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| L-R: Okoi Obono-Obla, Obasesam Okoi, Simon Utsu and Princewill Odidi |
Efio-Ita Nyok|2 July 2017
Six Cross Riverians, namely, Offem Lekam, Princewill Odidi, Simon Utsu, Obasesam Okoi, Ukorebi Ita, and Okoi Obono-Obla have aired their opinions on the Cross River-gate, that is, the security challenge rocking the entire state.
For instance, Calabar is becoming synonymous with cult gangs rivalry, Ogoja just acknowledged one, Ugep is now trending. These three cities are located in the southern, northern and central senatorial districts.
Offem Lekam…
‘I was carefully reading all the articles and contributors of the cult related activities in Ugep. Is actually sad, especially when the slain young man is my relative.
‘Let me simply put that, the manufacture of guns will not stop because some miscreants in Ugep decided to use it to take the life of their friends or relatives. The manufacture of airplane will not stop because a pilot somewhere in Spain clash with passengers on-board.
‘The manufacture of cars will not end because a reckless driver was unfortunate to die with the very car he spent millions of dollars to purchase. Should we destroy our monarchical institution that predates cultism because of criminals in our individual houses?
‘You can not ask God to destroy the world simply because some politicians in Nigeria embezzled public funds for their family usage, neither will you condemn a country President because some people decided to see killing and evil as their hobbies. That is the situation we found ourselves today. Except you want to blame God for creating a man, man is a free moral agent and should be hold responsible for his/her engagements.
‘You cannot destroy or ban the establishment of the church because some pastors uses the church to defraud her members and the society. This is a rejoinder in an inspiring and intellectual article authored by Queen Jessy on Cultism.
‘She is of my like-mind, I have taken this challenge to respond despite the controversy and degradation my opinion will serve the public. You can not stop a full grown man from belonging to an association of his choice as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
‘It is only madness, wickedness, illiteracy, and evil to be a member of an association that advocates for killing, rapping, stealing and terrorism. Those who are members of organizations that propagates evil should be dealt with accordingly. I will be part of the solemn assembly that will hold a protest rally against the activities of these miscreants.
‘You can not classify a noble organization registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as a cult group like some persons wants to mix-up or mistaken its modus operandi. Since the University is the dwelling place of the idea of cultism, should we also scrap the university system of education in Nigeria?
‘Or should we dissolve Nigeria as a country since some dubious and nonchalant youths have decided to kill for free without the fear of God? This rejoinder is begging for answers……..’
CULT CLASHES IN CROSS-RIVER; THE 3 SIDES OF THE COIN
—by Simon Utsu
‘Surprisingly in the last one year, Cross river has witnessed a spate of cult related clashes and killings- from the southern zone to the northern and just recently, the central. As the ugly situation unfolded, I observed with keen interest, the way opinion leaders and indigenes of the above listed zones reacted.
1. South: When cult clashes occurred in Calabar, I can’t remember coming across any serious reaction from top politicians from that zone, all I remember was the average Calabar resident turned it into a thing of play by even nicknaming the clashes “temple run”.
2. North: When cult clashes occurred in Obudu, all I can remember was the publisher of Cross River watch, Agba Jalingo reporting it passively- just as it happened. When it got to Ogoja/Yala axis last month and left the usual casualties in its wake, what I saw was a pacifist approach as Representative Agom Jarigbe appealed to warring factions and youth in his constituents to desist from cultism. Senator Rose Oko responded in a much less responsible manner when she said “such occurrences were also happening in other senatorial zones across the state” and weren’t peculiar to her’s.
3. Central: When Yakurr got its own dose of cult clashes and killings during the week, I observed that Yakurr sons and daughters came together to face it with a direct and intellectual approach. Whilst some of their opinion leaders have written expository essays outlining the root cause of cultism in their land, top APC chieftain and Federal adviser, Chief Obono-Obla who lost a nephew in the fracas, has vowed to lead an anti-cultism rally back home in August where he’ll expose the sponsors of these cult groups.
I’m very impressed with the head-on and intellectual approach of my Yakurr brothers/sisters. It’s very commendable and should be emulated by other senatorial districts in tackling critical issues’.
Ukorebi Ita
‘I entered Higher institution since 1987. From Prelim in Polycal, to school of Basic Studies, Akamkpa(Head of the Christian Community, that also witnessed the riot that ended SBS, which Cultism related), Then Unical(as a strong Student Leader), at the time when Unical was rated as the most notorious University in West Africa, I lack faith in those condemning cultism today becoz, in their hay days in School, they were really embroiled in it and is just finding out that this fire they were playing with, has become a conflagration they have found out, cannot quench and now in retrospect, have come to see the foolishness they had themselves entangled with.
‘I hear people staying at the background to encourage the conflagrations, while giving people the impression that they have left the nefarious groups, I don’t have faith in anyone attaining political relevance now and wanting to fight cultism because of doublespeak and patronage of this groups on the other hand by them.
‘I will always kneel and pray for them and I encourage you continue in praying for our sons and daughters, and I know prayers will work wonders towards degrading their capacity to cause violence’.
Obasesam Okoi
‘The young man who was murdered is my relative. I therefore stand with my brother Chief Obla to seek justice. But we cannot wait for a public rally to name and shame those politicians responsible for cultism in Ugep. I have written extensively about these evil men in our community. Some are past local government chairmen. Some are at the national assembly.
Some are at the state house of assembly. Some are commissioners in the state. I am not afraid of mentioning their names and will be calling them out in my subsequent essays’.
Okoi Obono-Obla
‘The brutal and cold blooded murder of my handsome nephew in a secret cult related violence in my home town, Ugep 29 June 2016 has aroused my consciousness on the need to wage a relentless campaign against this evil which have arrested our young people!
‘Towards this end a massive rally to protest , name and shame politicians that are behind these cult groups will hold in Ugep in August 2017!
‘A prominent politician from Yakurr LGA has been identified as the sponsor of the dreaded and deathly cult group operating in Ugep and Ekori! At the appropriate time his name shall be unveiled!’
Princewill Odidi
‘Cultism I think is an expression of power play in any organization, whether church, school or village. Cultism can be seen as an expression of power under different guise.
One of the eyesores of the Ben Ayade administration has been insecurity. It’s either cult gangs rivalry or communal crisis. One wonders whether the security vote of the state is in service of the greater good.
‘The difference today is that with breakdown of law and order, groups, in an effort to assert authority now carry and display guns unauthorized. With moral decadence prevalent in politics, it has crept into society as cultism, so the cult becomes the armed wing of the political parties. It all starts with the breakdown of law and order.
‘Cultism cannot be eliminated because it has become part of society. Our political elites themselves are cultist, who would do the bidding for them if cults are eliminated? To eliminate cultism is to restructure the power base and value orientation of society.
‘Cultism has always been there, it was more of a city thing, it is more pronounced now in villages because unemployment has pushed too many city young men to relocate to villages, and in an attempt to identify with power blocs in the locality, they identify with cult groups.
‘The biggest challenge to our national life as a people is the absence of law and order in our society. So long as that vacuum remains, someone or group of persons will always hijack it. All hope is not lost, we can fix Nigeria with the right political will’.
One of the eyesores of the Ben Ayade administration has been insecurity. It’s either cult gangs rivalry or communal crisis. One wonders whether the security vote of the state is in service of the greater good.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven
