Akpabio Vs TELL Communications Ltd & Two others in a Magistrate
Court, one year after I had been in court against same TELL at a High court.
What baffles me till date was why couldn’t the governor, a
honest, decent, and promise keeping man, who told me that I have his full
backing to continue with the case against TELL when I met him on September 2,
2011 or you, Honourable Commissioner of Information and Communications inform
me that I should decline pursuing the case against TELL since the governor had
gone to court himself? No one could inform me. I tried to investigate the
authenticity of the said case in the Magistrate
Court but everyone I went to such as the
governor’s aide on Legal Matter, Barr. Aniefiok Denis, the former Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Assam Assam and one of Governor
Akpabio’s personal lawyers I knew as at that time, Barr, Uwemedimo Nwoko, deny
knowledge of such suit with the name of the governor.
This meant that the suit was your covert operation and money
making apparatus.
How did I know you were the brain behind the suit, Mr.
Commissioner? Firstly, two weeks after I informed you about Governor Akpabio
intention to hire a SAN, join the suit and give me every necessary backing, you
sent one of your aides to come and collect the case file and every published
document related to the case. I gave him those documents believing you were
documenting the court proceedings as a media manager. I did not envisage that
you had other clandestine plans to outmaneuver me out of the case for financial
benefit. You knew I had made impact which impressed the governor, so you
blackmailed me so that the governor would forgo his support for me without
knowing your grand plot was for selfish reasons; making money.
Secondly, a close ally of mine was called to the Judiciary
Guest House, off Barracks road to be enlisted as witness to the case by the new
legal team you assembled. I was informed that when he got there, he met you and
others eating, drinking and celebrating at a buffet and at the same time filing
documents. When I got that information, I sought to know about the case from
Barr. Aniefiok Dennis and others who denied knowledge of the case.
Thirdly, if the governor had gone to court in 2011 according
to the suit number (HU/676/2011), and I met him in September 2, 2011, why
didn’t the governor tell me to forget pursuing my suit since he had gone to
court himself? It simply means there was no suit in court with the governor’s
name as at the time I met the governor on September, 2011. So when was the suit
HU/676/2011, initiated? And if the governor reneges on his promise to support
me through the case, why did he send logistic support to me in March 2012? Only one reason can be deduced from all this:
I have been impersonated.
Fourthly, you met me at Sir Emem Akpabio’s house when I went
to discuss the matter with him on November, 2012. You interrupted and took over
our discussion. You never mentioned to me or Sir Emem Akpabio that another case
was in court. Sir Emem Akpabio promised to assist me to continue with the case
at the Appeal Court
pending when he takes up my matter with the governor. Immediately I left, you
discouraged Sir Emem Akpabio from assisting me or take up my matter to the
governor. Since the day I left you at Sir Emem Akpabio’s house, he has declined
seeing me or taking up my matter to the governor.
It is pertinent to note Mr. Commissioner that I continued
with the case despite your betrayal because I did not take the action out of
partisan consideration for attention or self interest but out of patriotism. I
am not claiming to love my State more than others but, manipulating Chief
Akpabio who happens to be an executive governor, a husband, father and leader
of my State as a murderer and terrorist in the cover of an International News
Magazine was too uncharitable to have been left unchallenged.
On June 11, 2012, I needed some money for the case and I came
to you for assistance. You gave me #2, 500 (two thousand five hundred naira
only) and told me that there was no money because you just “finished Local
Government elections”. It was discouraging but I persisted. When my doggedness
paid off and I won the preliminary hearing against TELL on the 3, August 2012,
you were away with the governor in America
for the annual Akwa Ibom day in USA.
But I informed you. When you returned to the State, you did not bother to send
for me neither did you inform the governor of my victory at the Uyo High Court.
And after weeks when I saw and gave you copies of the court ruling including
TELL Appeal, you promised to get to the governor and back to me, but you did
not.
The most annoying part of your entire shenanigan is that
after TELL Appealed, they went back and studied the High Court ruling and noted
that their chances of winning was slim. They got back to me through their
lawyer for out-of-court settlement. I asked them for a huge amount of money as
well as to publish an apology to the governor in four major daily newspapers in
the country. They could not meet my
demand and opted out for a short-cut which they found in your willing hands.
