RE: ETHNIC ATTACK ON THE EFIKS BY THE PDP GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE IN CROSS RIVER STATE, CAN CROSS RIVER STATE SURVIVE A PROF. SANDY LEADERSHIP?
Our attention has been drawn to a write up with the above title written by one Ekpenyong Isaiah-isababa, who regards himself as Commander, Infantry Pen Battalion, and a video of Sen Sandy Onor, purported to have denigrated the Efiks, while responding to a question filed during an interactive session with the Efik Youths, under the auspices of the Progressive Southern Alliance.
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered about responding to his fictitious claims and write up which is capable of creating ethnic bigotry, unrest, chaos and social malady.
But for the purpose of putting the records straight and to strengthen the confidence reposed on our principal by both the Efiks and non-Efiks alike, as a build up to the governorship election that comes up few days from today, we make bold to state emphatically, that the allegation is false and has no correlation with what transpired during that interactive session.
The claim is a complete misrepresentation, and a misinformation of the response offered by our principal, Sen Sandy Onor, on why the central always contest for the position of University of Calabar Vice Chancellorship and governorship positions with the south.
Mr Ekpenyong Isaiah-Isababa probably was not in attendance during that said town hall meeting, else, he would have had a full knowledge of what transpired. A background check on the person of our principal and his contributions during his stay as the State Chairman of the National Centre Party and the enthronement of Mr Donald Duke, as governor of the state in 1999, on the basis of his competence, an Efik son against his Atam brother, clearly confirms his disposition to promote unity in the state.
While touring the 18 local government areas of the state, our principal was very vocal about promoting our commonalities that unite us other than the contemplating ethnicity that divides us.
The video in circulation on social media is an abridged video from the main video, with the malicious intent to dent the reputation of our principal, whose support and acceptance has become unwavering.
The writer’s intention not to publish the complete video for Cross Riverians to watch and understand what really transpired, can only be best explained by him.
For the records, the full video from which the purported anti-Efik video was extracted from, lasted for about 40-45 minutes and watching the video will give you full grasps of what Sen Sandy Onor said. We want to clarify that Sen Sandy Onor was only responding to a question “Why is the Central always opposing the South in the VC’ship elections and same thing transpired in the PDP primaries”, asked by a southern youth.
Our principal listed names of Southerners who have been Vice Chancellors, and spoke in the context of the question, and so should not be quoted out of context that he tried to incite ethnic hate.
We want to state unequivocally that at no time during that interactive session or any session that our principal made mention of the Efiks derogatorily or disrespectfully. Whoever claim so should provide such evidence.
The attached edited video shows our principal responding to the question where he mentioned the former Vice Chancellors of the University of Calabar, from Southern Senatorial District numbering 4 and mentioned that only Profs Kelvin Etta and James Epoke had occupied the position from central senatorial district, before the current Vice Chancellor, Prof Florence Obi. Our principal wondered why, it must always be the south.
We want to remind the public that when Donald Duke contested elections from the South, he was fully Supported by Sandy Onor, even though he had his own candidate in his then party from Atam, running for the same position. If Sen Sandy did not play ethnicity or was not anti-Efik then, is it now that he is on the ballot, campaigning in Efik land and looking for their votes that he will suddenly become an anti-Efik? If he is an anti-Efik as they claimed, he should not have chosen his deputy from amongst the Efiks.
It is no longer news that Sen Sandy Onor has insisted that the BACKtoSOUTH, mantra as theorized and widely advocated by some persons, is not healthy for our state, and that Cross Riverians should interrogate his past records on the basis of competence and support him to be governor of the state.
We call on the public to ignore the cheap blackmail against Sen Sandy Onor. If it were not a blackmail and a cheap way of trying to get sympathy for their candidate, they would have posted the full video of the said occasion. But why will they post when they know that Sen Sandy Onor is loved by the people including their own sons and daughters?
Cross Riverians should please go about their normal electioneering businesses without fear because Sen Sandy Onor, has once supported the south to be Governor of Cross River State and will not turn around to be anti-Efik now. Sen Sandy has convinced Cross Riverians to vote for him based on his double barreled experiences both in the Executive and Legislative arms of government, which puts out his competence as shown in his previous positions of assignment and the projects facilitated as spread across the Central Senatorial District, during his stay in the senate.
Let’s vote for a man that will not look us into the eyes and lie to us, someone with a clear vision for CRS, let’s vote Sen Prof Sandy Ojang Onor, let’s vote PDP, let’s vote the Umbrella, because CRS will truly survive and her lost glories returned, under the leadership of this seasoned administrator.
Caterpillar Movement Media
