By Bullem Obi
Perhaps unknown to many Cross Riverians, had state governor, Ben Ayade not employed tact in the selection process that threw up Tina Agbor as the Secretary to the State Government, chances are that the Boki born lawyer would never have been selected to take up the position, as the selection of a Secretary to the Cross River State Government almost became a thorn in the flesh for Ben Ayade, www.calitown.com can exclusively report.
Sources within the Boki political class say three persons, Jake Otu Enyia, Attah Ochinke and Mark Obi, were neck-deep in separate attempts to fill the position when it became clear that the CR Central Senatorial District and Boki LGA in particular was going to produce the SSG. While Jake Enya and Mark Obi, have had the political luxury of representing Boki in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Attah Ochinke on the other hand has functioned in one government capacity or the other since 1999. Our sources say when it became obvious that the trio of Enyia, Obi and Ochinke, may not represent the greater wishes of the Boki people if made SSG, a meeting of Boki stakeholders was put together at the instance of the governor to find a way around the situation.
After series of widely circulated invitations were sent out, the meeting went ahead with several of those at the meeting insisting by popular opinion that the trio must make way for a new face. A source at the meeting insisted to www.calitown.com that, “these three men cannot continue to be the standard political beneficiaries of all positions coming to Boki. We looked beyond them and brought Tina Agbor who if you recall contested and won elections on the defunct ACN platform, but endured the political misfortune of being manipulated out of an election victory that was hers. Besides, she has the education, cognate experience and necessary exposure to function in the capacity”.
When the decision to ditch the trio in favour of Agbor was communicated to Ayade, he is said to have wasted no time in appointing and announcing her as SSG, to the approval and thunderous applause of several Boki people. Agbor has since resumed duty.
