Response from Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals

Response from Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals

Mr. Anietie Ekong: When a Man’s Past Haunts His Pen

Anietie Ekong

It is often said that a man cannot escape his own shadow. And in the case of Mr. Anietie Ekong, Media Aide to the Senate President, the shadow of his past indiscretions appears far longer than the essays he struggles to scribble on Facebook. His recent article, “Choose You Whom You Shall Serve”, stands not only as a testament to idle mischief but also as an indictment on his character, a character already smeared by the stench of past negligence that once cost him his office.

Let us be clear: Akwa Ibom State is fortunate today to have a Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who preaches and practices peace, inclusivity, and respect for elders across political divides. He has consistently said, “I will never ask anyone to insult our leaders, and anyone who does so, does so at his own peril.” Yet, Mr. Ekong, in his desperate bid to sound relevant, has taken to Facebook to pit elders against one another, fan embers of division, and insult the very spirit of inclusivity that the Governor has instituted. What exactly is his mission? To ignite a war where peace reigns? To prove himself more Catholic than the Pope? Or is this simply a job application disguised as political commentary, hoping that some appointees may be sacked so he can creep into their offices?

For the record, Governor Umo Eno has made it abundantly clear: his administration is one of inclusivity, not division. He has welcomed all Akwa Ibom sons and daughters across PDP, APC, and beyond into his fold of governance. Even the Senate President, Mr. Ekong’s own boss, has publicly demonstrated this inclusiveness, inviting the PDP State Chairman to share the stage during an APC function in his enclave. If Akpabio himself embraces unity, why then does his aide preach disunity? Does Mr. Ekong now claim to understand loyalty more than his master?

Perhaps the most laughable portion of his piece is his gossip-laden claim that unnamed appointees boasted that “Governor Umo Eno cannot do jack” and that he is “too weak.” Mr. Ekong, with all due respect, where are your facts? Who are these phantom appointees? Name them, if you dare. Otherwise, your article is nothing but kitchen-table gossip unworthy of a man who once occupied a public communications desk. If a man will write like a market gossip, should he still be called a journalist?

And how ironic that Mr. Ekong whose own career once suffered a spectacular fall from grace after his careless handling of the infamous “Ghana Must Go” photo saga now dares to lecture anyone about loyalty or competence. Have we all forgotten how his negligence embarrassed his principal during the days of the Niger Delta Ministry, when images of a suspicious bag under his media watch caused national ridicule? Was that not why he was unceremoniously relieved of his duties and replaced in 2021? A man who lost his seat for careless media conduct should be the last to speak on loyalty and responsibility. Or is he hoping that the public suffers from collective amnesia?

Let us also remind Mr. Ekong that Akwa Ibom people are not fools. We know when a man writes from the heart and when he writes from hunger. His essay reeks not of conviction but of desperation, the desperation of a man who has been out of reckoning for too long and now seeks to trade division for relevance. If he claims to love Governor Umo Eno more than the Governor’s own aides, then why does he fight against the Governor’s philosophy of peace? Why does he contradict the Governor’s open-handedness? Unless, of course, he believes the Governor was wrong to say “my government is for all Akwa Ibomites, irrespective of party.” Is that what he means?

Rhetorically, we must ask:

Since when did taking a selfie with a former Governor become treasonable?

If showing respect to a political father is now a crime, then what shall we call the Senate President’s public embrace of PDP leaders at APC functions?

If inclusivity is weakness, then what exactly is strength, hatred and division?

In the end, the tragedy of Mr. Ekong’s essay is not just that it was written, but that it was written by someone who ought to know better. Instead of supporting the Governor’s ARISE Agenda, instead of amplifying unity, he chose the low road of mischief. Instead of bridging divides, he seeks to widen them. Instead of addressing substance, he paddles gossip.

To Mr. Ekong we say: Akwa Ibom has moved on. The Governor has moved on. Even your principal, the Senate President, has moved on in the spirit of inclusivity. It is only you who remain chained to the bitterness of the past, scribbling division on Facebook while the rest of us are building the future.

History has already judged your credibility. Don’t let your pen bury it deeper.

Signed
Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals