Efio-Ita Nyok|27 April 2016|6:13am
The latest in the ongoing scuffle transpiring between Governor Ben Ayade and fellow Obudu kinsman, Barr. Venatius Ikem has it that the later took to his social media account yesterday night to express his mind to 'a silent majority' as well as his 'traducers'. This silent majority, according to Ikem, are those who through their respective individual social media accounts have refused to join issues with anyone on the ongoing brouhaha between himself and Ayade —they neither comment, react or even like any post concerning the tussle.
He titles the yester-night's Facebook post, The Silent Majority. Barr. Ikem seem to express profound faith in social media as a redemptive force if employed correctly. In his words, 'Not everyone feels motivated enough to join issues of a public nature even in this globalised world of liberal and citizen journalism. I won't say much but just to say I appreciate those silent people who just read and either say nothing out of fear of repercussions or out of nonchalance because they don't stand to benefit from expressing an opinion or just 'like' if they want to at all'. In his disappointment, he submitted, 'The truth remains immutable', implying that whether they wade into the matter by expressing their opinions, the truth can not be undermined. Thus, in misjudging the passiveness of this 'silent majority', his traducers, chief among which is the governor, 'Too often…take the silent majority of our people for granted'.
The much-embattled Ikem then redirected his mind to Governor Ayade, with whom he directly has a grouse. According to him,' Indeed I appreciate my traducers even more because the saviour said pray for those who persecute you. They sharpen my awareness of how much we need to change because most of the agents who bear the message are in more desperate need for salvation and liberation from their masters. How sad!'.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further went on to observe that, 'The History of man's political struggles have never started as populist in the best of times but of sacrifice. Not a few South Africans lost hope in the Mandiba's struggle of several decades for a liberated South Africa based on universal suffrage. Or MLK's or Ghandi's. We take solace in the fact that at the end a lot of people came to understand the difference. And that made man's History different'. Ikem seems to be saying that he is making profound sacrifices to redeem his state. His constant running away from his state and probably from his country, and the discomfort experienced, etc.
Finally, Venatius Ikem makes what I will describe as quite a disturbing note especially considering the fact that one can't tell to whom he was referring to —his perceived 'silent majority' or his traducers chief among which is Gov. Ayade? In this clause, he confessed to his human nature of not being perfect, explains how is striving towards that and finally apologises. But, the question is, apologies are to whom? Read what he really said,
'I am not a saint but as a Christian, Sainthood remains my ultimate aspiration, sinful as I am and as I was born. By all means, forgive my sins if you can if you appreciate that we travel the same road. Tolerate me at the very worst. I am only human'.
Is Ikem indirectly confessing to his culpability in the sin of betraying his brother, Ayade? To whom does he say, 'forgive my sins', 'tolerate me at the very worst', 'I am only human' or '…pray for me'!?
Is the former Commissioner for Works, broken? Is he becoming sorry, feeling apologetic? Is he loosing his wits to continue holding on, to be consistent in making the sacrifices?
While these may not be questions that have easy answers, my conviction is that 'time will tell'.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
This gibberish is in no way a plea for forgiveness, in the first instance, a self-acclaimed saint who is claiming to be fighting for the freedom of his people does not believe he has wronged anyone and as such does not believe he deserves forgiveness.
The self-embattled man calls a celebrated Governor 'His Traducer'! Hilarious!! Was it the Governor that cost him his appointment as a Commissioner? when it was the same Governor that pleaded to have him appoin ted as a commissioner under the then Governor Imoke!
Is he not more, a traducer, who begrudgingly attempts to murder a brother-in-law to a kind man who was his saving grace!? Is He not the worst of traducers who amidst the overwhelming goodwill bestriding the Governor, attempts at all cost to mud-sling at him?
Is he not in himself a failed traducer who boasts of so much good and of so much knowledge of the delivery of good and yet runs from his own sins to hide from even himself?
Is he not ashamed in his shame? Is he not a shame that loses face at every point of his glory? Is he not a fool that loses all grace and lives on the grass, that falls from fame to shame in a sec?
An antagonist of all that is good. It has been said that for some…….the gods first make mad!