While I was waiting for TELL to appear at the Appeal Court,
Calabar, they left me there reasoning that the governor would not ask for money
as a condition to withdraw the case. They sent emissary to the governor through
you and a meeting was held between TELL team and the governor’s representatives
headed by you on the 21, December 2012. It was agreed at the meeting that TELL
should apologize to the governor which they did on their January 28, 2013
publication. I was not invited for the meeting with TELL but I am aware you
arranged someone to impersonate me at that meeting. This is because Governor
Godswill Akpabio who urged me on with the case and assured me of his full
support would never hold an out-of-court settlement with TELL without inviting
me. That is not the character of Governor Akpabio.
Mr. Commissioner Sir, who has been impersonating me
especially at the meeting with TELL magazine? I have gone through untold
hardship and trauma as a result of being neglected to pay the legal and
professional fees of my lawyers which the governor promised to offset. Since
the day my lawyer threatened me through a letter to use every forceful legal
means to collect his fees, both of us have become enemies over a matter that
would have been celebrated. No one believes the governor has not offset my
legal fees. Is it possible that H.E, Chief Godswill Akpabio we all know in
words and in deeds would go ahead and settle with TELL and refuse paying my
lawyers legal fees which he promised to offset? Can the governor who urged me
on betray me or have you and your team collected the legal fees without my
knowledge? Mr. Commissioner, I am inclined to believe that someone you
organized to impersonate me have collected the money meant for my legal fees
and many other cash I may not know about.
This is because during the Dinner/Award ceremony organized by
the state Leagues of Newspaper Publishers, on January 4, 2014 at Le Meridien
Ibom Hotel and Golf Course, Uyo, the governor saw me and told me he would call
me for a meeting. I came to you with my knees on the ground, begging you to
take me to the governor so that he could assist me offset the huge legal fees
burdening me but you told me outrightly to forget about the TELL issue and
never to bring it up again, that I should go and look for a permanent job in
the civil service. I was shocked and had difficulties to recover from what you
told me that day. How can I forget about the TELL issue just like that? A case
of libel I fought alone for two years on behalf of the GOVERNOR and WON. I
risked my life to ensure justice was achieved and you said I should forget
about it, who does that? Jesus!!!
God installed Chief Akpabio as governor to empower people and
raise men of eternal value. And the truth is that governor Akpabio has not
failed God in that regard. He has empowered you and also evidential are the
young men he raised from nowhere to become somebody, many of whom are in his
government. Painfully, if you continue to rob people of their opportunities,
how would the governor continue in God’s mandate? Did any man hinder your
appointment as a Commissioner? Every man will definitely answer to his or her
deeds in life.
It is no longer news that you have bought the surrounding
buildings around your resident in Shelta Afrique; enjoy while it last. A
passage in the Bible said “what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole
world and losses his soul”. Whatever a man sows, he reaps. I also wish to jog
your memory that if you continue to act like a god today, what were you on July
7, 2008; a day before you were appointed as Commissioner. The difference
between you and any educated man on the street is a minute. Akwa Ibom does not belong to one person and
as such God can lift any man to whatever position He deems fit, anyday, or
anytime and anyhow.
Mr. Commissioner, you may be aware but I need to inform you
again that no journalist in the state like you. Even in Abak where you come
from, a mere mention of your name is like “praying in Church with the name of
the devil”. To think that we hail from the same Local Government Area is
unspeakably devious and a justification of what Dimba Igwe, a veteran
journalist said of you being “a media manager from hell”. No one is perfect but
we should all endeavour to treat people rightly and justly.
Life is short and I wish to make proper use of the time God
mercifully offers me to spend on earth, but not like a fool. The day I took up
legal action against TELL Magazine was the day I vowed never to shy away from
the truth and to seek justice in all cases at the risk of my life. Death will
come to everyone and none knows when, and mine is only when God approves of it.
This letter is not written to provoke your sensibility or person but out of
principle. So if it provokes you, keep calm and do the right thing. I am
neither a saint, so the letter is aimed at strengthening things and bring
positive change out of you.
I have done justice to my conscience with this letter
according to how the spirit directs.
God bless you in your future endeavours.
Your sincerely,
Comrade Godwin Tom FredFish
(Youth Activist)
cc: Barrister Ugwudor
Ernest, Esq.
The Commissioner
of Police, Akwa Ibom State
Amnesty
International
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