Former Cross River State deputy gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Wofai Ewa, says it is wrong for commissioner designates in the state to be compelled to present party membership cards before the Cross River State House of Assembly, CRSHA, as a requirement for clearance before the House.
Ewa who reacted as guest on “The Public View”, the Saturday morning news and current affairs programme on Cross River’s premier private radio station, Hit 95.9 FM, maintained that, “there is no proof that during the elections, only members of the APC voted for the governor. He is now governor of Cross River State and not governor of the APC and as such should be able to add to his pool of commissioners, people of other political parties. Yes he wants to reward those who worked with and for him, but that should not be sacrificed for, on the altar of politics or is sufficient capacity domiciled only in APC members ?”
He was impressed and commended state governor, Bassey Otu, for not picking his nominees from persons “who have long become ‘professional’ appointees, waiting at every turn for state government appointments as if it were a birthright, most of who we rightly know lack positive capacity, especially at such a critical time in our state, when so much repair work has to be done.”
Pressed to comment on the ministerial nomination of the duo of John Owan Enoh and Betta Edu, from Cross River State, Ewa, said the nominations did not come as a surprise to him. “Betta has worked her way through the political corridors in Abuja and is a very visible person. Owan Enoh was a gubernatorial candidate of the APC in CRS twice and muscled enough political clout that was noticed at the centre; if anybody was going to be politically patronized with a ministerial appointment from CRS, it was going to be him”, he said.
He also firmly disagreed with the practice of sending names to the Senate and Houses of Assembly, without attaching proposed portfolios. “If the portfolios are attached, it will provide us with a greater evaluation of candidate opportunity. I am not comfortable with the assignment of portfolios after screening”, he declared. Several listeners who called in, shared Ewa’s line of thoughts.
