By Patrick Obia
The Cross River State Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 general elections, Sir. Arthur Jarvis Archibong has addressed journalists in the state, rolling out his dreams for the state.
Addressing the Press alongside his Deputy governorship candidate, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar Eba and his entourage, Sir. Archibong tackled Governor Otu’s administration as a “government disconnected from the people”.
He said Governor Otu and his government lacks empathy for the citizens of the state. He said Otu governs the state outside the state, mostly Abuja and overseas.
“This administration is near zero on the issue of empathy, passion and commitment to the real yearning and aspirations of the broad generality of the people of Cross River State. This is because the Governor is hardly in the state. Available, verifiable records show that there is no month the Governor spends more than ten (10) days in the state. Twenty days, at least, on a monthly basis, are spent either in Abuja and/or abroad with nothing whatsoever to show for this absence. The people therefore, do not have any interaction with the man who is supposed to be the harbinger of hope for their yearnings and aspirations.”
The PDP candidate averred that while the citizens have not felt the impact of Otu’s administration, he has relinquished governance to this chief of staff, Emmanuel Ironbar who is said to award contracts to his cronies.
“The governor’s allowing governance to third parties, who were not voted into office and who obviously lack capacity for competent decision making is an unmitigated tragedy that is robbing our state of quick, sharp and appropriate decision making with the resultant effect being rudderlessness in the governance architecture that we presently witness. Every well-meaning Cross Riverian can attest to this truth.”
Governance Concentration In Calabar
Rolling out his plans for Cross River when elected as governor of the state, Sir. Arthur Jarvis said his government will cut across every nook and cranny of the state, unlike that of Governor Otu concentrating only in Calabar, the state capital.
“This Governor runs a government focused only on the state capital. Since assuming office three years ago, the Governor has confined governance only to his office in Calabar. For the limited periods he is available in the state, his visits outside the capital have been few, selective, and largely for convenience. No incident, no matter how much of an emergency it evokes, takes the Governor beyond Calabar. Calabar is not Cross River State; it is only the state capital, and the Governor is clearly the Governor of Cross River, and not the Governor of Calabar. Put differently, the Governor has simply chosen to isolate wittingly, the people of Central and Northern Cross River.”
He continued: “He does not understand their challenges across the various local government areas and does not appear to ever want to do so. We read and hear his media aides disturb us with tales of awarded contracts across the state. Contracts that are not supervised by the chief executive cannot be properly executed. Leaving supervision to subordinates without periodic on-the-spot verification of submitted evaluation reports would only result in fraudulent evaluation and even abandonment of the projects as we are presently experiencing.”
He held that a state governor must be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for the job of chief servant of the state as anything short, breeds disaster in project management as is presently the case.
“The clearest proof of this administration’s lack of capacity is its failure to deliver any signature project in almost four years.
“Instead, all focus has gone to the year-round renovation of structures inherited from past governments. As much as this act is commendable for the purpose of continuity, channeling all his strength into the renovation of past administrations’ projects, raises a fundamental question: was there any plan or vision for the state before the election? Or did he contest squarely on the grounds of claiming a fair share of our state resources? It is really strange to see a government with no signature projects and no plans whatsoever, and here we are, almost at the finish line of its tenure. This has glaringly led to the death of competence and the rise of mediocrity.
“This is why, in almost four (4) years, apart from the refurbished library complex, the Governor’s office, the completed Local Government building, the abandoned cultural center renovation project and a few poorly executed roads that show a complete lack of supervision, there is nothing to point to. All these are happening at a time when federal allocation to the state has at least quadrupled. It confirms how far our state has slipped into stagnation. While neighbouring states like Akwa Ibom, Abia and Enugu states are developing infrastructures that will change lives for generations, Cross River is left with a trail of fake, incomplete, and abandoned projects across the state.”
More details subsequently…
Short Link:
Leave feedback about this