By Jonathan Ugbal: Government House Correspondent
Bigwigs of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by the national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus on Thursday hailed the industrialization strides of Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade.
Secondus, accompanied by the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Imo State for the 2019 general elections, Honorable Emeka Ihedioha; former Cross River Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke; Princess Florence Ita-Giwa, the then Special Adviser on National Assembly matters (Senate) to former President Olusegun Obasanjo among others said Mr. Ayade is getting the basics right in job creation, power and industrialization.
“Our problem has always been that people are ready to establish industries but the cost of powering them. I think the Governor went down to the foundation of our problem in terms of industrialization,” Secondus told journalists at the 21 megawatts power plant under construction.
He continued: “He has started very well, with this 21 megawatts, the industrial layout and the city will be illuminated and the industries will be powered. I think it is a major landmark achievement not only for the Cross River State but for national level because if all the States adopt this strategy, we can see Nigeria moving towards industrialization.”
He said he wasn’t surprised at Mr. Ayade’s performance as he was bringing his experience to bear by, “laying good foundation” which according to him, “in a couple of years to come people will begin to see that this will be a place of destination for both tourism and industrialization.”
Furthermore, Secondus who had also toured the ultramodern rice seedlings and seed manufacturing center as well as the chicken processing factory said the projects when put together, “will turn around the economy of the State and most importantly too, that this is the era that most of our youths are unemployed, this is going to provide massive employment to our people and this is a great achievement by the Governor.”
For Ihedioha, the story of Cross River State was not new to him and commended Governor Ayade for keeping faith with the strides.
“I am always happy with the giant strides of Cross River State and I am happy that Governor Ben Ayade is keeping faith with the economical strides.
“Industrialization is very fundamental, it solves job creation which is very fundamental to us and also providing power is the basics of it. I happy he is taking a direction that the national should be angling towards. I am impressed,” he said.
Imoke who averred that the progress made by Governor Ayade was in continuation of what the State represents, commended his vision which according him, was needed for the development of the State.
He said that: “I will say that he has a very big vision. I was reminding him of those days when he expressed an interest to run for Governor and I told him that one of the things I liked about him was that his vision was much bigger than his person.
“I always encouraged him to drive that vision that Cross River State needs big visioners rather than small visioners to be able to catch up on other States that have much more resources than Cross River State. He is expressing that vision in the industrialization of Cross River State and other components of what is critical for Cross River State economy.
“So, we commend his efforts and this power plant in particular, I believe will be delivering power shortly and that is very important.”
Also, Ita-Giwa who said her return to the PDP was influenced by the achievement of the Governor, posited that the State was on the right path.
“Each government comes with its own project but today, what we see here, I call it the silent industrial revolution; that is what I named it.
“This is what is going to turn around the economy of this State, this is what is going to provide jobs, this is what is going to save the kids off the streets because they will all be engaged and this is what is going to change our lives.
“And of course with the Bakassi deep seaport and once it comes on rolling then we are a billionaire State and that is why when I saw this, I was so elated, I was so happy I said to him that please let me be the ambassador of this industrial revolution and that is one of the things that really made me decide to come back and assist this man in his efforts and what he is doing for this State,” she said.
Secondus later departed for the Calabar Municipal council grounds where as at press time,is scheduled to receive Ita-Giwa and several others who defected from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP.
A former State chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Sonny Abang, Ernest Irek and Okpachui Orim are among the defectors.
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