Obasesam Okoi|17 January 2016|5:33am
On 4th January 2016, at 7:57am, I received a call from Honorable Bassey Ewa's line in America. He went straight to the point to request my banking information in Canada, that he has a gift for me. I refused to release my banking information to him. He asked of my city and I sent him a text with the name of my city without disclosing my address.
On the 7th of January, 2016, at 9:50am, I received an email from Honorable Bassey Ewa's wife Mrs. Ehimwenma Bassey Ewa, informing me that her husband had wired money to me through Money Gram, and that she was acting on his behalf. Her email was copied to her husband but I will not disclose his email to protect his privacy.
At about 10:49 am on January 7th, 2016, Bassey called my line, perhaps to follow up with his financial transaction. I was busy at work and couldn't take his call.
I then sent a text message to Bassey to inquire what the money was meant for. He replied that it's Christmas money. Of course, Bassey has never invited me for Christmas dinner. So why suddenly remember me after Christmas is over?
I sent a text with the following message:
“Thank you Honorable Ewa. I do appreciate the kind gesture. But as you know Christmas is over and I wasn't expecting a monetary gift from you. I just want you to be a good leader so you will continue to enjoy the support of our people. My greatest desire is to see you succeed. We have great things to do for our people and its not your responsibility alone but a collective responsibility. If I accept this Christmas gift I will be closing the door on many young people in our community who are suffering and have no hope of making it through life due to the lack of attention by our leaders. So there are many areas we can work together to change the fortunes of our people. On that basis I am respectfully declining this Christmas gift while also expressing great thanks for thinking about me. If there are other ways you need my assistance you will always have my back. Thanks.”
On January 9, 2016, at 18:57pm, I replied to Bassey's wife with the following message:
Hello Mrs Ehimwenma Ewa,
Sorry I have not been able to respond to your message due to my busy schedule this week. After receiving your email on Thursday January 7, 2016 at 9:50am, informing me that your husband Honorable Bassey Ewa has sent some money to me through Money Gram, I decided to send a text message to Ewa to inquire what the money is meant for. He responded to my text, indicating that it was a Christmas gift. Unfortunately I have to decline the money as I do not need any gift from him at this time. The best gift I expect from him is good leadership that will impact the lives of our people positively. If I accept Christmas gift from him I will be depriving thousands of people who cannot afford Christmas due to bad governance. Please feel free to contact Money Gram to request a refund of your money. However, I appreciate the kind gesture and do thank him for remembering me.
God bless.”
Bassey should know that I am wealthier than him. He has money and weapons but lacks wealth. And even if I was poor I will never sell the future to a wicked and desperate man who takes delight in oppressing his people. I don't have anything against Bassey Ewa and I don't need his money even though it's our commonwealth. As you know I supported his election as a fellow Yakurr brother and never asked for anything in return. That doesn't mean I cannot hold him accountable. Given the rejection he faced in Yakurr in the past election, I expect him to rethink his politics. But he takes pride in being glorified as the god of Yakurr politics. How sad!
I decided to publish this message because of the danger of declining a bribe from a desperate man who has no integrity and, as such, is living with dead conscience. We've given him enough opportunity to prove himself including a third term. But we can't take more of his wickedness. Enough is enough. Lets watch out for the future.
Obasesam Okoi
Is a Cross River-born, Canada-based Academic