By Mbosowo Essien
As Akwa Ibom clocks 29, the member representing Ibesikpo Asutan state Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.(Elder) Aniekan Uko has called on the government of the day to immortalise reputable sons and daughters who gave their all for the overall struggle towards a better Akwa Ibom state.
Hear him “Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my honourable colleague from Ibiono Ibom for this timely message of celebrating Akwa Ibom at 29.
Mr. Speaker, Akwa Ibom was created on September 23,1987 and from then till now, if it was a baby, you would all agree with me that she would have been a fully grown up child that can take care of itself.
Mr.speaker in the spirit of the celebration of Akwa Ibom @ 29, it behoves on us as mandate carriers representing our people to begin to speak the minds of our people by not forgetting the history of our past leaders.
For example, we should not forget that even what we are enjoying today is a product of the struggle of some die-hard Akwa Ibomites who staked everything within their reach to give us a better Akwa Ibom.
We cannot forget in a hurry the contributions of Chief E. O. EYO(a.k.a Eyo Uyo ) who was the biggest political actor then and the President of Ibibio State Union. Mr. Speaker, this man popularly called Eyo Uyo might interest you, He was the first lawmaker in the then Eastern House of Chiefs along side others who advocated for the creation of the erstwhile South Eastern State in 1967 not minding the raging civil war. “Eyo Uyo” took the risk of crossing Onitsha bridge to Lagos just to table a request demanding for the creation of South Eastern State in 1967. Since the South Eastern state was situated in calabar, he further ignited the struggle for Cross River state in 1975,
After Cross River was created, “Eyo Uyo” started another struggle for creation of MAINLAND STATE which later metamorphosed to Akwa Ibom State of today.
Due to his dead, Obong Sampson Udo Idiong took up the struggle with the Traditional Rulers Council members that made up the 10 mainland Local Governments. Mr. Speaker, I could vividly recall as a primary school pupil whose mother was a teacher in Ikono Local Government Area, whenever it was holiday and my mother in her usual style takes us to Ikot Ekpene Motor park, once mentioned UYO, the driver will exclaim “Are you going to the Uyo? Oh! “Eyo Uyo” That shows how powerful the man EYO UYO was. Though some people were by then saying “Uyo bri – bri”, I didn’t understand what that meant as a young child.
Mr.speaker,I want to thank the members of the 5th assembly for naming the magnificient Akwa Ibom International Stadium after Goodwill Obot Akpabio the immediate past Governor, It shows they acknowledged his contributions to the overall development of the state . I want to equally thank the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio for anually organising the Obong Sampson Udo Idiong Memorial Lecture.
Mr.speaker, if we dont rise up to condemn this ugly trend of not celebrating our Leaders who fought for our liberation, it therefore means that there will come a time that the likes of Obong Akpan Isemin will be completely forgotten. Obong Victor Attah who came and fought for the resource control will also be forgotten, not to talk of Chief Dr.Godswill Obot Akpabio that came to transform and changed the entire landscape of this state making us today the envy and pride of Nigeria.
Mr.speaker it also means that I will be forgotten as the first timer who emerged the speaker of the 6th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Mr.speaker, without any prejudice in inclusion, I want the house as a matter of urgency to move a resolution that the founding fathers who were in the forefront of the struggle that has brought Akwa Ibom State this far be immortalized.As an Ibesikpo Asutan spokeman, I’m still speaking the minds of the Eyo Uyo and Obong Victor Attah because they led those struggle”, he concluded.
In response, the speaker thanked Rt.Hon.(Elder)Aniekan Uko for the pointer which he said was thoughful and due for consideration.
