Priscilla Christopher-Akpanettot
Blessing Emah Gabriel Akpan is very intentional about whatever she does. Anyone who’s known her from the days of “Ekpang Nkukwo” would attest to the fact that she’s audacious and daunting, and can go lengths for her brand.
The outrage being peddled by the PDP and others, over the symbolic use of African fabrics at Esa Ndidia’s anniversary celebration strangely mirrors an old biblical misunderstanding that history already settled. In the story of the woman with the alabaster box, she broke an expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet. Those around her, particularly the disciples, complained that the ointment was “wasteful” and should have been sold to serve other needs. Yet Jesus rebuked them, defending the act as one of honour, timing, and expression of deep reverence. That same spirit of misreading intent appears to be at play here.
In the case of Blessing Gabriel Emah, the young entrepreneur behind Esa Ndidia, her decision to use carefully chosen African fabrics as a symbolic “red carpet” was not an act of extravagance but of cultural expression and identity. In her own words: “This Wrapper is my own Red Carpet, my own way of Respect and Love…. We go to functions and get to walk or talk on Red or Green Carpet… My Bell 🔔 my wrapper, green leaves and wooden plates are my signatures…” That is not recklessness; it is branding, symbolism, and creative storytelling rooted in local culture.
Akwa Ibom people are historically receptive, expressive, and deeply proud of their cultural aesthetics. In that context, a wrapper laid as a red carpet is not a scandal—it is a statement. So the question becomes: what exactly is being “disrespected” here? Are we now to assume that African fabrics are inferior to imported synthetic carpets routinely rolled out at elite events? Or that cultural creativity is suddenly evidence of insensitivity?
More puzzling is the attempt to drag the personality of Lady Helen Eno Obareki into a narrative she neither authored nor demanded. Who exactly said she requested such a display? Why should an act of honour voluntarily executed by a young entrepreneur be twisted into a political indictment? If anything, it reflects how individuals and brands sometimes choose to welcome distinguished guests in ways that align with their values—not imposed protocols.
To now equate such cultural symbolism with “sacrilege,” “insensitivity,” or “walk of shame” is not only exaggerated but intellectually stretched. If anything, the so-called controversy reveals more about the critics’ interpretation than about the action itself. Should a guest of honour have been received in mourning attire instead of celebratory cultural expression, just to satisfy opposition optics?
Ultimately, the so-called “Alabaster Box” moment here is not about waste or extravagance—it is about perception versus intent. What Blessing and her team presented was honour wrapped in culture, not disrespect wrapped in luxury. And if the reaction to a simple creative gesture is this heated, then perhaps the real issue is not the wrapper on the ground, but the lens through which it is being viewed.
Rather than manufacturing outrage, it would serve better to recognise that the moment has already achieved something even critics cannot deny—it has drawn attention to a young entrepreneur’s brand and ignited conversation around cultural expression. For that unintended spotlight, even critics have, ironically, contributed to her story.
Take and savour the fragrance of your flowers, Mma Ekpang!
