Ogar Emmanuel Oko|6 November 2015|5:00am
It gives me absolute relief as I can now breathe at least a less polluted air. Not long ago, a pregnant woman gave birth prematurely due to the stench emanating from the over-flooded wheelie-bin
(refuse dump) on the neighborhood.
The environment was so polluted that even the lunatic deserted the site for their health’s sake. We were in the state of putrefaction. Thank God the contractors are managing to discharge their duties in a snailing manner. At least the sordid condition has been alleviated.
It is no fallacy to reiterate the established fact that Cross River State is a tourism hub in sub-Sahara Africa. Tourists are trooping in and out of the state. There are many beautiful sites to visit in the
state.
Whenever pyramid is mentioned, many people's thoughts tilts towards Egypt. However, as
unbelievable as you might think, Sudan has more numbers of pyramids than Egypt. Recently , some have been surprisingly discovered in Calabar. Well, bricks are commonly used to build pyramid. But, however, other debris such as wastes materials could as well suffice. How!? On major streets today in Calabar are heaps of perfectly made pyramids refuse.
The difference between the ones located in Sudan and Egypt and those ones in Calabar is that: our
own are eyesores and built with households' wastes. While theirs are constructed with the use of bricks and irksome to all and sundry.
The refuse disposal contractors are more political than the politician that contracted them. They are
like the people that govern us. Just like refuse bin opens its mouth to swallow any dirt that comes its
way, likewise do our politicians on the contrary vomit the content of their bowels just to woo the people. Most of them are so garrulous. They are considered wise in their own estimation and the electorates are seemingly folly as they think. They
see themselves as the Brobdingnagian and the masses as the Lilliputians. They perfected the art of political-gamesmanship over the poor people which they lord over. They are garbed in purple, linen and in gabardine whilst the masses have no curtain to cover their nakedness. With the scurry of their fluency, they can oratorically 'rend their garments' while their hearts remained unrepentant. Their
tongues have been coated with honey and their voices sounded sweet whenever they speak. They
prognosticate about the full moon during manifesto and thereafter forecast about the brighter sun when in office even when there is no star. They are very covetous and greedy of filthy lucre. They don’t
handle the peoples’ common wealth with dignity and prudence. The people are always deceived by them.
Once again, the set period where they come around to 'blow lies' is around the front burner. Local
government elections may probably be conducted by March, 2016 if all things work together for good. The people will all gather and the politicians will surely come to address them. The truth will never
proceed out of their mouths but bunches of polished lies that come in the likeness of truth. Though they
are selfish -but amongst them, we have dedicated ones. Most of the ones we see are the progenies of
the deceiver. They give with their left hands and collect it with right hands. This is one of the
characteristics of the devil.
The leadership of the Federal Government of Nigerian in her wisdom promised us ‘change’ as the core base of her party’s ideology –in change we believe. With the lines joining together, we see change coming gradually. This is acceptable as most of the moves are positively tilting towards the
cardinal principles of her electoral promises. The former prevailing and unpleasant political jar rocking the nation’s nerves and causing racking stomachache are gradually subliming. We were aware that nepotism was exalted; corruption was rife and the rule of law was down-casted and humbled. This was because the man at the top then, though ‘honest’ but became incompetent because he rode to the top on negative loyalty and puppeteering carriage. He played the stooge and when he realized to lead from his head and mind, the bridge has fallen and even though he hails from the coastline area, he couldn’t stroke across the ocean’s surge.
Back home, I mean Cross River. The state is blessed with two wonderful young and old men as her leaders. They are both scholars. The governor was a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, a successful businessman, a Barrister
and a Professor. His deputy was a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an excellent Vice Chancellor of the prestigious University of Calabar, an Agriculturist, an academic who rose through the rank and file to being a Professor. Wonderful!
Not too long ago, a friend (Father Paul) called me from the 'coal city' just to ascertain the veracity of the
news he heard about the conditions attached to be considered as a commissioner in the state. He asked if it was true that before one is given
appointment in the state, such a fellow would have to write aptitude text. I told him that I equally heard
that too. Nonetheless, so far I haven’t heard from any source
if any of the appointed aides or commissioners sat for aptitude text exercise. I would love to glance
though the questions if I might be sound enough to attempt it. Be it rumour or fact, this is the upshot of
political loquaciousness.
The erudite and ebullient governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Sen. Barr., Prof. Benedict Ayade is a man with different colours. When viewed from the vertical, he show up like a moon and when seen from the horizontal, he appears like the rising
sun of the dark. Your Excellency, what colour are you? Using political prism to detect you, I found out
that you dispersed multiple colours. The governor should understand my question aptly. He knows what I’m saying. This man is making numerous policy statements. These propositions of his are slowly proliferating into bureaucratic anomaly due to inadequate
proportionality of back-up action. He does that wherever he goes and his audience ignorantly applauds him.
