Historical Revisionism: The Case of the Annang
Nation.
By Tom U. Okure, PH.D
In
this article, the author argues that the reinterpretation of Annang history through
the purposeful omission of the vital historical contribution of some past
Annang leaders without factual justification is of general concern and a dangerous
historical trend.
Context and Background
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| Map Showing Annang Nation |
The Annang people are a distinctive cultural group
within Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The Annangs in common with many other tribal
groups in Nigeria like to refer to their ethnic grouping as a nation. The word
nation is used here to refer to a group of people (Annangs) living in Nigeria
and constituting a single political and economic unit. The Annangs are
indigenous to Abak, Ikot Ekpene, Ika, Ukanafun, Etim Ekpo, Obot Akara, Essien
Udim and Oruk Anam local government in Akwa Ibom State.
A lot has been written about the Annangs,
especially during the last 50 years. During the Civil war (the Nigeria/Biafra
war) between 1967 through 1970, the Annangs suffered
genocide and displacement from their towns and villages and lost a large number
of its people and prominent leaders. The war front between the Nigerian army and
Biafra stalemated in Ikot Ekpene and for more than two and a half years, many
Annangs lived as refugees in their own state facing tremendous hardship and
discrimination in the towns and villages they were forced to flee to. The catastrophe that the Annang Nation experienced
did not occur in other areas affected by the civil war and has been ignored and
misinterpreted in most current thinking and writing. There is a lot of
historical revisionism taking place in in the writings about Annang Nation today.
In this article, this writer highlights that there is a current tendency among many
scholars, policy makers and historical commentators to attempt to revise the
major heroic achievements, contributions and sacrifices of Annang past heroes. It
is argued that the purposeful omission by scholars, policy makers and
historical commentators to reflect the contributions of some Annang past leaders
in their writings, speeches and memorials indicates latent bias in favor of some
leaders and constitutes a historical distortion of Annang history.
Revisiting History
A new generation of social, economic and
political elite has ascended to the top echelons of Annang society today and they
want to be heard, seen and to be remembered. They also would like to leave a
lasting legacy of their contributions to society for the next generation of
Annang children. This is a good thing and we should all embrace upward mobility
in society, especially because we are in a democratic setting in today’s
Nigeria as opposed to the totalitarian and undemocratic environment that we
faced during years of Nigerian military rule. Nevertheless, the attainment of a
status of historical significance should not mean deliberately omitting, downplaying
or down right discrediting the contribution of previous Annang leaders whose
story and contribution to Annang political empowerment and social progress also
need to be recognized, told and heard by the current generation.
The history of Nigeria and the Annang people is
full of events such as the Nigerian civil war that we have to strive to pass on
to our children so that they can fully understand and appreciate who we are and
what we stand for as a people. There is a phrase by Sir Winston Churchill of
Britain which states that “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to
repeat it.” There are many among us devoted to telling the story of our
historical circumstances and famous leaders and who try to depict the historical
truth by thoroughly researching our past. On the other hand, there are many
among us who are twisting our history in order to portray a historical past that
benefits the quest by those seeking upward social standing among us. Many would
like to cover up unfortunate circumstances in our historical past by suppressing
undeniable historical truths. Perhaps some people need to enhance their present
favorable political and economic circumstances by aligning themselves to famous
past Annang leaders. Many of these acclaimed past leaders, when placed in
proper perspective, lack historical significance as Annang heroes of their time.
Whatever may be the motivating factor or underlying rational for this wave of
revisionism, one thing is clear; world history is filled with this type of historical
revisionism. Most scholars are familiar with the concept of revisionism and the
positive and also dysfunctional negative consequences it can play in the
interpretation of important world events such as the causes of World War I and
II and the cold war between the United States and the former Soviet Union. In some circumstances, revisionism has its
merits. Take for example the idea of Afrocentrism. This methodology to
explanation is allegedly racist, reactionary, and also therapeutic. Its
objective was to encourage Black Nationalism and ethnic pride as a
psychological weapon against the deliberate destructive consequences of worldwide
racism. It was a deliberate response of black scholars worldwide against Eurocentric/Orientalist
racist attitudes about African people and their historical contributions.
Afrocentric writers revisit their history with an African cultural and
ideological focus and their writings seek to support the claim that the
contributions of various African people have been downplayed or discredited as
part of the legacy of colonialism and slavery's pathology of "writing
Africans out of history.
Analytic Observations on Annang Revisionism
A review of writings and public comments related
to Annang people and their past leaders reveals significant bias in favor of
some acclaimed past leaders. There appears
to be either a purposeful neglect to mention, or perhaps deliberate omission or
downplaying of the contribution of other prominent past Annang dignitaries. It
is historical revisionism and a disturbing trend not just for the Annang Nation
but for present day Akwa Ibom State as a whole when one sees scholars, writers
and policy makers show bias in their public pronouncements, adoration and
praise of the past contributions of certain Annang historical personalities over
others.
