By Patrick ODEY, Uyo
There was palpable fear and tension in Mbiabong Itam communityin Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as residents of the community woke up one fateful morning last week to a shocking revelation of a middle age man who hanged himself from the roof of his house. Chief Ekanem Edet, former Secretary of the Mbiabong Village Council, popularly called Jolly Boy was believed to have taken his own life following the prevailing
hardship, occasioned by down turn of the economy. It was gathered that the deceased allegedly left a suicide note for president Buhari blaming him for the economic woes that had befallen the country The deceased, 50 and married with two sons had been in the habit
of complaining about the current economic crunch that has heavily impacted negatively on the living standards of the common people. “Jolly Boy”, who deals on ‘Ogogoro’, cigarettes and other stimulants, according to family he could no longer run his small family with meager earnings from the illicit trade. “He was a very sociable man and always shares his thoughts on issues. I don’t why he should consider suicide as the last option to escape from these hard times, only God knows”, Okon Effiong, a close associate of the deceased, lamented. He recalled that ‘Jolly Boy’, who was immediately buried after some traditional rites of passage had be performed, was discovered dead cold with rope round his neck by his friend, who came to visit him that fateful day. The late Edet’s wife and two
sons, it was gathered, had gone out oblivious of the fact that their father’s remains hung loosely from the roof of his room. “Later in the day, his friend came to check on him, only to discover to his chagrin, that his long time friend and confidant had taken a big, bold step to bid goodbye to excruciating life of poverty”, Mfonobong Ekpe, a teacher in the neighbourhood said in Uyo, the state capital.
Although our correspondent could not immediately confirmed, the former village secretary, left a suicide note for President Muhammadu Buhari, blaming his him for inflicting unbearable pains and hardship on the people. “He used to complain that his petty business was no longer fetching him and his family basic needs including food, clothing and fees for the children education. “He was always blaming Buhari
for his economic policies that do not allow the common people to afford basic commodities like garri, bread, yam, rice, beans, oil and kerosene and other essential goods”, Asuquo Bassey, a Pastor at the local Church recalled. According to him, the family was reluctant to call the Police when it discovered the sad incident because of the suicide note which indicated that ‘Jolly Boy’ took his own life.
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