Our Projects Are Driven By Non Cross Riverians Because We Lack Requisite Knowledge – Senator Rose Oko

By Jonathan Ugbal

Senator Rose Oko while talking to CrossRiverWatch

The funding model for the signature projects of Cross River’s governor, Senator Ben Ayade has been commended as a major challenge which would have inhibited the projects says Senator Rose Oko who represents the Cross River Northern senatorial district in the National Assembly.

The Yala born politician made this known while speaking with members of the Peregrino House press corps in Calabar shortly after meeting with the governor.

Senator Oko says the projects owing to the current financial challenges would have been a fairytale as lack of funds would have stopped them and commended the idea.

She said that “The signature projects are desirable for Cross River State; they will open up the economy. I commend him (Ayade) for finding a way to fund these projects despite the economic challenges which ordinarily would have been a challenge for the State with the resources that are available.

“They are projects we must encourage and they are projects we must stand behind to ensure that they come to fruition as they are for the benefit of the state’s economy. We all need our economy to be diversified and that is what these projects will do for the state”.

A member of the House of Representatives in the seventh Assembly, Senator Oko urged Cross Riverians to continuously strive to enhance their capacity as well as enumerating a way forward. “Cross Riverians need to be attentive and alert. Our programs and projects are often driven by people from outside the State and that is due to the fact that most times, Cross Riverians do not have the requisite knowledge or the prerequisite technically to fill these positions.

“It is time we need to get Cross Riverians ready to occupy these positions; these projects need technicians to drive them. We need to look globally to see how we can equip ourselves to enhance our capacity to fill these positions in Cross River. We need to talk to the Education Ministry to look into the curriculum to ensure that we bring up children that will fit into these projects, because getting a University degree might at the end of the day not be able to get you anywhere”.

The one time Education Commissioner while speaking on happenings in the eight Assembly described the work of the legislature as ‘very rigorous’ due to the core mandates which she listed to include the processes of bill making, oversight on Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

On her experience in the upper House, she says “The lower House expectedly is more vibrant because we have much younger people there and the upper House behaves with decorum because of the caliber of people you have there”.

- by: Gabriel.EO
- 9 years ago
Rose you lie. College of Technology, The Polytechnic & now CRUTECH with over 30yrs in graduating CrossRiverians. Rose if you don’t know keep quite, Cos I know a lot of CrossRiverains who are professionals in engineering, technically fit to handle any project.
- by: Romuald Ojong
- 9 years ago
Well I do not agree with Senator Oko. We have seasoned graduates who are well schooled, who also have the technical know how. What the people driving the projects should do is there should be an open bid for all those who are qualified to bid. For those they want to employ, an interview without bias should be conducted for qualified and experienced people from different professional skills to be employed. Cross river state has also produced seasoned project managers and consultants in different fields and I can proudly recommend some whom I know can deliver anywhere anytime
- by: john henshaw
- 9 years ago
I cannot believe what am reading coming from an high ranking politician from our state. Well am surprise this is a woman when she was in the lower house i neva saw her talk one day,but the likes of Owan and Nkoyo Toyo were always vibrant. Thanks to Imoke she was uprooted from God know where to move to the senate. But i thank God we have a corrective government in power,when the chips are down the chaff will be separated from the hay. Becos with representatives like this i think we are heading to nowhere.
- by: Egan Anohobi
- 9 years ago
Senator, you can only be correct if you have manpower audit of cross river state. Please publish such data to convince us. Otherwise talk like an academician you arm.
- by: Edra Gabriel
- 9 years ago
I quite agree with sen.Rose Oko,but we have expert from crossriver who are in another state doing what they know,they can do best.Letz us look for a way of bringing them back to their state,and show them the respect we show for outsiders and also,believe in their competency.
- by: Abem sunday
- 9 years ago
Well I do not agree with Senator Oko. We have
graduates who are well schooled, who
also have the technical know how from polytechnic and people from college of Eduction who know their Field every well. conduct open interview to know the faith of graduates in cross river today,and not employement by God father.
- by: jeffrey
- 9 years ago
“Having come into contact with a civilization which has over-emphasized the freedom of the individual, we are in fact faced with one of the big problems of nigeria in the modern world. Our problem is just this: how to get the benefits of European society — benefits that have been brought about by an organization based upon the individual — and yet retain African’s own structure of society in which the individual is a member of a kind of fellowship.””You don’t have to be a Communist to see that China has a lot to teach us in development. The fact that they have a different political system than ours has nothing to do with it.”
- by: Ken Ittah
- 9 years ago
I do not agree with the Senator, CRS is awash with competent & seasoned technocrats. Our leaders should make a conscious effort to engage our people rather than patronize their friends with excuses of lack of capacity. If they do not know let them contact various BMO’s like the Chamber of Commerce to have access to a pool of Cross Riverians with capacity both within the state and outside to fill-in positions
- by: inaku henry
- 9 years ago
we have cross riverian doing well in all sphere, s of life, is just that they are not giving opportunity to showcase what they have in stock…so its time we look homeward and take the state to a greater hight….
- by: jeffrey
- 9 years ago
“Democracy, Republic: What do these words signify? What have they changed in the world? Have men become better, more loyal, kinder? Are the people happier? All goes on as before, as always. Illusions, illusions………”The art of leadership is in the ability to make people want to work for you, while they are really under no obligation to do so. Leaders are people, who raise the standards by which they judge themselves and by which they are willing to be judged. The goal chosen, the objective selected, the requirements imposed, are not mainly for their followers alone. They develop with consumate energy and devotion, their own skill and knowledge in order to reach the standard they themselves have set”
- by: jeffrey
- 9 years ago
Senator Rose Oko…………“As long as many of our people still live in utter poverty, as long as children still live under plastic covers, as long as many of our people are still without jobs, no South African should rest and wallow in the joy of freedom