Thomas Abi Jr|19 October 2015|5:30am
Your Excellency, let me use this medium to congratulate you on your visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on the proposed Super highway that is to be flagged off on Tuesday 20, by Mr. President. And also commend you on some of your appointments you have announced. You can recall that in one of my articles I wrote " Before Governor Ayade Appoints His Cabinet". I urged you to bring in men and women who are savvy in their careers. The choice of Dr. Stephen Odey as Chairman SUBEB is a welcome development, looking at his track record as an educationist and a seasoned administrator I will say it is well thought out.
Sir, in recent time, the people of the State have experienced a lot of hardship in terms of water supply, the residents of Calabar metropolis rely on the Cross River State Water board for their water, but it is rather unfortunate that water, that is a necessity is now a luxury in the State. Let me thank you for appointing Ntufam Ekpo Okon as Chairman of the Cross River State Water Board Ltd; but sir, you must charge him to deliver on one of the SDGs goals which is "provision of portable water".
Sir, there are a wide spread speculation on those who will be your commissioners, it is my candid opinion that those who are to be commissioners of Health, Education, Agriculture, Environment, Finance and Lands should be very knowledgeable in their field of specialization. Our State is in dire need of technocrats, I will plead that you use technocrats in these ministries rather than politicians.
You are a man that has earned the respect and love of the youth, I will plead that young men be carried along as Commissioners and Special Advisers. It is a well known fact that most of the men who lead us were in their twenties and thirties. The youths and women believe so much in your ideology, right from your days in the senate, it is my prayer that you consider them worthy of handling key positions in government. Our State, is surrounded by very bright young men and women who can add value, it is my hope that they be given a place in your government, considering the fact that you are also a young man who saw it all as a youth.
Sir, as part of your developmental drive, I plead that you urge the new Chairman of SUBEB Dr. Stephen Odey to speedily look into the problems of poor educational facilities in the Primary and Secondary schools in the State, lack of trained teachers, and also poor teaching condition in our schools.
My Governor, please, speedily announce your cabinet, but in doing that, ensure that the men who are going to help you run your government are very savvy and well experienced. Do not allow politicians cajole you into announcing them when they do not really have anything to offer, because at the end of the day, it is "Ayade" that is going to face the name calling and tongue wagging.
I heard your party submitted a list of two persons per ward across the 196 wards in the State, please do not rely only on those names sent to you. They are many persons who can actually deliver on your policy thrust but were caught out due to the two names submitted. I beseech you to look inwardly and do a thorough review of each ward and Local government before announcing your cabinet. Some of the persons that were not included were not included due to either they are not toying the line of their ward leaders or local government Caucus. To say the least, I will suggest you carry out more in depth review of the list before giving out appointments. In following just your party's list, you may end up bringing shenanigans as your cabinet members. Please, the people of the state desire to see "Politics with Ethics" through your government. The common man in Cross River State needs to see through transformation and not persons who have programmed their mind at looting from our common patrimony.
Your Excellency, some media reports have quoted you as not recycling your government with old and past commissioners from the previous government, I think that is a welcome development. Bringing in new appointees is a welcome development, but they should be men and women of unquestionable character who can pilot the affairs of the State without fear of favoritism. I will urge that you appoint men who can argue with you in key sectors of the State. I will say that you bring in technocrats and seasoned administrators in key areas of the State. People who can add value to your policy thrust and also galvanize support for you through attracting investors and the private sector to invest in your signature project.
My Governor, the hope and faith in you is so much. It is my prayer that God has brought you to salvage Cross River State from economic crunch, hunger, poverty and stagnation. Let God use you to change the fortunes of the common man.
Prince Thomas Abi Jr.
Is a Public Affairs Analyst/Social Commentator
