Efio-Ita Nyok|3 May 2016|6:44am
On the 27th of April 2016 around 11:40pm in the attempt to suggest that a railway would be preferable to a 260km dual carriage superhighway, one Peter Agbor, presumably of Boki ethnicity, couldn't help but vent this statement: 'Will it not be better for Cross River State to have a Super Railway than a Super Highway?. Railway is development centric. You can ship goods from Northern Cross River to Calabar, to feed our lazy efik brothers. It doesnt destroy the forest, people can move cheaply, it can be completed in phases. low cost to maintain, and far cheaper'. The key sentence there is 'You can ship goods from Northern Cross River to Calabar, to feed our lazy Efik brothers'. The said post has gone viral with over five hundred (500) comments and over one hundred and thirty (130) 'likes' or similar type reactions.
A cross section of the comments has it that there are those who concur with Agbor's hate speech surprisingly, while others bluntly disagree understandably. From a perspective, the former are largely Cross Riverians from northern and central Cross River State, while the later are largely from southern Cross River State. This doesn't wish away the fact that there are exceptions.
For Peter Agbor, the reason why he holds that the Efik are lazy is because Donald Duke, a former Governor of Cross River (1999-2007) referred to them as looking for stress free opportunities in life; secondly, the Efik allowed neighbouring Akwa Ibom State to collect the 76 Oil Wells under the Sen. Liyel Imoke’s State administration; and finally, they allowed Cameroon to collect oil rich Bakassi Peninsula during the Obasanjo/Duke administration.
There have been a handful of mixed comments on both sides. For instance, one Offem Usani concurs that, 'He is right. These efik people are really to lazy. If not so, Calabar will have been one of the states to compete with Lagos state in commerce, industry, and infrastructure. But they are only consumers. The need deliverance from lazity'. Again, Edgar Obim in a concurring tone opine thus, 'I just can't think of any City or Village in the World like Calabar where the Efiks dumb garbage on the streets. People live side by side with rats, margots, Flies and every Dieseases causing Microorganism'. For Tom Yammoszeh Ob, 'Most of the so acclaimed Efiks arguing this fact are Akwa Ibom People! The Atam sold their garri and yam to the Efiks, because the Efiks were lazy, and could nt used their land for production to sign the laziness we talk about. Lazily, the Efiks are so backward in sending their children to acquire formal education, while lazily pushed their servants(Akwabomites)) to school. The whites settled in Calabar, agreed, but 85% houses in Calabar are owned by Akwa Ibom people, 10% houses owned by Atam and others, while only 5% houses are owned by Efiks if actually they exist. This got worst to the point where the Efiks are totally wiped out from Calabar South and Akpabio LGAs, and lazily turned beggars to Akwabomites, who inturned sold land to the rightful owners! Hearing the name Atam, would inform you of the word 'Hardworking' but hearing EFik would inform of 'Esau and Laziness'. Calabar came before Lagos, what happened to the First(Calabar)? Why are the people so backward than Yobe State? Why are the people disappeared on their land called first capital of Nigeria and their land occupied by nonindigenes? Why Lagos is one million times better, developed more than the place the whites first settled in Nigeria? Efiks wake up from your slumberry acts and accept the fact Nigerians see on ur faces!
However, one Arthur Offiong disagrees with Peter Agbor and his hate-filled sympathisers as he contended that, 'when I first saw your post I said it must be great news, but on a closer look, I think you really are a 'confused gentleman'. why try to make a reasonable point by causing further disintegration. I pray for you that in the time of need, the very Efiks you are speaking negatively of shall save you. May I also remind you that it was an Efik man who gave this state a vision until clueless leadership emerged. An Efik man will still put it back to shape. Trust me on this. Efik men may be lazy farmers in your view, but we are not lazy thinkers. Thinkers always lead laborers!'. One Eme Awatt charged against Agbor thus, 'Help!!!!!! We have a Psychiatric person in the house! Agent of division! Sent from the pit of hell to tear the peace loving people of Cross River State! Help!!! This man should be arrested and have his head examined! Heeeeeelp!!!!!!!!!! A mad man is let loose! I bind and cast this demon in Jesus name! Go and tell them that you have failed! Is there no adult in his neighborhood? A goat is giving birth on tether and they are quiet/watching!'. One Eze Obeten frowned against Agbor and co in the following words, 'What is the problem with us Crossriverians? y would u call our Effik brothers who are waiting to buy from you what you brought with their money. I thought the food was going to be supplied without money. since they have their cash and u are coming to them, then you are the one who needed their money'. For Tendo David-Eroma it is, 'large heart sees no broda,no enemy. Platforms lyk dis should be used wisely, i.e. discussing d way forward for our dear CRS.They are no lazy Cross Riverians-we all have our own uniqueness n importance.There's no 'ATAM' Man who is not proud of having Calabar(Efiks)as brodas; dis also implies to Efiks,concerning Atams. Super highway, Railway, these are developmntal projects dat will b very beneficial to d state. We need both'. Ochiche Joseph rationalised the lack of large scale farming in Southern Cross River State thus, 'a man from the Niger-Delta region does not have arable land for large scale farming compared to the north, dt does not make him lazy. The same thing applicable here, Efik people from crossriver south might not have fertile land for commercial farming, but that does not mean they are lazy. They are industrious in their own way. Agbor, ur idea is welcome, but ur statement has made it sentimental and controversial.
Donald Victor Ojo chided Agbor and his like thus, 'Na jealousy go kill una.. I tot u said they efiks are lazy so Hw did their parents get d property they kept for their children while ur hardworking parents left u yams n garri.. If u guys were so hard working y didn't d white settle first in ur region?? Y didn't ur region become d first capital of Nigeria?? Bcoz d efik pple buy's ur yam n gari dats y u call dem lazy, don't wori very soon u guys will eat ur garri n yam alone( d efiks will get their garri n yam from elsewhere once d superhighway is completed.. Com to think of it, apart from d yam n garri, what else does atam hv?? Local atam pple DAT will shit everywhere in ur compound n use fire wood to Cook inside d houz'.
