|Richard
Mgbe|09 October, 2017
It was
Jeremy Bentham, a utilitarian and welfarist economist who in 1789 stated that
“government existed mostly to promote the greatest amount of happiness for the
greatest number of people, without which government has no right to call itself
government”.
In the last 18 years and counting, Cross River
State is being governed by PDP; presently at the saddle is Prof. Benedict
Ayade. The first two Governors performed credible well, and their legacies are
there as a proof of their meritorious services to the state and its people.
Since the ascension of Ben Ayade as Governor of Cross River State, things are
no longer at ease.
The state has become the joke and laughing
stock of people from all walks of life, the citizens are in shock as to what
hit them to vote for a man of Benedict Ayade’s Calibre as their governor, many
others are crying openly begging Liyel Imoke and God Almighty to take this
joker called Gov Ayade from them.
Gov Ben
Ayade has proven himself to be an infantile Gov with ears but can’t hear and
eyes that are permanently focus on superficial things. With so much money
that has entered the state, yet Ayade has not been able to cut the tape to
commission even one road project despite so many roads begging for attention,
this is a testimony that something is seriously wrong with Gov Ben Ayade.
Pensioners are dying every day because Gov Ben Ayade has refused bluntly to pay
them their gratuities and pensions which is their God given entitlement.
Records shows that about ₦199bn have
entered the state with nothing to show for the huge amount.
Given the stated scenario acted by the
incumbent Gov Ben Ayade who is a PDP Governor, can PDP be trusted to discard
with their infant – terrible governor and polish their image with a refined
candidate?, the answer is no. Because the incumbency factor will play out very
strongly in the days to come.
Having
reached this point of political desperation with hope diming, what do we do to
get ourselves out of the woods? This is a very tough question, but it is
questions that need urgent answer considering the times and seasons we are in
especially as 2019 is approaching.
Many suggestions and opinions have
been reeled out, starting with the mundane to the core reality. Some very
pertinent questions need clarification here; do we continue in PDP
as the ruling party in the state despite what is happening in the state come
2019?, or do we move to the ruling party at the centre – APC, and remove the
opposition ‘toga’ we are being covered with presently?
Another
vexing issue is that of the zone were Ben Ayade comes from – north. Do we
retained the governorship ticket in the north? or do we look elsewhere
for a more credible and widely acceptable person no matter the area, given the
fact that the governorship tickets has never been zoned in the political
history of the state to any senatorial district. These and many other
questions troubled and disturbed the minds, souls and bodies of not only the
political class, but every right minded and thinking Cross Riverians in and
outside the state.
The first step is to accept the fact that Gov.
Ben Ayade can no longer be our Governor come 2019, and as a state, we can’t
continue to play opposition by remaining in or insisting on PDP. We must move
to the ruling APC at the centre given the fact that nearly all our very best
have all moved and many are still moving to APC. For us to have a credible and
widely acceptable person who will command the respect of all as governor of the
state in 2019, we must align with the progressives at the centre.
In an
attempt to answer the next question which is – do we retain the governorship
tickets in the Northern senatorial district or take it to another area? Care
must be taken not to hurt the feelings of our brothers in the north clamoring
for a second term.
Therefore,
we must tread with caution. A stakeholders meeting of APC should handle this
very sensitive and delicate matter.
Looking at it from a more purist eyes, one is
tempted to conclude that given abysmal performance of Gov. Ayade from the
north, power should be left open for best to have it no matter were the person
comes from .It is therefore left to the political gurus to meet and fashion out
a pattern on how to go about the onerous task of picking one of their best for
this job.
Yet another
school of political thoughts have it that, without waste of time, power should
and must move to the southern senatorial district given their unblemished track
records under Governor Donald Duke, who as governor took the state from
obscurity to limelight and made the state the priceless bride of many suitors.
They argue further that governorship ticket
belongs to all the three senatorial districts since the state has never zoned
its governorship candidates to any district in the political life of the state.
Rather, performance has and should be the yardstick or benchmark for picking
someone for the toughest job in the state.
The spoke
person for this school of thoughts who beg for anonymity feels that the south
has what it takes to do the job. They went on to proposed a level playing field
without restriction, boasting that one of their very own whom they have been
nursing since for the topmost job in the state will pick the APC governorship
tickets for government house race in 2019.
What Cross River State need as governor is a
diligent and God fearing servant leader, a man of impeccable character, well
groomed, learned, pious, strong will, a technocrat with high level of
doggedness and political sagacity comparable only to the men of honour of yesteryears
Who will
occupy government house Calabar in 2019 is a billionaire question waiting for
the right answers.
Watch out
for next edition.
By Richard
Mgbe
Senior
correspondent
The Horn
Magazine
Abuja
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