Niran Adedokun of the Punch Newspaper wrote: “During campaigns, politicians make promises that they mostly never intend to keep and when they do,
exigencies could crop up to make such vows undeliverable, politicians expect their listeners to know ab initio that nothing they say is sacrosanct for much longer than when it is said, assuming otherwise is what they do not understand. Former French leader and statesmen, Charles De Gaulle,
said that politicians are surprised when people believe them because they do not even believe themselves”.
Of a truth, I must confess that I like the governor’s savvy and swagger. I’m not saying he is ostentatiously pompous and please don’t accuse
me of being sarcastic. That is just the truth. His profundity at making political speeches is so excellenct and pleasing to the ears—oh how I pity his audience that absorb every thing without flittering them on the scanning beam. The aftermaths are very dangerous. He is generous and
hospitable no doubt but those words he lavishes out during occasions must be sieved properly before it is taken for policy statement. Sometime last year, at one of the many activities
marking former governor Liyel Imoke’s political birthday celebration organized by a political pet-group that called herself, ‘Destiny Group” at cultural centre, our amiable governor—then a distinguished senator took to the podium with his usual dexterity.
He handled the microphone in style, confidently looked around and observed protocols. Then, many
other top shots have spoken. As he began to speak, the atmosphere was saturated and the once calmed
arena became electrified; and every body stood to cheer him. There he made his famous saying: “I’ll
not disappoint you, I’ll not overtake you, I’ll remain loyal to you…” only very few political pundits with
‘three ears’ could decipher those sophistry ciphered words.
Last year, prior to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary elections, the Northern Senatorial constituency PDP caucus organized a Kangaroo screening for all the aspirants desiring various elective positions. The event was held at the Ogoja Local Government Secretariat. For many reasons, some politicians boycotted the exercise. Mr. Jeddy Agba and Rev. Fr. Francis Eworo were among the strong contenders that kept their margins. Manifestoes were presented by the aspirants. Monies were given according to the depth of the aspirant’s purse. When it was set for our governor to present his, he walked majestically to the
elevated platform and began telling the people what they wanted to hear from him. He told the poor minds that if given the party’s ticket and eventually elected as governor of the state, the issues of the 76 oil wells would be dead and forgotten. He told the people that there are many ways that oil could be manufactured without necessarily having the crude oil. He said that his associates in United States of
America and Germany were currently doing that. That silicate (sand) can be synthesized in a
fractional distillation to produce oil. The people screamed. And he dropped the millions and the
chairman of the caucus, Adah Bekwara—Chief Linus Okom said, ‘no question’. Instantaneously, I
felt the cold hand of frost on my shoulder telling me —’boy, this is politics!’ what an act of political
demagogue!
My ears have been down to pick the tiniest information from the governor about the 76 oil wells
or the machinery put in place to begin the building of the refinery that would artificially synthesis sand into naturally occurring oil. So far I haven’t heard anything. Sir, maybe you have forgotten, please
don’t substitute this for any because this one will give you more feathers. Talk less and do more.
Liyel Imoke was a man of few words and highly reserved as a former governor. He was simple. People could hardly notice his appearing because fewer people followed him. Today, from a far distance, even a baby in the womb could understand
the emergence of the governor with the high blaring of sirens. Over 25 cars made up his convoy. I guess the longest in the world. Whenever
his convoy passes by, free flow of traffic is hampered and undue congestion builds up
immediately. As a physicist and acoustic technologist, I understand the health hazard such pitches of noise could cause to the human polis. This noise is worse than industrial noise. Its decibel
is very high.
This is just about six months since the inception of this administration and we are tired of this everyday
policy statement; junketing and gallivanting around in the paraphernalia of governor without addressing with action the matter of good governance is worrisome. The people would indeed appreciate a
workaholic governor and not a talkative person. The masses don’t need to be motivated by appealing
speeches – already, circumstances around have motivated people even long before now. Sometimes he wants to speak like those students’ unionists on campus politicking in their kparakpos. Everyone
understand that talking is cheap sometimes but not all the time. Ayade should minimize his frequent
talking and pay more attention to details.
Psychological researches have shown that people that talk too much are susceptible to forget too
often. When the trumpet makes an uncertain sound the people ends up in confusion.
May God grant Ayade the wisdom to govern well.
Ogar Emmanuel Oko
Is a Public Affairs Analyst & Social Commentator
