(The Antics of Betrayal and Selfishness of Mr. Goddy Jedy and Co. Against the Magnanimity and Selflessness of Senator Professor Ben Ayade and The Good People of Cross River)
There’s this popular belief that no matter what you do, not everyone will like you, even if you are the world best, some people will still call you a fool. That assertion is proven by the acts of some disgruntled and irrationally aggrieved elements within the state.
It was the unanimous and popular opinion of the people of Cross River State for Sen. Prof Ben Ayade that made him win a landslide as Governor of Cross River State and be that as it may, his success depends on all of us, both those that voted for or against him.
Therefore, with the passage of the elections,” politics” is over we must collectively work with him to continuously take Cross River State to greater heights. We now have just one leader in Cross River State and one Cross River State to make great.
The support to ensure the success of Sen Prof Ben Ayade and our state can be done directly and indirectly. Directly by the contributions and innovations from his constituted teams (His appointees, elected officials and civil servants etc) in their various functions, and indirectly from those not having direct administrative or appointment roles in governance.
Direct contributions towards governance can and will be in the area of ensuring new bench marks are set and achieved in designated roles in order to positively change the whole and or initiation and implementation of new ideologies/ responsibilities while indirect contributions will be in the area of citizens living up to their responsibilities by ensuring that as business men, their taxes and those of their staff are paid; that their environment is clean and government is intimated on areas of policies advancement or adjustments and in areas of criticisms same is done constructively etc.
Why have I mentioned the above forms of contributions towards the development of our society? I made mention of same because for me the primary role of man is beyond wealth accumulation, ego and self aggrandizement, our primary role as humans is to serve for the good of all and usually this is the superficial guiding principle of public servants.
It is no news in Cross River State that the likes of Mr. Goddy Jedy and co. have decamped to the APC and I can’t fault them on the premise of freedom of association/assembly.
It is their fundamental right to belong to any group or political leaning but I fault their third columnist utterances, their disgruntled views dressed with spite, evil, hate, envy and selfishness.
Is it a crime that your brother, our brother is governor? Is it a crime that he is setting and breaking records and that he should be extended a hand of fellowship in love?
I have read several public statements made by these overnight “change” ambassadors as to why the People’s Democratic Party, PDP is no longer the platform for their aspirations.
The complaints are summarized thus: High handedness, closed doors and corruption, favouritism etc. Their complaint is spawned with falsehood, betrayal and selfishness.
Where these men not the then power brokers of the same party which leveraged them to their current heights? These same men were board members, caucus leaders and opinion moulders in the PDP!
Where are their records of value added or reforms or attempts to reshape the PDP?
What higher disregard is it than to publicly tear the constitution and card of the party you rode on to have a voice and to now claim saint in a process/party you once benefited from just because the natural order of transition has caught up with you.
This is likened to an adult spitting on the breast of his mother whose breast he suckled just because he was properly fed in his childhood. Curses!
Let no one deceive our sensitivity and sensibility these men mean us no good, these men wanted the governorship position/leadership in Cross River State to be controlled by them and since the tides have positively changed from their colloquial and selfish hold their best option is not to team up and build but to oppose and scatter.
Cross Riverians and the youths of Cross River State are not fools and won’t be fooled! That time don pass!! If service is the guiding principle, we must we be in public office to serve.
Can we all be Governor at the same time or be Governor to contribute to service? Must we have our way all the time and haven’t we heard of the rules of times and seasons?
Now if truly it is service that drives the quest of many into this direct and indirect role to contribute to the advancement of our state then we must understand that not everyone can serve in the direct and indirect category.
The opportunities to be occupied in the direct form of service as outlined above are limited while the indirect form is unlimited. One must not occupy public office to positively affect the lives of his or her people though same can advance this aim.
Everyone knows of the Bill Gate Foundation and how this wealthy man-Mr Gate is impacting the world. He is just one out of many others. He is not a political office holder even though if he wills he can.
Now to the subject matter, it isn’t up to a year that the popular vote got Sen Ayade elected as Governor but within this period we have seen the initiation of monumental initiatives and the gradual implementation of such.
The super highway project, the garment factory and agro industry projects; the deep sea port design and approval which shall be completed this year as well as dredging;
Health care reforms to deepen outreach of medical services across the state; introduction of project back to book to take Cross River State from an educationally less developed state to an educationally developed state.
Healing the political divide by merging the future and the present in his political appointments while also making peace and getting inputs from the aggrieved across the state from every stakeholder.
Tax reforms to ensure comfortable livelihood for low income earners and prompt payment of salaries to civil servants; Cross River State emerged internationally as an environmental advocate with our push to set up actions against climate change, actions have been initiated to redeem erosion sites across the state etc.
If I intend to do a chronicle of Sen Prof Ayade gains during this period of less than 7months, it will be too long and divert our attention from the topic of this discourse.
In short locally, nationally and internationally, Cross River State is on the spot like never in the history of this country. It is clear even beyond the physical that Prof Ayade means well for Cross River State and his initiatives initiated thus far are second to none in the federation.
Now to those who may have been misguided by the whines and whims of these “disgruntled” few, I will make bold to make clear their grudge which is now faked into the “change” mantra of the APC.
I will ask certain rhetorical questions that will embolden your stance against these elements.
Do you know that we have had several national issues affecting our nation and state even under this APC nationally lead administration and none of these persons have come out to speak out or encourage those who do to address these issues?
