A’BOM’S UNPRECEDENTED DEVELOPMENT Vs UNPRECEDENTED INSECURITY & THE MEDIA

Editor Sir,

A’BOM’S UNPRECEDENTED DEVELOPMENT Vs UNPRECEDENTED INSECURITY & THE MEDIA

Governor Godswill Akpabio can boast of developments in Akwa Ibom: He has gone far with the international airport project that now provides commercial operation though the main money-yielding (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul – MRO) aspect is yet. He has completed the remaining 15% of the 119mw IPP at Ikot Abasi.  He has built a befitting Governors Lodge at a cost of N6.5billion. He has completed the Ibom Le’Merriden Hotel and Golf Course. He has constructed flyovers at cost not made public. He has constructed more roads, at between 0.8billion and N1.1billion per kilometre. He has built an e-library, waiting proper equipping. The first phase (Cinema Halls) of N33billion Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre which he confirmed releasing N20billion supposed readied March 2010 is now ready but far from  providing the 5,000 jobs promised. But the worst-best development he has brought to the state is insecurity; in the land that was adjudged the most peaceful in his predecessor’s government that he served six years as Commissioner? Now tell me how the Cinema would bring increased revenue generation for a state where people are forced in bed before 7p.m. 

Nowadays, cases of kidnapping, assassination and banishment are common occurrences. The insecurity he unwittingly allowed to grow in Akwa Ibom did not exclude the journalists, critics and oppositions. On 24 January 2008, Governor Akpabio ordered the arrest of Mr. Bright Essien Owoh, the Abuja-based Fresh Facts newspaper distributor in Uyo. This was followed by Akwa Ibom-based Police on the orders of the governor travelling to Abuja and ransacking Fresh Facts office at which time the Chairman Editorial board, Mr. Sam Asowata and his daughter were assulted. And Asowata was driven all night in police car ‘booth’ to Uyo for trial. Recently, the Fresh Facts again alerted the world that Akpabio plans another orgy on the media house. Governor Akpabio’s hounding of Akwa Ibom based local newspapers are no hidden fact as this happens often; ‘once you do not flow with him, you are harassed’, most affected local tabloid newspapers complain.

The Publisher of a Port Harcourt-based provincial newspaper, The Neighbourhood, Bekee Anyalewechi, is being hounded for reporting in his publication’s May 13, 2011 edition how Akpabio rented and quartered at government house Uyo ex-militant Sunny Ishiba and gang for dirty jobs which included murder of five persons at Ikot Ekpene axis of Akwa Ibom the night before the governorship election. The news in town now is that Akpabio has ordered Ishiba and gang to gun down Mr. Bekee Anyalewechi who has gotten many threat calls to that effect. Yet we are seeing unprecedented media propaganda of the Akwa government nowadays.

Obong Nse Archibong/288 Ikwerre Road/Diobu/Port Harcourt.