Akwa Ibom Christmas Village 2020 near hullabaloo
The Akwa Ibom Christmas Village has come with its sensation, risk, beauty, glamour; and now oppression, division, injustice, marginalization, unfair treatment and manipulations. In 2019, the Akwa Ibom State Government, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, inaugurated the hitherto Ibom Unity Park to a grandiosely decorated, well planned and managed Christmas Village to function between 1st Dec., 2019 and 30th Dec., 2019. The result was a huge success. I visited that Christmas Village twice with my family.
But 2020 Christmas Village is a different ballgame. It comes with a radical difference. It’s about 5times the size of the 2019, occupying about 75% of the land mass of the Unity Park. It’s flamboyantly decorated, although concentrated on only one wing of the three wings Christmas Village. And has more than one Performance Stages.
One wonder the utmost necessity of this year’s Xmas Village Celebration under the most touted COVID-19 situation. A simple observation shows that, there is no COVID 19 protocols observed therein. Despite the Fed. Govt ban on such, the Akwa Ibom State Govt blatantly ignored all sensibility for this self-serving Christmas Village.
However, my piece is not to justify the necessity or otherwise, but to unearth the malfeasant and masqueraded injustice, oppression, selectivity and unfair treatment meted to the majority of the kiosk owners.
According to inside sources, this year’s Christmas Village is divided into three wings and connotes Eket Senatorial Dist., Uyo Senatorial Dist, Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Dist Wings. The Eket Senatorial Dist Wing takes from the said main entrance of the Xmas Village along Udo Udoma Avenue to adjacent the AKBC. The said Uyo Senatorial District Wing spans through the back of the Unity Park as coming in from Two Lane and bounded by the Museum at the center of the Park.
The Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Dist Wing is demarcated from Uyo Sen. Dist. Wing by the major access road at the back of the park which is opposite Full Life Christian Center and is bounded by the other end of the park opposite the back fence of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Whether kiosks were allocated to individuals and corporate bodies base on Senatorial Dist of origin is a myriad of imagination, as inside checks revealed that the allocation is mixed to some extent. But the division must have been done for purpose of designing areas of preference. This opens up to the main issue.
Our inside sources insinuates that the single kiosk allocated to traders are up to 3000. Others, says 2000, some suggested 1500,etc. Some says corporate stands might be up to 50, each, paid about 400k. The single kiosk goes for 65k each from 90k earlier proposed by government.
But who will ascertain the true statistics of the kiosk. Does the Governor know, or the Accountant General or Auditor General, or even records at the Ministry.
How can they have accurate figure when many kiosks owners, mostly from the Oro Nation insinuates they paid money for their kiosks to a top-notch/wife of the Ministry by hand at their residence at Shelter Afrique Housing Estate, Uyo without a receipt or form to fill. Can this be true?. Who will believe the figure presented by journalist who might want to take the pains to count the kiosks.
Right thinking Akwa Ibomites sees this mindless adventure as myopic, not considering the health, security and economic challenges prevalent. Now, the did is done. It’s now Akwa Ibom matter. It’s internal revenue to govt, right?. Very good!
Reasonable to note that the majority of the kiosk owners either borrowed the money or collected loan from Micro Finance Bank to pay to govt yet, they’re short-changed from doing their businesses by those who have enough and to spare. Horrendous, isn’t it? That’s the way l’m going. Be patient.
The three wings of the Christmas Village have a very large empty field of about 25% of the entire land mass of the park at the center, ostensibly for cars to park. This would have allowed visitors to freely choose which wing or trader to patronize without coercion as seen this year.
The Christmas Village has many entry routes. This was exactly how it was last year. But all the access roads to the park are this year fiercely blocked the security/Protocols, including the Police. All visitors are retreated to go through the main entrance. The said main entrance, as it’s designed this year, terminates within the business hub of the Eket Senatorial Dist Wing. An area said to be occupied by a wife of a commissioner and cronies, and people connected to the officials of govt. Corruption, abi?
The masterminds of this heinous manipulations to frustrate about 80% of the traders in favour of a few well placed and opportuned cronies came up with a another strategies. They now shifted-in kiosks close to Udo Udoma Avenue and created VIP car park and other parks.
When you enter through the said main entrance the security stops you and direct you to the car park behind the cronies. When the space is filled-up they orders people to park their vehicle on the road of Udo Udoma Avenue just behind the target area. Those who came on invitation to patronize their people begged fruitlessly for passage and became frustrated. Note: It is not for security or COVID-19 protocols.
At Udo Udoma Avenue where they ordered people to park their vehicles and trek in through the Eket Sen. Wing of the Christmas Village to Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Sen. Wing takes a visitor about 1 kilometer of trekking with your family and friends to be able to patronize others far inside. So, you have no option than to sit down close to your vehicle which is the stands of the cronies. And the extremely large open field in the Unity Park at the center of the Christmas Village is thrown into darkness and renders empty for about a week now. How would the traders make their sales when their customers cannot reach them. Wickedness. It’s happening live.
Yesternight, a large group of traders who could not bear the maltreatment anymore staged a mini protest to the information unit of the Christmas Village. I was there in the village. They expressed dismay and warned that they are ready for open protest. But they have lost almost a week of business. How do you make-up for that.
Also, on the 1st December 2020 that the Christmas Village Kick-started, only the said Eket Senatorial Dist Wing was put lively. All lightings, effects, stage, sound system were all perfected with some artists performing, whereas, the other wings were still in darkness. Stage not fixed up, some kiosks not having roofing, etc. These lasted for about three days. But the organizers were busy constructing more kiosks for new entrants.
Yesternight, many traders kept gossiping among themselves why the Governor has not come to officially opened the Christmas Village.
My question, is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism away of these. I can say, am not sure. Bcoz, he did a good job in 2019 Christmas Village. I think this piece is necessary for him to wake up and redeem his sinking reputation.
I don’t have a kiosk there, neither my wife nor my siblings. But what about our friends, relatives, Akwa Ibom people and others who spent their hard earned money. As an Activist, right advocates, what will you do? I pity. Please, Akwa Ibom people help your brothers and sisters there. Insist to be allowed to go in to your target.
God Bless Akwa Ibom.
