2019: Group threatens Ayade with lawsuit if he fails to seek 2nd term

The aforementioned refers.

Over the years, I have heard the good, the bad and the ugly about the Ayade government. People feel the need to jump on the band wagon criticizing the Govt( its a new hype way of showing social awarness). I must point out that any and every govt must welcome criticism. This is an important form of check and balance that allows people the option of giving an input in the running of their govt…We the administrators are simply the custodians of these institutions…servants at best!

However in the last few days, I have seen an onslot of just pure negative and fact-less slander being peddled by many interest groups.

The most recent is the purported letter by High Chief Edem Duke. Pardon me at this point to emphasize that I am what you call a properly groomed Efik Son. As such I will pick my words with caution, least I invoke anger and speak things that will most likely be seen as insults to those older than I.

That cleared, let me state the reason why the young people in the south are unapologetic about our support for Sen Ayade.

Firstly: this is the first govt to give key and sensitive positions to young people. Commisoners of Finance, health, solid mineral, transportation, petroleum and tourism are young people and from the South.

Also the Director General of Signage and Advertisement , investment and promotion, and new city etc, as well as the Special advisers on sports are young people from the southern senatorial district.

This list goes on and on. These people who have shown capacity and are working day and night to plot their various keep to great highs, not minding the economic conditions that prevail within the state.

Now that i have listed the human capital and political growth that has precipitated in the last 3years, let me move on to the bane of any govt. JOBS, JOBS AND MORE JOBS! The truth is Gov Ayade as decide to try something different. This, in truth is the only way to change the lot of our people. The world has changed and the things that secured progress and development have changed along with the world. Gov Duke and Gov Imokes were man of great understanding. They each knew the challenges facing their governments were unique and begged for unique solutions, thus the explored innovating and creative ways of solving those issues. Gov Ayade is well within his right to explore this same path. After All, doing the same thing over and over, and looking for a different result is the true definition of folly. Isn’t it? In any case, who is afraid of real change. Real progressive change!

It’s easy to be carried away with all the negativity out there. However, let the facts speak for themselves.

1) Garment factory is built and working. I know many YOUNG people who work there. This can be easily verified.

2) The rice seedly plant. This project is personal, because i led the delegation to inspect and train the local operators that will manage the process after the equipments have been successful installed and a reasonable level of comfort has been attained to necessitate exit of our foreign partners. This will generate not just immediate JOBS, but long skill acquisition that gives our people an edge in a specialized sector, that will spur growth in the country. Of course this aids as we look inwards to self sufficiency in rice production.

3) the pharmaceutical company building is completed and the various machineries have been imported and can be confirmed at a local warehouse within the municipal. The installation and training is being worked out and the first phase is winding down.

3) the banana plantation in odupani gives one an Interesting insight into the developmental trajectory of this Govt 

4) the Power plant that is at 80% completion in calabar municipal will serve as an alternative to the failed poor national supply.

5) After years of contracts and announcements about the dredging of the calabar river, this  administration has in 3years secured the first steps needed for the building of a new port that will allow us rival and create a new sector in the state and region. It is good to note that our neighbours in akwa ibom, having chased this same dream for 16 years, are not further than we are. We have moved much further in 3 years than they have in 16 years.

6) who can forget the debates about who was responsible for the dualization of the odupkani road. After much ado about nothing, it has come to light that the project belongs to the cross river state govt. Dualization of that road will not only reduce traffic inflow into the state capital, but will increase commerce along the road and produce much needed jobs for our teaming young people.

7) the Calabar Creative Hub is a project located in the heart of calabar municipal. It gives young people an opportunity to walk into the Hub with raw ideas and create real products and services that allow the state measure up and develop its young people. Giving them an opportunity to compete with their peers worldwide. A much needed boost in ICT and constant innovating product development at a cost next to nothing.

8) The mapping of solid mineral deposit across the state, starting in akampa is revealing the incredible amount of natural resources available in the state. This when properly managed, will also boost development and earnings that can be used to build sustainable social safety nets for the less privileged in our society and again provide high paying jobs for the young people.

