A QUICK RESPONSE TO PST. ANDY AND OR TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I have read with nostalgia your stance in opposition to the declaration of the Fathers of Faith as it touches on the search for a successor to the present administration in Akwa Ibom State come 2023.
I am neither a pastor nor politician but my interest borders on issues that concern the generality of Akwa Ibom people and this is my locus standing on the subject.

A cursory look at the declaration by the Fathers of Faith (hereinafter abbreviated as FF) shows that they simply reechoed the position of the number one citizen of this state, HE Dcn. Udom Emmanuel. You can recall that sometimes in 2018 and in March 2020, HE proscribed some 33 Cult groups in the state with a legal foundation for his action. That stance marked the best and boldest milestone by any administration in the state to curb incessant clashes across the state by the clandestine groups and it did not sound novel to any well-meaning members of our society as the cult activities and their retrogressive effects on the wellbeing of the people cannot be overemphasized.

I have been privileged to stand as Guarantor to many candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions across the country and to others seeking employment in both organized private sector and in public service in Nigeria, and I can confirm that non-membership of a Cult group is a prerequisite for such admission or employment. I have waited patiently to have a petition against such admission/employment clauses, but till date, none has come forth. I therefore wonder why any person, by whatever disguise, should rise to challenge the pronouncement, or reechoing by the FF, over what has been considered as given.

Howbeit, your ingenious challenge to the FF on this subject matter smacks a tacit admission of your involvement in this unwholesome practice. As at the last check, I never saw your name as one of the hopeful Aspirants or a potential Aspirant to the coveted gubernatorial seat. How come that you, a MoG, or Son of Faith (SoF) by your semantics, are suddenly crying more than the bereaved? I didn’t hear the FF or the Governor move to disenfranchise anyone nor deny right of contest to any person or group of persons. It would have been proper for the affected persons or group of persons to jointly or separately attack the declaration and not to sponsor a protest from amongst the ranks of the clergies, whom, in my opinion would have tried to consolidate on the gains so far recorded by the proscription of Cult groups, to sustain the relative peace we are enjoying in the state, borne out of this proscription. I am aware that some of the groups proceeded to challenge their listing as Cult groups by the state, while others maintained silence, which in my opinion, tantamount to acquiescence.

Though I am not a member, but I know enough to know that this so called Cult groups are formations with hierarchy and structures and they meet regularly to address issues of common concern. If they could not challenge their profiling as dangerous Cult groups, nor could they challenge their denial of free entry to our organized institutions, why would they justifiably attempt to challenge their exclusion from the list of potential candidates for election to the number one seat of the state? This groups, to the best of my knowledge, are neither religious groups nor a charitable organisations as they sometimes claim. They cannot practice their art in the open and neither can they openly advertise and solicit support or acceptance from well-meaning members of the public.

The only platforms by which any citizen can contest election in Nigeria is by partisan politics or independent candidature. Nothing is mentioned about a clandestine, religious or charitable organisation sponsoring any candidates for election. It is therefore simply stating the obvious when HE, Dcn. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, and the FF emphasize that cult involvement should be automatic disqualification from indicating interest to contest.

This position is known to our laws as well as to our social values. To me, it will take the Aspirant the muscle to openly denounce or deny involvement in the proscribed groups. Yet none of them chooses this glorious approach.
Finally, Apostle Andy, both HE, the FF and indeed an average Akwa Ibom person say, enough of bloodletting politics. We welcome any genuinely repented cultist who considers self fit for service to our fatherland.

Udosen is a legal personality, writes in from Eket.