By Ndifreke Ekanem
Several concerns have been raised,following a Facebook post by the member representing the good people of Itu/Ibiono federal constituency at the National Assembly, which was subsequently shared on social media platforms on Saturday 10th February, 2018,were he posted on his Facebook wall that the youths should push the elders away from political participation.
” youth please think. Stand with your performing MP and push out those who feel that they must contest all election. Let’s push out those that feel that it must always be them. And you elders,don’t you have sons and daughters who are worthy or who will be worthy?do not mortgage your children’s future. Stand with truth,justice ,fairness and equity” Dr. Archibong
This type of a social media post by one who is representing the interest of ITU/Ibiono Federal constituency is viewed by many as provocative and an incitement of conflicts between the youths and elders in Itu/ Ibiono Federal constituency and the state at large.
One wonders what moral justification does Hon. Henry Archibong have to address the concerns of the youths, when he himself is sitting on the progress of the youths as an old man. At 52years, is the member Representing Itu/Ibiono Federal constituency,Hon. Henry Archibong a youth?. This is a very mischievous act taken by one who knows he has nothing to offer the people,that is why he is resorting to cheap political antics to whip the sympathy of some uninformed people, but the youths and elders of the federal constituency are wise now.
To further display his ignorance in the public, he went on to play the age card by insinuating that the youths should not sell their opportunity to people who are in their 50s,and that they have opportunity to become leaders of tommorow ”
” Besides youths of Itu Ibiono una no want be leaders of tomorrow? Your opportunity comes when I’m gone in 2023″. But to some people,this is the dumbest thing anybody could say, one who is not a youth himself.
I think if Henry Archibong was really concerned about the youths becoming the leaders of tommorow, he wont be contemplating seeking a second term in office, rather would be going around the federal constituency in search of a youth to take over from him in 2019,instead of asking the youths to wait for their turn in 2023.
Is this not selfishness and hypocrisy?
The youths of Itu/Ibiono Federal constituency are not the concerns of Dr. Henry Archibong, he is only looking for political antics to cover up his bad performance as a lawmaker, which has become very obvious for people to see,hence the call on him not to seek a second term,because his tenure though to expire in 2019, has been a waste to the people of the federal constituency,and is termed ineffective representation.
Talking about the issue of justice, fairness and equity,anybody who was a project of zoning like Henry Archibong should not even wait for people to tell him that as far as zoning is concerned,it is the turn of Ibiono Ibom to produce the next House of Representative member for the Federal constituency, since he is currently completing the tenure of the former member,late Hon. Kenneth Archibong, who he took over from.
How many constituency projects has Henry Archibong attracted to the Federal constituency?
Did the people vote for him in partnership with people?
Since he got into the House of Representative, all Dr. Henry Archibong does is to fool the people,organize what he calls empowerment in partnership with companies,to loot funds and carry out his personal activities. The only visible thing he has done since the mandate of the people was in 2015 given to him,as the member representing ITU/Ibiono Federal constituency, is the massive residential house/ hospital he is building for himself at Ikot Akpanbia.
How can one describe a representative of the people, that has failed to represent the people, but only uses the mandate of the people to represent himself. Dr. Henry Archibong can afford to build a mansion for himself,but can not build a good civic centre for his constituents or carry out any human capital development,instead anytime he talks about anything empowerment,it has to be in partnership with others. Very sad.
Few days ago,he posted pictures of Keke ,motorcycles on Facebook,sharing it all over the place,that he had empowered the people and that pictures don’t tell lies,but am yet to see how many people are driving the said keke. Funny as it sounds, nobody made a comment and said,Sir thank you, am one of your beneficiaries . Imagine a federal lawmaker dropping a post on Facebook,and just manage to get ” 4likes or 4 comments. Is either Itu/Ibiono people are not on Facebook or he must be a very unpopular representative.
Last month he announced an empowerment program which took place on January 12, 2018 at Mbak Obio Itam,and people went out to see what their member of Parliament has brought for them,just to go there to meet a package of lies by Henry Archibong, in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC), Giohen Global concept Ltd,Villa De La Vie Consulting, in the name of skills acquisition and poverty Eradication.
His recent deception of the people, is his proposed ICT centre for the Federal constituency in his locality,which he just discovers is necessary, just as the election season is around the the corner, and he did not hesitate to put the site and few blocks at scene on the internet. Very funny. This is the first time he is linking up a project with the constituency without doing it in partnership. But wait, who knows if this his ICT centre scam is not in partnership with the National Directorate scheme, under the special Basic National Apprenticeship scheme,because everything concerning constituency empowerment he announces on internet,is always in partnership.
One thing Hon. Henry Archibong should know ,is that the people Itu/Ibiono Federal constituency that voted for him in 2015, do not want him to represent them again come 2019, and this is the reasoning of both the youths and elders of the area,who believes in fair play. So no amount of political mudslinging on the elders by Henry, will win him a second term,because zoning has been upheld by the party (PDP),zoning the constituency seat to Ibiono Ibom in 2019.
Let him enjoy the mansion he is building at Ikot Akpanabia on the votes of the people, without renovating or building even a low cost market block for the constituency. When people ask him about the new mansion, he will tell them that he is collecting loan to build it,and one wonders why he did not collect the loan to build such a massive edifice before going to the green chamber.
It is too childish for a man like Henry Archibong to go on social media to talk about age politics, instead of presenting his score card to the people to justify the people’s mandate he holds sway, knowing well that those he is trying to mudsling are still on the same age bracket with him. Dr. Henry Archibong who are you afraid of? A wasted vote of Itu/Ibiono Federal constituency.