Albeit, one John Offiong drove home the point that the Efik weren't lazy as opined by Peter Agbor in his 'THE MANY FIRSTS OF THE EFIKS'. Offiong outlined 30 points to corroborate his assertion. And they are:
1) Hope Waddell Secondary School, Calabar was the first Secondary School in the east of the Niger and was established by the Presbyterian Church in 1895. It was named after the Rev. Hope Masterton Waddell who was then a vibrant Presbyterian missionary.
2) The Efik language was the first African language in Print in Africa beginning in 1862.
3) The very first complete translation of the Bible into a Nigerian language is the Efik language.
4) King Archibong III was in 1878 Nigeria's very first Justice of Peace (JP)
5) The coronation of the King Archibong III (Edem Asibong Ekpo Efiom Okoho Efiom Ekpo ….) on September 6, 1878, marked the very first Royal Church Coronation in Nigeria’s and West Africa’s religious histories. He was also the first king to be coronated wearing an entire regalia sent by the Queen.
6) Louis Orok Edet was the first indigenous Nigerian Inspector General of Police.
7) Established in 1938 the West African People’s Institute in Calabar is Nigeria’s first private secondary school.
8) The late Chief Mrs. Margaret Ekpo was one of Nigeria’s foremost women-rights activists and major participant during the Aba Market Women Riot in 1929, believed to have been remotely inspired by the Calabar Market Women Revolt of 1925.
9) The late Chief Dr. Bassey James Ikpeme was the first indigenous Surgeon General of Nigeria.
10)The late Chief Mrs. Ekanem Bassey Ikpeme was the first female pharmacist in West Africa.
11) The very first games of Football, Cricket and Hockey were played in Calabar.
12) Professor Lawrence Eyo Ita was the first indigenous Nigerian professor and first premier of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria.
13) The late Hogan “Kid” Bassey was the first Nigerian to win the world feather-weight boxing title.
14) The late Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo-Ita was the first Nigerian to represent Africa in FIFA.
15) Former Governor Donald Duke was the first ever Governor in Nigeria to initiate the first global carnival in Nigeria.
16) Mrs. Cecilia Ekpenyong, an Efik woman was the first and only female deputy governor of Cross River State.
17) The first photographic studio in West Africa was established in Calabar in 1876.
18) Willy Eyo Honesty I was the first person in West Africa to compile a dictionary of an African language in 1812.
19) The first medical college and the first School of Pharmacy in Nigeria began in Calabar.
20) The first church wedding in Nigeria was held in Creek Town Presbyterian Church on April 15, 1850.
21) Also, the late Chief [Dr.] James Ene Richard Henshaw was Nigeria’s foremost literary artist, and the late Hon Richard Henshaw the first indigenous member of legislature in Lord Lugard’s administration.
22) Chief Mrs. Ekei Esien Oku was the first female librarian in West Africa.
23) The late Chief Afiong E. Idem Ekeng was the first female Ophthalmic Optician in Nigeria.
24) The late Lawyer Ekpo Anwan was the very first certified indigenous Nigerian lawyer under British rule.
25) Dr. Lawrence Ekeng Richard Henshaw was the first director of medical services in West Africa.
26.) The first Roman Catholic Mass in Cross River State was celebrated at No. 19 Bocco street in 1903 and was facilitated by Etinyin Essien Etim Offiong who personally wrote to Pope Leo who immediately responded and sent priests to Calabar.
27.) Sen. (Dr.) Chief Mrs. Florence Ita Giwa is the first female from Cross River state to serve at the National Assembly.
28.) Dr. Donald ETIM Duke, an EFIK man remains the best governor Cross River State has ever had since its creation.
29.) Dr. Donald ETIM Duke is the first and ONLY Cross Riverian to ever contest a Presidential election in history.
30.) Dr. Donald ETIM Duke, a proud son of Efik Land remains arguably the BEST governor Nigeria has ever had'. Offiong did not fail to warn against any attempt to undermine the Efik with the following phrases, 'EFIKS are not lazy and have never been. And as you can see, have always been at the forefront of Nigeria's development. Stop the stereotypes and the prejudice against the Efik.
IT WILL NOT WORK'.
There have been an outright condemnation of Peter Agbor's hate speech. In fact, some have even called for an apology from Agbor.
But come to think of it, could Peter Agbor and his teeming followers be right? Or, are they wrong? If an individual or a group of people do not farm, does it immediately translate to mean that such a person(s) are indolent? Is farming now a yardstick for measuring hard work? If the response is in the affirmative, then according to which school of thought? If the Efik are lazy, then how do they buy from the hardworking Cross Riverians from the north or central senatorial district? Do they steal the money with which they purchase goods and services from their fellow Cross Riverians? Are the Efik generally looking malnourished such that one could justifiably conclude that they don't feed well because they don't have enough money to purchase food from the 'north' or 'central'? Peter Agbor and his army of supporters should address themselves to these questions.
In the attempt to rationalise what Agbor and his hate-filled cohorts refer to laziness, one London-based Cross Riverian of Efik origin explained that the Efik are not indolent but rather not competitive. In his words, 'we aren't lazy but complacent, laid back, lackadaisical and unwilling to be competitive, always looking for easy options'. He added further, 'let's not join the bandwagon of attacks. A wise man said "don't get bitter, get better"…We should use this as a wake up call to look introspectively and challenge ourselves to be better instead of making Peter Agbor a celebrity on Facebook'. Do you agree with Duke's assessment?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
