By CrossRiverWatch admin
“Our target is to create 500 to 1,000 jobs in the first 100 days. We will sanction errant civil servants who fail to be in their offices by 8.10 a.m.”… Ben Ayade (June 1, 2015)
Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade, will like his counterparts elected in the 2015 general elections, across the federation and the President celebrate their 1 year anniversary in office on Sunday May 29, 2016 with Cross Riverians waiting to asses his strides in his 365 days as the state chief executive.
CrossRiverWatch will in the days leading up to Sunday, publish a series of features, news, views and analysis of the Ben Ayade’s administration.
Ayade, upon assumption of office on Monday June 1, 2015 told journalists that his administration will create between 500 to 1,000 jobs in his first hundred days in office with a focus on quick win industries to ensure that the unemployment rate is curbed but failed to achieve this feat and omitted it in his maiden statewide broadcast on September 8, 2015 on his 100th day in office.
Ayade had told journalists that “Our target is to create 500 to 1,000 jobs in the first 100 days” and to support this, pointed out again to journalists a month later at the site of the garment factory that the factory is “expected to generate about 1000 jobs and most of them would be women, particularly widows. The factory will also provide employment for youths who are currently roaming the streets.”
Also, the governor had in several fora announced the creation of 1,000 jobs but failed to deliver such as the garment factory which initially was to take 2 months is yet to be completed.
This is even as the green police, a non arms bearing organization that is supposed to “effectively police and manage Cross River rainforests” was to contribute to this number but has also failed to take off till date with an aide to the governor on Social Media, Eval Asikong publishing on his private blog a list of recruits which is yet to be made available to the press.
On September 8, 2015, Ayade failed to mention anything regarding the garment factory, green police and the promise of 1,000 jobs in his statewide broadcast. Rather he shifted focus to the signature projects, which was the only project mentioned in the broadcast which was more a call on Cross Riverians to support the administration.
The only statement in the short broadcast relating to a project was the third paragraph which read “Fellow Cross Riverians, I am proud to announce to you today, that my team and I have crystallized our signature projects; the 240 kilometre super highway and Deep Sea Port construction work has since begun.”
Furthermore, series of recruitment exercises were held across the state for the garment factory and green police which due to the repetition in the exercises raised eyebrows in some quarters regarding the authenticity of the exercise with one holding of recent after it was carried out months ago.
However, on his New Year day broadcast, Ayade lamented the decline in oil prices indirectly blaming it on the financial challenges of the state. He failed to mention why the Garment Factory and the Green Police which were to be platforms for the creation of 1,000 jobs did not gain traction early enough but listed their ‘inauguration’ and ‘activation’ in his 14 point agenda for 2016.
In the message, Ayade gave what seemed an excuse for the delay in the fulfillment of that promise of 1,000 jobs. He said “Fellow Cross Riverians, this administration is on a mission to change the fortunes of our dear state for good. The first seven months, therefore, have been used for foundation laying, knowing that an edifice erected on a woozy foundation cannot endure the vagaries of the weather.”
The figure to be employed in the garment factory, suddenly increased from 500 to 3,000 as the governor revealed severally between March and May 2016 while on routine inspection of the garment factory.
Ayade, less than a month ago, announced that the factory will be commissioned in the coming weeks by the Wife of the President, whether the recruitment exercise will be concluded before then remains a question only him can answer.
Do you think Ayade failed to keep his promise or circumstances caused the delay in the employment of 1,000 people in his first 100 days in office?
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