Board member, Cross River State Environment and Carbon Emission Board, Thomas Okpashi, has informed www.calitown.com that he is the candidate to beat from Boki I State Constituency when elections into the Cross River State House of Assembly are conducted next year.
Okpashi who exchanged views with www.calitown.com, added that his administrative experience in the private sector spanning a period cannot be swept under the carpet as the race for the job gathers momentum. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on whose platform he is running, he says, can attest to the fact that he has been a loyal party man who has tirelessly worked at improving the fortunes of the party, in Boki and the state.
If elected, Okpashi says he will present to the warring Boki communities, a properly articulatd road map for peace that will once and for all tackle the fragile peace situation in the communities. “We cannot continue to live like we did in the dark ages, fighting and killing each other, I am concerned about this painful distortion to how we have always lived as brothers and sister; I am concerned and will pursue to a logical conclusion, peaceful solutions for our people and legislations centred around their needs”, he emphasised.
For youths in the constituency, Okpasi believes that, “we deviated when we abandoned town hall meetings and communal activities that encouraged integration and bonding, things at the core of our existence. This abandonment came with negatives that elevated defiance to our traditional institutions and rendered innate communal checks and balances ineffective. I have thought out a blueprint that will gradually draw attention to the positives of strengthening our traditional institutions which in turn will help us take our communities away from the incessant clashes that have torn us apart. It is a huge task, but God will make all of this workable for our collective good”, he maintained.
Continuing, ” Boki elites have tried, but we cannot rest on our oars because we are presently in the news for all the wrong reasons. Responsible as we all appear, we must demonstrate that responsibility, identify and quell cult activities, encourage standard agricultural practices that will help our people live better. Holistically the elites have done their best in the face of limitations… On a scale of one to ten, they have done their best.”
He concluded by thanking Boje and Abu ward for conceding the position to Eastern Boki. “They zoned this position to us; recall that Beebo/Bumaji has had it, Buenstbe has just left the chairmanship position, the logical thing which has been done is to allow Alankwu, my ward to take a shot at the position. I will not disappoint.”
I agree that you are the candidate to beat but don’t rest on oar’s… There’s a lot of work to be done.