BEVERLY HILLS, January 08, (THEWILL) – Prominent Efik chiefs Thursday denounced in strong terms what they described as gratuitous campaign of calumny against Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State.
In a communique, the prominent Efik Chiefs, while thanking Governor Imoke for the choice of the governorship candidate and his running mate for the state, unanimously declared: “We the people of Cross River Southern Senatorial District thank our governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, for the wonderful choice of the governorship candidate and his running mate, Professors Ben Ayade and Ivara Esu.
“Therefore, we the people of Calabar are one with our brothers from Biase and Akamkpa. We will not welcome people who do not mean well for us and who by their selfish agenda try to divide us. The choice of Professor Ivara Esu as running mate is excellent.”
The prominent Efik chiefs, while reacting to a paid advertorial in a national daily by a group, Concerned Citizens of Calabar, entitled: “Why does Imoke hate the people of Calabar (Efik, Efuts and Quas)?”, denounced as follows: “Our amiable governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, for almost eight years now. Throughout the eight years, he was a saint to these people, but suddenly became the worst satan on earth, as soon as some people who have benefitted enormously from him, failed to secure nominations in a free and fair contest.”
Wondering if elective positions have become the sole birthrights of those seeking to unjustifiably denigrate Governor Imoke, the Efik chiefs stated: “The same democratic process that was used to send these people to the National and state Assemblies was the process used in the last exercise, but because they had squarely lost in the democratic space, then the heavens must fall.
“Maybe elective positions are now some people’s birthrights which must be preserved for them for life. Surely, these people want to take us back to the Stone Age.”
Warming that Cross River must be allowed to march forward like every progressing state, the royal fathers said: “We will like to remind these that we have been in the democratic dispensation for 16 years now and are marching forward not backward. We are living witness to the fact that in 2011, four very prominent sons lost senatorial nomination to the incumbent senator and the heavens did not fall.
“Yet these patriotic sons who lost gallantly even supported the winner. Why can people not learn from such worthy example?”
Wondering how the failure of a few individuals to win nominations is tantamount to the destruction and humiliation of the Calabar people, the prominent Efik chiefs noted that “it is on record that these so called Calabar modern day Super Patriots, over the years have not set up even pure water factories to employ Calabar youths. All they do and christen empowerment is to give some youths third and fourth hand cars which they immediately sell off because they cannot maintain them.”
The communique which was jointly signed by Etuboms Nya Asuquo, Alex Edem, Effiok Ekpeyong, Chief Etim Archibong, Hon. Bassey Asuquo, Pastor Sam Inyang and Chief Ekpeyong Oku, described the attitude of the Concerned Citizens of Calabar as “loser instinct and base hatred of elements who failed to win nominations,” even as they maintained that “Calabar people are known to be cultured, mature and fair in all aspects of human endeavour. And as such, no true Calabar person will be associated with these petty and selfish individuals.”
