My thumbs-up to the Cross River Online Media, generated unusual responses and from some very unusual quarters too. Little did I know that those innocent thoughts pierced facades and did more than little to whom it may concern and I did not see it coming in that shape.
While a majority found the thoughts warming, challenging and encouraging, some responses considered it an affront and one very striking response I got amongst the many, reads:
“You people are lucky that I am not Ayade. I would have shut all of you useless blogs down by now and make sure that you that CrossRiverWatch in particular did not return from prison. STUPID!!!…”
I call this one striking response not because of its content or intent, rather it is because of the source. The individual that sent it. This individual who I don’t want to mention for now, is a senior Government official. That is why I call it striking. That someone that is highly placed in Government will think that the media space needs to be diminished or shut down because of the misconception that their Government is been “haunted?
Because the individual is a quotable source, I responded with a lengthy forecast which I want to reproduce here.
For the purpose of anonymity, let me address the individual subsequently as “Reader”.
Dear Reader,
In 1109 days, either on the 5billion Naira lush green lawns of Peregrino House or at the Cultural Center or at the Calabar International Conference Center, Governor Ayade will hand over power to a new Governor and become former Governor like his predecessors.
After then, I can bet you with every sinew that there will be a treasure box load of petitions and suits against him when his gubernatorial immunity is removed. You can take that to the bank. There will be anxious moments for him. He has so messed things up that he will not escape a date with investigators after his time in office. Let us even assume that he eventually gets vindicated, it will be a long, tortuous, inconviniencing path that will lead to that vindication.
Now, let me forecast for you Reader.
1. All his most garrulous and loquacious vuvuzelas and appointees like you know, would have abandoned him by then and joined the next train.
2. His most trusted allies and apparachiks would have become appointees or will be eyeing appointments in the next Government.
3. Civil Servants whom he is arresting now for leaks will be more willing that time to leak sensitive information against him.
4. The next Governor not long from handing over will sure have issues with him as is always the case with successors; not to talk of having a predecessor like Ayade who is so domineering and dictatorial.
5. Even if he has anything to say by then, the mainstream media in our State, as it is characteristic of them, will by then be loyal to the next Government or who ever is holding the reins.
6. That is when Ayade will realize that his last straw of hope, if he will still have any, will be an independent media that his Government could not kill. An independent media that refused to be bought over by any Government in Cross River State including his own.
If you have sense, make sense out of the NON-sense I just wrote.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.
That was my response……
Am I dreaming?
Citizen Agba Jalingo is the publisher of CrossRiverWatch and writes from Lagos State.
NOTE: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Agba Jalingo and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.