THE DAY IBB VISITED AKWA IBOM AFTER A LONG TIME

Dear Editor

THE DAY IBB VISITED AKWA IBOM AFTER A LONG TIME

When General Ibrahim Babangida, and a horde of other top political personalities converged in Uyo Thursday May 27, 2010 where he chaired an occasion that inaugurated the governing board of ‘The Initiatives’ (a non-partisan political research organisation) that has Hon Eseme Eyiboh as the Dean, it was like home-coming for him.

IBB’s administration created Akwa Ibom in 1987 and later abrogated the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy that paved way for Akwa Ibom in particular and indeed other littoral States to earn their correct shares on the oil exploited within their offshore boundaries. Coincidentally, Ibom Hall where IBB made the decision was the same place The Initiative event took place. IBB did not waste time to explain how the offshore/onshore abrogation received his government’s blessing.

At The Initiative event, IBB went down the memory lane and reiterated how Akwa Ibom people should be proud to have someone like the Lady of Songs, Chief (Mrs) Christy Essien Igbokwe, MFR, who brought strong persuasion that ensured he started and finished the issue of the abrogation, which if he did not conclude, probably any other person (like Obasanjo tried) would have found it easy to undo. He went on to say that people were talking rubbish that Christy was his girlfriend hence he approved her demands; to this, he jocularly said that Christy was ‘girlfriend’ to him and his late wife.

He then turned to Akpabio sitting beside him and said, "you as a governor, your Personal Assistants would know who your girlfriends are because they are the ones that arrange them but in Christy’s case, none of my Personal Assistants (then) could say she was mine". He then said that Christy is like ‘my daughter and a niece to my late wife’ and that Christy remains ever selfless, kind and caring hence the reason those things she requested numerously, for the benefit of the people, he listened and granted. The whole people in the hall that day went frenzy with applauds, and how I wish Christy herself was there to appreciate her people’s love for her.

Engineer Etim George, Plot 239 Ozumba Mbadiwe, V/I, Lagos.