“On 15 August, 2012 an Akwa Ibom House Member representing Ikono State
Constituency, Hon.Victor Udofia allegedly shot and killed Nsikak Edet
Etefia at Ibiaku Ntuk-Okpo…”– NaijaLeaks.
Let us forget about democracy for now; because democracy does NOT exist anywhere in Nigeria, whether at the local government, state, or
federal level. Neither does JUSTICE Neither does FAIRNESS!! Neither
does the FEAR OF GOD!!!
Politics centers around activities associated with the control of decisions made on behalf of the public by persons elected or appointed
or imposed upon the people. These persons have been given
extraordinary authority by Nigerian RULERS to break the law with
impunity. These persons have been given more than the authoritative
means to enforce the decisions they make. Nowhere on the surface of
the earth, are persons who make decisions for the public, and who are
authorized to enforce such decisions required or permitted or
authorized to kill or murder a governed member of such a public ; AND
in cold blood; simply because decisions which such persons made are
opposed, objected to, not agreed upon, rejected by, and/or
disrespected by the governed.
Did I say nowhere on the surface of the earth are decision
makers i.e. public officials authorized to kill any member of those
subjected under their decisions, who express reservations against such
decisions? I am sorry; I misspoke!!!!
There is an exception, the only place on the surface of the Earth,
where public officials kill at random, without repercussions, without
censure, without questions and without conscience; is the political
entity called Nigeria; and to be more specific the political edifice
named Akwa Ibom State under Godswill Obot Akpabio as governor.
Instances are too numerous to count here, but two of such instances
stand out because they have been given a glimmer of prominence by the
ever fearful, un-investigative, and sometimes brown-enveloped- enticed
Nigerian press since the Press reported the murders in the first
instance. With the often-times capitulation of the Press to an
ineffective, messy, despotic, lawless, cultist, and undemocratic
ruler-ship, whose members kill if and when they wish, Akwa Ibom State
has become the greatest eye-sore to all mankind who hate the shedding
of innocent blood. The Press has capitulated because after the initial
report there has been a total lack of follow-up on the outcome of
these cases.
Most probably Hon. Victor Charles Udofia, Member, AKwa Ibom
State House of Assembly is walking around a free man. The Press, as
has been the USUAL case, had completed what it saw as its very
difficult function – the initial report of the murder!!!!! I am after
the Press because with the total absence of the Police and OFFICIALS
of government when it comes to numerous cases, of INJUSTICE – murders,
kidnappings, intimidation and victimization of the public by agents
hired by the government, the Press has been the ONLY institution to
sometimes, (even if reluctantly) shine any light and give any hope to
the common Nigerian orphan, widow or widower and bereaved, made so
by these murderers, over injustices such as murders. In the same vein,
even the affected PUBLIC have forgotten about these NUMEROUS murders,
UNTIL another act of murder is committed. It is only then, that
half-hearted wails and noises will be made for maybe a day or two,
then back to the USUAL silence as if nothing important had happened to
the down-trodden and marginalized members of the public. It is
understood that the people do not believe that there is any semblance
of justice in the government, the Police or the courts. Hence their
apathy towards cases as heinous as that committed by Hon. Victor
Charles Udofia; which prompts the question – Does the Nigerian Federal
government, which controls all the security apparatuses in Nigeria,
care? Can the public make the government care? Has the public EVER
heard of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE measures taken against an inept, uncaring
and inefficient government; let alone against one that has REFUSED to
solve countless cases of murders?
Before we concentrate on the murder of Nsikak Etefia by Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia, let us recall the unsolved murders of Mama
Udonwa; of Emmanuel and Mathias Ekpenyong; of Barrister Udonwa; of
Dr. Justin Edet; of Paul Inyang; Barrister Benjamin Udoekpo; Two women
killed at Qua Iboe church; Daughter of the paramount Ruler of Abak;
Mrs. Maria Ikpe; Ezekiel Peter Ebere; Anthony Akpanobong; Mr. Daniel
John Ekanem; Mr. Mathew Inyang – driver of Mrs. Tom Bush; Dr.
Akpanudo; Police orderly to Mrs. Lydia Bush; Mbosowo Andrew; Pastor
David Idunuoluwa; Edidem Robert Obot, Oku Ibom Ibibio II. Let us NOW
recall the recent murders of mother and son, Mrs. Effanga, and Mr.
Effanga. The following two acts of murders have special significance
for our State and country – they were committed by agents of
government; openly and brazenly, ONLY because these agents of
government felt, and still feel today (since they have not been held
accountable, to the knowledge of the public) that they are the Rule
and the Order for our State and country. They can do what they want;
and when they want. They feel that they are the authority; and above
the Law. They know that the Rule of Law affects, and is only meant
for; those who have neither authority nor influence nor money nor
others who are influential enough to speak for, and to protect them;
nor to avenge their murder, if they are murdered like the three
Akpabio brothers were; like Nsikak Etefia was. The criminals know
that they are the Rule and the Law, because they have made it so. AND
don’t the Police, the Federal government which controls the Police
agree with them? How many brazen murderers have been docked publicly,
and punished for their crimes to the knowledge of the public which
WITNESSED their crimes? Was the SSS officer who murdered the Akpabio
brothers docked in open court and punished?
