28 April 2019
Weeks ago, I stated that I wasn’t going to be commenting on social or political issues emanating for my state for personal reasons. When I visited Calabar last weekend, a number of people I ran into, advised that I rethink and rescind such a decision if not for anything; for the sake of posterity. I’m still mulling over their advice. Maybe I’ll come back after some time. Maybe I’ll change my style and be less frontal and more circumspect… maybe just maybe…
The above subject matter has informed my bending the rule and coming out of self-imposed retirement. I am from Obudu and since I started visiting Calabar under Ayade’s Governorship, there has been some palpable amount of resentment in the air against anything Obudu- I always do my best to keep my head above ethnic waters but there always comes that time when one no matter how conservative or centrist he/she is, would have to identify with his/her people. There is a need for the those behind this campaign of calumny and hate, to stop maligning the Obudu people.
I was triggered to come up with this after reading an article, written yesterday or thereabouts by one Bruno Bassey(fake name I guess) which he titled “RESENTMENT AS OBUDU MAFIA SUBVERTS DUE PROCESS TO CLINCH CRUTECH VICE CHANCELLORSHIP”.
This article was filled with conjectures and falsehoods about the process and the person. From the best of my knowledge, the process to select the next Vice Chancellor of the Cross River University of Technology is in line with the dictates of the institution’s governing body’s constitution. Secondly, Professor Emmanuel Ingwu who is strongly being linked to the position, is eminently qualified and prepared to hold the office.
If elected, he’ll be the first Professor of Education to become Vice Chancellor in either of Unical or Crutech. I know a bit about his antecedents- he was among those who primed the College of Education Akamkpa to be seamlessly integrated into CRUTECH and has nurtured so many great minds from within and outside the state over the decades. He is academically and administratively sound and would be a round peg in a round hole if selected/elected as Vice Chancellor of the Cross River University of Technology.
On that note, I advise propagandists to stop stoking up the flames by spreading ethnically charged fake news. They should just sit back and trust CRUTECH’s governing council to do its job properly as it has always done in the past.
©️ Simon Utsu
