By Dr DC Enamhe
For the Records:
My dear brothers and sisters,
I write today not out of bitterness but from a place of truth and clarity.
In the course of our collective struggle for the realization of Ogoja State, I have witnessed things that would ordinarily have made many abandon the cause.
There are leaders amongst us who cannot publicly support what they privately acknowledge to be right.
Some told us we should never have begun the agitation until “the position of the Governor” was known.
Others, whom we continue to project and respect and continue to accord underserved prominence, often seize every public opportunity not to defend us or promote this cause but to denigrate us as if we are out to challenge their prominence overtime in our generation.
Recently, a Senator from another state called one of our leaders to commend our modest progress and to express his excitement about the Ogoja State movement.
Before the man could finish, our own leader began ranting and ventilating ,using unprintable words against me.
And I asked myself: What exactly is my crime?
Is community service now an offense?
Is conviction now arrogance?
I have never declared myself a leader. I am merely a convener- someone committed to coordinating, mobilizing, and sustaining momentum. I respect all our elders and leaders. Yet, when humility is mistaken for weakness, truth must be spoken.
We all recall how a respected former Senator of Ogoja extraction rejected an invitation letter to a public hearing, saying he had “never been so disrespected.”
How is it disrespectful to share an official invitation to a National Assembly hearing meant to advance our cause?
Or is it when we almost lost our opportunity to put an appearance in Ikot Ekpene because some insisted we should not go – only for outsiders to speak for us when we got there?
I have been insulted, misrepresented, and falsely maligned.
But I have never lied about who I am or what I represent.
I am a qualified teacher and a professional with training across Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, Conflict Resolution, and Peace Building, with degrees and fellowships to match:
B.Sc., M.Sc., MSW, M.Ed., M.Sc., Ph.D., CWPC (UK), CM (UK), FICMC, FAPNM, FIMC, MIMC, CMC, among others.
I have a job.
I earn a salary.
I have a family, a beautiful one.
I live honestly.
If these are my crimes, then I plead guilty.
Yes, I once ran for Governor – three times, actually, and failed.
But I have never blamed anyone for my failure. Instead, I turned it into service. I am using my experience to inspire our younger ones not to repeat my mistakes and to remind them that failure is not finalistic
If my refusal to quit has offended anyone, then perhaps I should resign as convener – so that the agitation can return to silence and complacency.
The agitation is not about me or you but all of us
I have no ambition
I feel like quitting
But I won’t.
Because Ogoja State is bigger than any individual.
It is a dream that deserves defenders propelled by commitment,not deserters who ab initio,were unwilling converts to the cause .
I may have retired from “failure,” but I have not retired from faith.
And as long as I breathe, I will continue to speak, work, and hope for Ogoja State’s materialization.
No apologies!
We have come to now realization that much as we are amongst the 4 top states on the list , in short , we are topmost with universal acceptance from the National Assembly joint committee
And if the Hon Prof Julios Ihonvbere CON Political Scientist , teacher and Leader of the House of Representatives (Edo State )chairman House of Representatives Select committee and Sen Tahir Mongunu (Bornu State ) lawyer, politician , Senate Chief Whip and Senate select committee chair on state creation submits their report in 7 days and we are not captured then it’s over
If you know any of the aforementioned, have ever interacted with them , schooled with them, served with them or done business with them or even if you had served them in secondary school, was in college or university with them , had been a cook or steward , been a driver or bodyguard and you are an ogoja man , with ogoja blood running in you or married to an ogoja spouse
Put a call to them now and make this humble appeal that
We are the oldest province in Nigeria not yet to be made a state ( what an injustice )
Pa Zik former President of Nigeria on the 16th of November 1995 before my humble self and members of OYM made a dying wish for the cresting of Ogoja state can we honor him. Can we honor our heroes past
We as a people ,want to also be like our Ebonyi State, Akwa Ibom State Bayelsa and Nassarawa State to mention a few
State Communities that ordinarily won’t have believed Ogoja state is yet to acquire the status of a state
Is it a crime to be a humble people ?
We were used as gateway during the civil war and abandoned till now,with no monument till now as show of love to the Gakem people of the would to be created Ogoja State
Do you know
We are viable
We have land mass
We have population
We are economically viable
We are extremely hard working
Most of all ,we are determined to accept the status of a state as a people and live in peace ,all of us from the nine local governments that have agreed to stay as one
And our enemies of progress from old ogoja province will become excited and start celebrating
Because for them , we the present agitators will limit their records
Let the truth be told , we are not competing and this time , we will name them
And If Ogoja state is captured like it will ,they will start planning to run for office and start justifying it with old monies and questionable wealth
If they know what Gods plans are for the Ogoja State government,they will stop all this fake strategy and support the agitation now with all their hearts and souls
And if they don’t and we loose it , even God will not forgive us
Respectfully,
Papa D C Enamhe Papa Ukperi -1
Convener, Ogoja State Movement(#thefailurethatrefusedtofail writing from Atibulum hills in Gakem, Bekwarra LGA where the first gunshot was fired during the civil war and abandoned)
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