by crossriverwatch admin
Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, CROSIEC, Sir Patrick Otu KSM, has said that it is too early to judge whether he has rightfully performed his obligations as the State electoral umpire until another chairman takes over from him and conduct another election under the same circumstances which he did.
Sir Patrick Otu stated this in an exclusive chat with CrossRiverWatch in his office in Calabar recently.
He said: “If you work with the government especially for us who are civil servants or public servants, and for one like me who retired and then return into public service through appointment, by the time you look at the two, you will see how funny and pleasant the whole thing about governance is; at times between the role you play and your consciousness you see a collision.
“That is why I tell people that the day I leave this office and another person comes in and the situations have not changed in terms of the parameters one conducts election, by that time people will compare notes.”
“Yes I made those comments based on the manner and situation we found ourselves in the past but generally in life to have me seated here wasn’t a wrong decision because I know the state and many things would have been messed up if someone else was asked to come in especially after the demise of the first chairman.
“If you stay in this place you will not make money if you want to make money you will just mess yourself out of the place because there’s no way somebody will not come with those things and if you want to enjoy the place it is not to put your eyes in money, secondly even if it is Mr. President pressurizing you, you don’t change any body’s result. People who stay outside can talk many things about you but continue to do what you are doing”.
Sir Patrick Otu who is a Knight of Saint John in the Catholic Church, thanked the people of Cross River State for the support they have given to him as the state electoral umpire and urged the electorate to remain steadfast and continue to have fate in the government.
“Today I am happy that I have stayed here for two tenures, I would have stayed one because even the people that are big men in PDP didn’t want me here, and they still won the election; what then will the oppositions say.
“There are times where mistrust will come in like I used to say particularly when it is politics. But I thank the people of Cross River state who gave us the support to ensure that the process was successful.” He said.
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