By John Akpa
Expediently, certain clarifications have to be made so that we do not ascribe greatness to lesser things. One writer in a haste has recently referred to Sen. Jarigbe Agom, the Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District as “the latest Cross River leader to subscribe to the state’s culture of petition/letter writing against themselves.” His puerile view reflects his laboured thought pattern as well as desire to be counted as someone who, because he has the opportunity to say something, embarks on saying anything.
“A day after the news of the Christmas visit of Northern Governors, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa State to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State made it way to the mediaspace,(sic) Agom wrote a letter, sponsored in national dailies and some local blogs disparaging Ayade and asking Northerners to practically avoid his own Governor”, one Inyali Peter wrote.
Matter of factly, who doesn’t disparage Ayade? In all sincerity, unless blinded by warped choice(s), so many Cross Riverians have come to the conclusion that Governor Ben Ayade’s tenure at the helm of affairs in the state, remain a case study in how not to administer a state. Come to think of it, who, ‘elected’ to public office, designates a brother as “co-governor”, proceeding to brazenly accord that brother, Lord of the Manor status? Because the largely peaceful people of CRS have kept quiet, the governor reasoned it was a sign of cowardice and emphatically foraged the resources of our dear state like a blind caterpillar. Of course the day of reckoning by the corner, beckons.
If Ayade’s Signature Projects and how he brought Nigeria’s President to perform the ground breaking of a super highway project he knew would never hit the ground running, isn’t DECEIT, then Inyali, who writes in a hurry, clearly embraces DECEIT as a normal order of things. Or should we talk about the futuristic CalasVegas project or the litter of deceitful activities at the equally deceitful Ayade Industrial Park? What is obvious cannot be overemphasized.
The truth, especially when it is told to the Ayade’s and his ilk, can only be uninspiring because it peels away layers of self denial, revealing the things they only accept in secret. For whoever, to fly the lie that, Jarigbe Agom’s disagreement of Ayade’s loose governance style and lame tact is a personal way of elevating a “culture of petition writing” is very unfortunate and laughable.
There is a further claim that Jarigbe’s recent disagreement with Ayade is inspired by “the governor’s rumoured presidential ambition.” If Ayade has such an ambition, it remains in a horror-ravaged dream. Whatever has brought on such an ambition appears not to be of God. To choose this Christmas season to ventilate this ‘ambition’ is the work of people very far from God.
On the rash assumption that CRS is “…the only state in Nigeria without recognized national leaders that indigenes of the state can rally around for opportunities…”, let our hearts not be heavy, it is a lie. We are an unconquered generation, not by default, but deliberately because those we follow, must not compel us to follow them, we must be convinced that the movement is in the right direction before we can follow. See, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe is a MOVEMENT beyond this state, something that hurts the Ayade group, where followership is a long, tortous and compelled trek. Food touches tables there with whips and nothing is assured.
Oh, before we forget, the said Inyali is from Utugwang. He cannot deny that in just two months as Senator, Jarigbe doesn’t have a solar street light project in Utugwang, where he comes from so he doesn’t get lost when he saunters out in his village. There is a school block project in Akurunyi in Bekwarra, where the Bekwarra Paramount Ruler comes from. There is also an on-gong construction of a school block in Kutiang, Obudu, the construction of solar street lights in Obanliku and several others.
In Ogoja/ Yala Federal Constituency, where he represented the people until he became a Senator, Jarigbe has at least three projects in all of the 24 Wards that make up the constituency, even Ayade cannot deny this.
Sincerely, don’t our people still drink water that is brownish in colour from stagnant ponds? Don’t our children still learn under trees? Aren’t our primary health care facilities dilapidated and not equipped? Has the mortality rate in our state increased because healthcare services have been upgraded during Ayade’s administration? Can we, in good conscience support Ayade for even the position of Councillor? We are no blind bats.
Thank you to the Northern governors for visiting our state, it was eye opening and disappointing. The governors were disappointed because too many lies were fed them. For reasons that will be explained in the immediate future, these reasons will be kept under lock and key until when it becomes absolutely necessary to bring forth these reasons.
Let Ayade dream his sweat soaked dreams, nobody is deceived because Ayade is mocking himself, even if all of the North of Nigeria visits him…he is simply like they say in local parlance, “bad market”.
John Akpa, wrote in from Abuja.
The views expressed are solely those of the writer.
