Victor Antai: Oron Man With A Unification Dream

By Innocent Anaba    

The Oron people are known for their disposition of speaking the language of oneness amongst themselves.

Their unity as a people is intense; they are always united for a purpose rather than being separated.

The strength and togetherness of the people of Oron Nation had given them a voice and opened the people to deep participation in nation building especially their contribution to the growth and development of Akwa Ibom State.

In recent times the bond of that oneness was seemingly broken, they hardly could present a common front in any issues concerning the people especially in politics. The inconsistency has since eroded their relevance in the scheme of things. They have been perpetually sidelined politically almost to irrelevance.

The people of Oron Nation have attempted to retrace their steps and seek direction by re-injecting fresh energy in rebuilding their integrity that has always stood them out. Their backward strides had reduced them to only taking the crumbs which as usual only benefits a few persons who have selfishly perpetuated themselves in the system through betrayal of the common cause.

Recently it seems a wave of reawakening is blowing across the entire Oron Nation. With the appointment of Sir Victor Antai as the Executive Director Project, at Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, there is a new sense of consciousness that is driving a rethink process, a reflection of who they really are and a determination to take their destiny by their hand.

They are now listening to themselves again and there is every reason for the revival amongst the Oron people who had been deceived consistently by successive governments in the state.

Even though in the build-up to the 2015 governorship election that presented the best opportunity for an Oron man to emerge as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, there were dissenting voices, there was fracture in the supposed unity of the people and that circumstance cost Oron Nation the opportunity of producing the Governor in that year, and the rest is history.

As painful as the experience was, they seem to have forgiven themselves for their folly and are moving forward to become a more united people.

The newfound unity which is across party line is seeking to align with a platform that will benefit the entire Oron Nation.

The Oron people have cried to no avail to draw the attention of the government in power in the state to the deplorable state of the only road linking Uyo the capital city to the five local government areas in the Oron-speaking area of Akwa Ibom State

The construction of the road was one of the major demands put forward by chiefs, elders, youth and the clergy when the NDDC Executive Director Project, Sir Victor Antai, feted key stakeholders and the traditional institution as part of his programme of giving back to the society.

There is no doubt that great leaders will use meaningful engagement, shared values and mutual understanding to bring people together. Sir Antai is in the mould of an emerging leader from Oron extraction who has the capacity and has consistently expressed the willingness to improve the lot of the people.

At the occasion of his interaction and a thank-you visit to the Council of Oron Traditional Rulers, COTR, Sir Antai pleaded with true sons and daughters of Oro Nation to retrace their steps and return to their ancestry with a view to finding out why Oro has remained backward in the midst of wealth.

While expressing gratitude to the traditional rulers for always praying for his success, the NDDC Executive Director, said the story will be different this time in Oro Nation.

Sir Anatai, who is also a former Chairman of the Mbo Local Government Council, a two-term Commissioner in the State Executive Council, appealed to the royal fathers to encourage peaceful co-existence and desist from the culture of resisting genuine politicians that promise to bring development to the people.

He stressed that the traditional fathers should not bequeath a land filled with challenges and difficulties to the younger generation and the ones yet unborn, noting that the solution to Oron’s many problems lies with the Council of Chiefs.

The leadership of COTR, through the Secretary of the council who doubles as the village head of Edok Oruko in Urue Offong/Oruko LGA, His Highness, Offong Etim Oquong, had expressed their gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and the President of the 10th Nigeria Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, for finding an illustrious son of Oron worthy of being appointed as the Executive Director Projects, NDDC.

The natural rulers specially appreciated Sir Antai, a Knight of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, for always having the interest of Oron Nation at heart at every position he finds himself. He was singled out for his perpetual trait of not disappointing the trust that the COTR have built in him over the years.

On the strength of a very successful interface with the traditional institutions and major stakeholders within the Oron Community, the charismatic NDDC executive director also extended his reach to the entire youths of Oron extraction as part of his activities to celebrate the festive period and unite the people.

While expressing gratitude to the young people for support over the years, Sir Antai expressed appreciation for their encouragement and solidarity in all his political aspirations. He particularly thanked them for taking a stand in the last general elections for supporting his candidature and the All Progressives Congress APC, despite the huge enticements from the opposition parties.

Rating the outcome of the last elections, Antai congratulated members of APC for staying on course, even as he assured them of an unmatched capacity in further elections.

He appealed to the entire youth of the Oron Nation across party lines to support the administration of President Tinubu and President of the 10th Senate, Sen Godswill Akpabio, in their service to the nation.

The youth leaders drawn from the five local government areas that made up the Oron Nation appreciated Sir Victor Antai for always remembering his home and the youth and promised that they will always stand by him in his political endeavours.

As a crowning glory in appreciation of God’s mercy on the people of Oron nation, at the instance of Sir Victor Antai, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN also gathered to pray for the rejuvenation of the entire Oron Community.

The prayer meeting was in commemoration of the 2024 Redemption March, an interdenominational Christian renewal program founded and facilitated by Rt Hon Victor Antai, which holds every first day of the New Year with the motive of marching around Oron while rededicating it to God.

•Anaba writes from Lagos