Where were they when you and I were grappling with fuel scarcity or hiked petroleum prices within the state?
Where were these well placed and privileged politicians when youths who sort for opportunities in governance within Cross River State weren’t given (They preferred you remain a boy forever with their failing promises of a better morrow)?
How many of them with their political height or prominence have empowered young men and women to be employed either in the local, state or federal parastatals that opportunities were available in?
Have you noticed that you never hear from them until political periods or gatherings and they come around with their peanuts and disgruntled ideologies to deceive the gullible amongst us whom they contributed in depriving of emancipation rights?
How many of them are true advocates for our state and in what way or ways have they contributed to develop us with the opportunities available to them?
A man, Prof Ayade who ensured that in the spirit of transparency and sincerity for a greater and united Cross River State, those who fought tirelessly against him made it into his cabinet and some have their brothers, relatives or designate as part of his team, is now the man that isn’t accommodating?
Do you know that in the history of our state, Sen Prof Ayade has built the most daring government by empowering and giving opportunities to young people to contribute the most to governance?
Do you know that his refusal to pay certain “royalties” which is to the detriment of the state is part of the reason for this gang up against Sen Ayayde?
Do you know that Sen Ayade in his mercy and love facilitated the peace process that led to the dropping of charges against Mr. Venatius Ikem who almost killed one Boniface Ishamali during an argument?
Do you know that this same Mr. Venatius Ikem was one of the first in a duly bided process, to get the first major contract from the state government?
Do you know that this same Mr. Vena Ikem and his principal, Mr. Goddy Jedy Agba, bribed the processes to prevent the emergence of the people’s will during the last PDP electoral processes and doctored result sheets etc?
Should I talk about Mr. Fidelis Ugbo who is now part of the “change band” that collected monies and went against agreements?
Do you know that Mr. Peter Oti was one of those who milked our state dry from his mismanagement of the state Internal Revenue Service (How can a platform built by consultants collect taxes on a state platform and refuse transfer of same platform to the state, leading our state to losing millions in revenue and hiked monthly stipends amidst other leakages?
Do we know that Sen Victor Ndoma Egba, Mr Goddy Jedy, Mr. Vena Ikem and co bribed their way to influence the last PDP primaries across the state and it took democrats in Cross River State to correct these selfish manipulations?
Do you know that Hon. Paul Adah, Mr. Vena Ikem and Mr Goddy Jedy, all have relatives and designates in the present Sen Prof Ben Ayade administration?
Do you know that His Excellency Sen Prof Ben Ayade met and appealed to all stakeholders and extended fellowship to all irrespective of political party or affiliation to be part of his government?
And indeed formed a unity team carrying respective leanings along including those who contested or spoke against his governorship bid?
The support for Sen Ayade across Cross River State is overwhelming and the challenges faced by the state are too enormous and prospects overwhelming for us to be distracted by individuals moving against God’s design and perfect will for Cross River.
Yes! We must criticise but we must do so constructively, we must advice but in love and our arguments must be solution based.
Since the hand of fellowship has been turned down, I appeal to Prof. to remain focus and to the people of Cross River State to continue with their unalloyed and unfailing support for this administration to take us to greater heights.
Sen Ayade must understand too that there’s nothing he can do to get love from those whose heart lacks love and must continue to raise and empower “his” own while delivering on his promises.
To our brothers and sisters on the other, side Cross River State interest is bigger than individual interest. Name calling or baseless allegations will not do you or your side good for Cross River State is more informed than you thought. Therefore, don’t bore us with stale gist, tell us your vision for the state and how you intend to achieve same etc.
Ayade is your Governor and this is a bitter fact you must embrace and nothing you do will change this at least until he has accomplished his 8 years plans to uplift our people and party.
The goodwill of Ayade started years before his sojourn into the political arena and all of you have directly or indirectly benefited from his good heart and magnanimity.
As a youth from Northern Cross River and a leader of Cross River largest socio political organization at a meeting of our Northern wing comprising Obudu, Bekwara, Yala, Ogoja and Obanliku reps at Ogoja on the 2nd of January, 2015 at Gomara Hotel, we resolved to support Sen Ayade administration under the platform of the PDP.
We appreciated the good people of Cross River State for their love and undying belief in his leadership and outrightly condemned the campaign of calumny of “elements against our collective progress as a district”.
This is our “first” time handling the Governorship position and the Northern Youths and indeed Cross Riverians are rationally backing a detribalized revolutionary leader who has merged the present (Some political old hands) and the future (Youths) into forming one of the all inclusive government in Cross River State.
Though observations were made of a lack of balance in terms of gender in the recent appointments and an appeal was made for consideration of females in subsequent appointments. (Pics of this meeting to be released soonest.)
We can’t be fooled, your brooms won’t save us when it rains in the wet lands of the South of Cross River State neither will it provide shade for us from the hot sun in the North of Cross River. Our umbrellas will do!
Yes, we have challenges but we are positively evolving. Now that the rain and sun is down, come join the family that made you, to make you more and to build others.
It took a Tinubu to build an APC and it will take real men to transform the PDP. If the others left when it wasn’t rosy in the APC we won’t have an APC led government in the center.
Really men face challenges, weak men run away from same. We are strong, innovative and fluid…We are PDP!
God bless Cross River State!
God bless Nigeria!!
Prince Michael Nku Abuo is Special Assistant to Governor Ayade on Youths and Students Mobilization and writes from Calabar
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