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| Ephraim Inyang |
By Aniefiok Macaulay
A baseless write-up attributed to a fabled Barrister Effiong Samuel best fits for fiction in all its lamentable presentation.
The mere fact that the apprentice-authors of these "prayer request" write-up are not bold enough to wear their true identities but rather prefer to wear this mask of shame, is an affirmation to the fact that they want to paint fiction to become fact. All through Ikot Unya Village and even Mkpat Enin for that matter, there is no lawyer by name Barr. Effiong Samuel.
The faceless article passes easily as a futile effort to give the rejected ambition of Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen, an impossible acceptability, and they choose banal route to embark on this journey - of - no- return.
The Chief sponsor of the article, Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen is suddenly beginning to realize that character counts in public offices. Now that he is unable to turn back the hands of time, he wants to pour his dark tar on the decent and acceptable ambition of Rt. Hon. Ekong Sampson, a man of pedigree and high sense of responsibility already accepted as the next Senator of the district.
Which generation has Ephraim Inyang blessed? Is it those whose wealth he illegally amassed to himself or the property owners and estate valuers who are currently suing him for taking off chunks of their money for his own estates?
How is he an achiever? As a graduate who spent over 25 years in the Nigerian Customs Service and could not rise beyond the second rank of Superintendentof Customs? If indeed he is an achiever, how come all the complaints and media cries about poor execution of projects and non payment of compensations all stopped immediately Ephraim left office?
How come all the dual carriage roads in the State are now completed without stress during the post tenure of the loquacious Ikot Ebiere man?
If a man who was present at a meeting of Stakeholders of the senatorial district where it was confirmed that the Senate seat of the district should go to Ikot Abasi, yet comes out to lie that there is no such agreement, it exposés his character as a deceit who can never be trusted.
Despite the amount of public funds he amassed in the last seven years, what has Ephraim established to show he has capacity and passion for the young people, apart from personal estates ? Who, just who has he empowered?
Let those who learnt writing with quotes from Robert Nester Marley also find time to take a line from Lucky Dube that: "If you don't have something good to say about somebody, better shut up."
Since when did Ephraim Inyang-eyen become a capable hand, fit enough to represent sane and intelligent people like Eket Senatorial District? How can a man as ill-mannered as Ephraim be sent on a mission where responsible men will be gathered? Or did he not know that all those his acts of irresponsibility will hunt him? He has come face to face with reality, and should face his music rather than look for who to transfer his frustrations and failed wishful thinking on.
This is Ephraim Inyang-eyen who, as a Commissioner for Works reduced human beings to near animals, abusing power as if the state was under a junta. Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen deliberately punished people by refusing to pay them their compensations duly, but will rather leave behind tales of victimization and shoddy treatment of property owners. Till date some of his victims are yet to recover from the pains, while others died of hearts attack.
Ephraim Inyang-eyen as a Commissioner gave the State Government and the State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel massive embarrassment because of wild, untamed and corrupt disposition. He acted demigod until God clipped his wings. And now people are celebrating a failure, as a being bold and courageous. Let’s pause and ponder on the power raised. When exactly did the said Ephraim commenced being bold and courageous?
Was it in 2015 when he lost his footing in the Nigerian Customs Service and came back to Uyo without any known residential address, but had to hop from one low class guest house to another?
Was he bold during his seven years stints in the state executive council when he failed to discharge his responsibilities creditably.
Of course, there is no responsible political party that could have given Inyang-eyen its flag to contest for any political position apart from the political party famous in corruption.
If the supposed governorship candidate of the Young People's Party, YPP, Senator Bassey Albert could be immersed in and convicted for corruption by the court, then one should not be surprised that his corrupt ally, Inyang-eyen is made a flag-bearer. Of course, birds of a feather flock together. Corruption begets corruption.
But Inyang-eyen should know that a corrupt person can never speak for the responsible people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District. No matter his media trial and misplaced attack on the person of Rt Hon Ekong Sampson, he cannot erase his fractured image as those are merely damage control and image laundering l; Ephraim is irreversibly bad, and the current cosmetics presentation of his ugly character is an exercise in futility.
In a few weeks time, the twelve local government areas of Eket Senatorial District will go and elect Barrister Ekong Sampson to go and represent them effectively.
It is a lesson for Ephraim that next time, if ever, he has opportunity to serve people, he should not treat people as below humans. His fate serves him right. He should carry his heavy cross, and stop looking for who to share it with.
Macaulay writes from Ikot Ekop Village In Ukpum Minya Clan, Mkpat Enin.
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