By Anietie Akpan
Worried by what they called flagrant distortion of equity and balance, the Oro Liberation Movement has called for a stop to the monopoly Oron Local Government Area (LGA) has sustained holding grip over the offices of Deputy Governor and Member of the House of Representatives.
The group said, each time such positions come to the Oro people, Oron LGA will grab it with total disregard to other LGAs, wondering why Oron LGA continues to hold sway over these Preston two offices.
In statement by the Chairman of the Movement, Dr. Francis Otioro and the Secretary, Mr Patrick Eneyo, they said this monopoly of Oron LGA over the two offices must stop.
They said, “this is a declaration of resistance, and the machinery of Oro betrayal will grind to a halt, for our liberation is inevitable.
“We demand that they relinquish one of the positions to any of its brothers in the interest of fairness, equity, and justice for the Oro people”.
The Movement asked: “Why are well-meaning Oro sons and daughters subjected to orchestrated blackmail and character assassination simply for demanding justice, fairness, equitable representation, and proper power allocation?
“When will the Honourable Member representing Mbo, Oron, Okobo, Urue Offong/Oruko, and Udung Uko Federal Constituency present a transparent, verifiable, and publicly accountable scorecard of his stewardship to the Oro people?
“Why were respected Oro elders deliberately misled under the pretext of a stakeholders’ engagement on the implementation of the UMSO Act, only to be ambushed with a pre-arranged endorsement script?
“Why are critical meetings concerning the destiny of the Oro people being systematically relocated outside the ancestral homeland, the Oron Civic Centre, in clear contradiction of the mandate freely given by the electorates?”
These questions according to the Movement “are not cheap blackmail, nor are they politically motivated mischief. They are reasonable issues, serious, weighty, and long overdue. They arise from a people determined to reclaim their voice, defend their dignity, and assert their rightful place in the affairs that govern them.
“The Oro Liberation Movement has chosen the path of restraint, discipline, and uncommon maturity. Though we are not oblivious to the existence of damaging revelations, ranging from harassment and fabricated identities to other deeply troubling antecedents, we have, in the interest of decency and collective progress, refused to weaponise such information.
“Let it be clearly understood: our restraint on these matters is not weakness; it is strength under control, power exercised with responsibility”.
The Movement called for honest engagement, transparent leadership, and issue-based discourse. The future of the Oro people must not be sacrificed on the altar of deception, propaganda, or political desperation.
The group said they have with profound disdain the insidious, surreptitious, and well-sponsored campaign of blackmail, coupled with the reckless dissemination of dangerous falsehoods across social media spaces. This is not accidental; it is a calculated assault on truth and a desperate attempt to distort public consciousness.
Without equivocation, the Movement stated, “we are neither ignorant of these tactics nor deceived by their crude execution. The Oro people are historically conscious, politically aware, and intellectually discerning. We know WHO IS WHO—we know ourselves. We recognise truth, and we reject manipulation in all its forms.
“We refuse, as a matter of principle, to descend into the gutter with desperate actors devoid of vision, integrity, and honour. Ours is a movement anchored on purpose, discipline, and the collective advancement of our people, not a theatre of propaganda and political fraud.
With unwavering resolve, they said, questions raised above is rooted in justice, equity, and accountability. These are not acts of blackmail; they are legitimate, reasonable, and necessary demands that strike at the very core of responsible leadership:
In this regards “the time for accountability is now. The era of impunity must end. The will of the people must prevail”, they added.