Why would next door neighbor Hon. Victor Charles Udofia not kill
Nsikak Etefia if the law is weighted on the side of the elite to do
what he or she chooses to do? Was it not the Police who were with Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia when he committed the murder? Did they hand-cuff
him on the spot, or did they walk away with Hon. Victor Charles Udofia
in tow, and STILL in command of whatever Police unit was attached to
him? What has the government , State or Federal, said to members of
the public OVER this and similar incidences?
To the group of brazen, bloody, and cowardly criminals belong
murderers Noel Nduka and Hon. Victor Udofia. If you still have not
recalled who Victor Nduka is, then recall the brazen murders of three
brothers – the Akpabio brothers – right before their aged mother by
an agent of the SSS, Victor Nduka, in Ini Local Government Area. Now
recall the recent gunning down of Nsikak Etefia of Ikono Local
Government Area by another government agent, Hon. Victor Udofia, a
member of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly.
The story so far as we have been able to piece together, is
short and simple – Murdered victim Nsikak Etefia comes from same
electoral Ward with the murderer Hon. Victor Udofia, now a VERY
dishonorable member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly BECAUSE
he is, very simply put, now a murderer. BUT do his fellow Assembly
men and women regard him as a murderer? Up till the time of this
writing we have not heard or read of any form of censure of this
murderous behavior by one of them, from the House members!!!!!
And why did Hon. Victor Udofia commit murder? The simple answer, the
very simple answers are GREED and ARROGANCE, the type of arrogance
born out of power not rightly earned, or rightly exercised. The type
of arrogance which only cultist criminals can exercise.
A Constituency project purportedly worth N19.3 million naira was
awarded to Ward 3 from where Hon. Victor Udofia was previously
SELECTED (as opposed to being ELECTED) to become a member of the
State House of Assembly. Hon. Victor Udofia had supervisory authority
over the project, which was meant to be executed by the youth
supporters of the PDP party from the ward. After the contract had been
awarded to the youths of the Ward, “on pay as you perform basis”, the
Assembly member, Hon. Victor Udofia felt that the cost of the project
“was prohibitive”. He decided to employ his own contractors – members
of his wife’s locality AND from outside the Ward, and from outside the
State, on a project meant to be executed by citizens of the ward who
were loyal to the PDP; thereby defeating the entire purpose of
rewarding the so-called PDP youth supporters for their loyalty. It is
not far-fetched to think (judging by what happened in April of 2011)
that these were the same youths who helped rig Hon. Victor Udofia to
the House of Assembly. Hence the anger which necessitated the youths
confrontation with Mr. Victor Udofia can be understood from that
perspective. .This was the bone of contention, the point and place
where and when the rubber met the road – many youths objected to Hon.
Victor Udofia’s RULERSHIP because they felt his INJUSTICE!!!!!!
Hon. Victor Udofia was displeased; and in a country where the Rule of
Law is meant for the underprivileged, Victor Udofia, as has been usual
with almost all government agents in Akwa Ibom State, became the law,
the jury and the executioner; because, as I am told, Nsikak Etefia
openly, and in public accosted the almighty legislator over his
unfaithfulness, betrayal, greed, biased, wrong-and-weighted-in-Hon.
Victor Charles Udofia favor only, the decision to steal the project
from the youths.
The public can continue in their yet-to-bear fruit prayers and in
their sycophantic worship of the murderers while an ineffective
government wines and dines the criminals in its employ.
We have watched helplessly as the Police and the government have
ALWAYS tended to weigh in on the side of the criminal murderers – NONE
has been punished to the public’s knowledge. We have watched
helplessly – at least those of us patriotic and conscientious enough
to complain against these injustices – as the government of Godswill
Obot Akpabio continues on its path of destroying a once most peaceful
state in the Federation. We have watched helplessly as Police
authorities ignore these murders. We have watched helplessly as those
in power and authority in Akwa Ibom state continue to cuddle these
murderers. We have watched helplessly as the President of the Nigerian
Federation continues to keep SILENCE over the numerous UNSOLVED
murders in Akwa Ibom State. WE are beginning to wonder what it will
take for FAIRNESS to return, for JUSTICE to be done, for the
VICTIMIZED to be FREED, and for the CRIMINAL to be PUNISHED. Hence the
government of Godswill Obot Akpabio; and more so, the Federal
government of President Goodluck Jonathan, (because the SECURITY of
all citizens and the dissemination of JUSTICE are the TOTAL
RESPONSIBILITY of the Federal government); can begin NOW to imagine
that there are many albatrosses both men and their governments have
hung around their necks – the albatrosses are the blood of the
innocent, and the UNCHECKED crimes of the UN-accosted criminals;
BECAUSE it is their sacred RESPONSIBILITIES to SOLVE these crimes,
protect the citizenry and see to JUSTICE and fairness for ALL.
Hon. Victor Charles Udofia must not only be tried, convicted and
punished; he must suffer these fates OPENLY to the knowledge of all
who have been witnesses ( through hearing, reading and physical
presence) to his heinous crime. AND so must all others be brought to
JUSTICE before the people
OduduAbasi Nicolas Edet
oduduiniso@yahoo.com writes from Dallas-Fort Worth.