Some writers, this author included, have
called attention to the purposeful neglect by past and present policy makers to
memorialize the death and the contribution of some of our past heroes. Of particular
significance among our neglected leaders, who are also Annang martyrs are former
Eastern Nigerian Government Minister Affiah of Abak and Commissioner Udo Udo
Okure of Ikot Ekpene who were both killed during the Nigeria civil war noted
earlier, simply because they were of Annang extraction. These Annang leaders contributed
immensely towards the political, social and economic development of the Annang
Nation which was a part of the then Eastern Nigeria region. By speaking out and
standing up with their fellow colleagues in government against the then Igbo ethnic
domination and marginalization of the Efik, Ibibio and Annang ethnic minorities
of former Eastern Nigeria, they were able to extract concessions from the
government in the form of infrastructural development projects. Examples included
paved roads, water projects, electrification of towns, scholarships for indigenes
to pursue higher education, employment of indigenes into high governmental
positions in Eastern Nigeria government etc. One might point out that in the
1960’s through the early 1970’s before the devastation of the economy of
Eastern Nigeria by the civil war, many things worked properly. For example,
many older people can relate to the fact in Eastern Nigeria, that the supply of
electricity and water and our schools etc functioned relatively well before the
complete breakdown and pathology of development that we have been witnessing in
Nigeria despite the huge inflow of old revenues.
As a child, this writer witnessed his late father
Udo Udo Okure travel frequently overseas in his capacity as Public Service
Commissioner of Eastern Nigeria government to Europe and the United States to
recruit Eastern Nigerians in the diaspora. Some of these recruits had their
relocation expenses back to Nigeria fully paid for by the Eastern Nigeria
government and many included prominent Annangs, Ibibios and Efiks who became important
policy makers in former South Eastern State which was renamed Cross River State
of which today's' Akwa Ibom State was excised from. Some of these individuals are
still alive and can testify to the fact that it was the tireless advocacy of
our vocal minority Annang leaders like Minister Akpabio from Ikot Ekpene,
Minister Affiah from Abak and Public Service Commissioner Udo Udo Okure from
Ikot Ekpene, echelons in the then Eastern Nigerian governmental structure that
paved the way to our statehood which we all today jubilate about. The
contributions of these past Annang leaders are enormous and neglect or omission
of their sacrifices towards Annang empowerment cannot be overlooked. Let the Annang historical record be set straight
and reflect, for instance the fact that it was Udo Udo
Okure from Ikot Ekpene, who single handedly organized the diverse families
which constituted Ikot Ekpene village to start what is today commonly celebrated
annually as Ikot-Ekpene day. Let the record also reflect that in recognition of
his outstanding government service to Nigeria and the former British Colonial
Government, Queen Elizabeth 11 of England awarded Udo Udo Okure the high honor
award of OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). The Order of the
British Empire recognizes distinguished service to the arts and sciences,
public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organizations
of all kinds. One might also point out that Udo Udo Okure significantly
contributed towards the translation of the English bible into our native vernacular.
It is a shame that after more than forty five
years of the unjustified killings of our heroes like Okure and Affiah and many
other prominent Annangs, there has not been a Commission of Inquiry into their
death, no legislative proclamations or resolutions remembering their sacrifice
or honors highlighting their contributions towards our statehood. These Annang
leaders are dead and either by deliberate conspiracy to erase their historical
significance from Annang history or by unintentional
omission, they are completely forgotten and rarely mentioned in the many
revisionist history of Akwa Ibom State and Annang Nation. Instead, what we read
about and hear are exaltations for individuals who were unknown in the higher echelons
of the then Eastern Nigerian polity. As
a people we seem to fail to take stock of our history and do not think it
necessary to investigate the crimes that were committed against Annangs as a
people and to examine why our heroic leaders like Commissioner Okure and Minister
Affiah were murdered.
Conclusion
This article concludes with a question. Does
suppressing the names of our heroes from our historical records and public recognitions
make sense? Annang martyrs such as Commissioner Okure and Minister Affiah may
be dead but they are not forgotten by those who witnessed their sacrifice and cherish
their memory and who desire to keep the Annang historical record straight. It
is important that the silence be broken for the sake of truth and justice and
that we write and speak against the negative trend of Annang historical
revisionism for as long as it takes and until the alarm is sounded in the
corridors of state power that our forgotten and neglected heroes are important
and their contributions towards our current political empowerment and economic well-being
matters and cannot simply be set aside in favor of revisionist viewpoints of
our history.
__________________________
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rights reserved by Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc (ICMS, Inc). The
information included in this publication may not be used, reproduced,
transmitted, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written permission of
ICMS, Inc. The author Dr. Tom Okure is President of ICMS, Inc, a multifaceted
business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New
York. Dr. Okure is a writer, author, business/management consultant, public
policy commentator and change advocate.