9) The ironic truth is that when people make trivial the payment of Salaries it shows their lack of understanding of how an economy works, that of a relatively provincial state. The multiplier effect of regular and timely payment of salaries enables commerce and Spurs economic activity in a state like cross River. At the most basic terms it’s the injection of approximately N2,000,000,000 every 25th of the month through approximately 25,000 households. The lack of understanding of this shows the feeble mind of the writers and the urgency not to allow them at the helm of governance or the economy.

All these projects are in the southern senatorial district…All of them!

For fear of making this piece too long and unreadable. Let me stop here and address another important issue that for me is totally unfounded, preposterous and frankly tasteless. 

I read with horror, the use of the word charlatans to describe great southern leaders. As a young man, this insulted my sensibility and my understanding that one must always protect and preserve the labour of our heroes past. These names so precariously castigated present me with a new sense of offence to my generation.

These are the people who have carefully opened the doors of politics and economic empowerment to my generation. I feel a certain need to reciprocate these demeaning comments, but as aforementioned, I am from a home and I must keep to the teaching that has keep me out of such mud slinging.

Where were you when we were the whipping boy of Nddc

Where were you when we lost Bakassi

Where were you when we lost our oil wells to Akwa Ibom

Where were you when we were Owing 3 months Salary

Where were you when the Dredging of the Calabar port was a recurrent scam.

Ayade was Sworn in under recession 

From June 2015 to date. The average monthly net statutory allocation to the state from the Federation is less than 50% of the state’s monthly Recurrent obligations. 

There are more projects in the south than the north (refer upwards).

Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi are owing several months salaries, yet earn a higher allocation than CRS.

Fighting ourselves instead of fighting for the people, is a selfish ambition. The writer’s identity is known (you can’t hide that kind of bile hatred). Your time has passed, you have failed your people (building failed hotels is not a yard strick for success) and we will not mortgage our future for empty dreams. You had your opportunity to make a difference, didn’t you?. This write up is another prelude of a selfish old Man’s ambition to run for Governor. We are now talking about a country where the president cannot be older than 55years and you want to run for Governor? This will not see the light of day.

Its clear to see that the writer belongs to the school of thought that they own cross river state, well they don’t and it is offensive to think that they own any group of people. Progress and retrogresive. The “writer” cannot be less than 55,  and wants to mortgage the future…We are much wiser now.

The south has brokered an agreement with Ayade for a return of power to the South in 2023, we have demanded it and he has obliged. Period!

All the people you have listed had impeccable records from Donald Duke who is being supported by the progressive of this country to run for president or Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong a businessman who’s integrity is not in question. The likes of Nkoyo Yoyo have broken bounds that most can only dream about internationally and locally. Every single person you so easily lumped with distasteful language have achieved more for cross river and the southern senatorial district individually and combined than dreamed…fact.

For Asuquo Ekpeyong Jr. I for one am a product of Kings College and I can tell you without a doubt that we don’t do mediocrity. The true writer intends to insult our collective sensibilities by implying that the young commissioner for finance who had a nightclub at the age of 24 is a disco boy. This shows the archaic thinking of the old man. The young man is Harvard University trained, has started and flourished several businesses as well as having lectured at the Banking and Finance Department of Unical at the age of 25. I’d rather stand behind him any day because I can see the true content of his being and I am sure when the time comes he will join the rest of us in making sure we lift this country to where it belongs. 

It is easy to destroy. In fact, anyone can destroy, the trick is and will always be in building. I engender you to put away your negativity and try some constructive progressive criticising. It’s a breathe of fresh air and it liberates beyond words. 

Politics is about calculations and numbers, the southern senatorial district is united in our demand and we are clear about the needs of our people. I speak particularly as a young person, I have more to lose than you do and I am sure that Prof Ayade is a sure bet.

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Posted by admin on Feb 10 2018. Filed under Ben Ayade Desk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry