Obasesam Okoi|23 November 2015|12:00am
Introduction
This is sample of the voices of Cross Riverians based on critical responses to my recent posts
concerning Ayade’s government. I have organized the various perceptions into specific themes
(though inconclusive yet) to give the reader a nuanced understanding of the complex challenge confronting the governor and the urgent need to
change his ways. My candid opinion is that I have never seen a leader so rejected by his people within
six months in power. READ
1. A GOVERNOR WITH NO CLEAR VISION
*Ignatius Oli: “Your keen observations are in sync with the thinking of the people. I had a long chat yesterday with a senior friend and we talked about how our governor needs policy advisers and that he also need to look within Cross River for possible short term investment and then find a way to
communicate his vision clearly.
*Aben Emmanuel: “A vision driven by defined choices and a constant relationship with the populace
stimulate synergy and goodwill, the absence which throws up suspicion and antagonisms.”
*Catherine Anani: "Unbelievable, I was thinking this government will bring a transformation to the people
of Cross River State. What is our mission and vision statement in Cross river State? Hmmm God help our leaders."
2. LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
*Enor Ikpi: “Sure we want good roads in Cross River.But…We are told the state will not use debt to
finance the road construction, but the financiers will require a Bank Guarantee from a Nigerian bank. A
bank guarantee from a perspective is treated as a loan in the Bank's books. When the guarantee crystalizes it defaults into a loan for the government. Our debt burden is prolonged and the future of our children will also be mortgaged to the project financiers.”
*Francis Edet: "His Excellency Prof. Ben Ayade SA on Media and Public affairs should show case their selves in social media platforms to educate us on the structures or policies of his boss. I also wish the
governor will create space for his deputy governor to assist in administration. I rest my case."
3. MISPLACED PRIORITIES
*Jubi Asuquo: “If only our leaders can think enough what we have is more than enough. It will seem to
early to criticize. But my humble suggestion is that Prof Ayade should start from where he his. Firstly, the garment industry which was proposed to be a 100 days project will have been achievable if it was sited in one of the wasted emporiums in Tinapa Resort. So, the governor should sit down and think
with his cabinet members instead of operating a one man squad. Plans are nothing, planning everything. The entire system is in jeopardy, and the people are suffering. The governor should listen more and talk less if he will succeed. The power of good leadership anchors on the leader's ability to give a listening ear to his people instead of acting in isolation. He has wonderful and brilliant ideas but
implementation: seems to be zero. And I'm forseeing a government where his commissioners will be in office without work to do. So is right time to do something before it is too late. May God help him.”
*Mfawa Rafi: "frankly, our state is crawling to doom. Too much grammar with less action. So much
Akintola's fashion of motorcade, in fact old-fashioned stupidity, a one-man show .Maybe very soon our children in the public schools will be
instructed to stand by the way side and wave whenever the big boss passes. Three cheers of sarcasm for the morning, afternoon and evening. A form of governance for friends, a type of 419 personified. What a lose! The Donalds are jewels and most times irreplaceable."
*Samuel Solomon Onoyom: "My take is that the government should go into the deplorable state of
internal roads within calabar metropolis. We are about to host the world next month yet most of the
roads within calabar are impassable."
4. CORRUPTION
Ogon Bonaventure Ojar: " Ayade is a scam in CRS."
*Amiokama Ofem: "Some persons may think Ayade is confused but I keep saying that Ayade is an
intelligent-cum-international crook that is merciless towards the state and it's citizenry…calculating
every move to his interest not the interest of the state and its citizenry ."
*Victor Adaha: “Just a few of us saw this from the onset. The whole process that saw most of the office holders was very corrupt. He even worsened it with his league of advisers. The major problem is
that the gullible (am sorry to be frank) people of the state exalted him way too much above normal, they felt he was the saviour. Their sense of reasoning was clouded by figments of their feign imaginations,
that they couldn’t see above their nose. The state has to put up with their choice for the next 4 years,
because the only way out which would have been the House, is firmly under his control. A rubber
stamp house indeed. That's my apolitical and rational analysis devoid of primordial sentiments.”
*Iwara Daniels Omini: “Even the civil service commission should be blamed. They are selling employment forms they should give out freely.
5. BROKEN PROMISES
*Nash Bassey: “As a leader,when you raise the expectations of your followers by both body gestures and public statements, and yet fail to bring those expectations to fruition, you make yourself a subject of mockery before the persons you lead.”
*Mark Eteng Awala: “Unemployment and crisis of
expectation can be a catalyst for youth restiveness, the Governor has to be careful not to set the entire
state on fire, the docility of our youths shouldn't be taken for granted, the time is now to act. Some of us who were his avid supporters are gradually
withdrawing our support as we no longer believe he can deliver on his promises. Let the Governor
refrain from making promises and direct his energies towards revamping the state economy to
boost employment opportunities for the teeming youths, let him always do preliminary studies and design of projects before pronouncements so he could be taken seriously by the citizenry.”
*Elder Omini: “The Prof. we heard about in the senate years back is the governor today. He makes and
executes laws to only favour his doings. The CRSHA is done with the screening of Commissioners three
weeks now, what is his excuse? He has empowered his brothers as SA's and friends, awarded contract to his friends and villagers, so what does he owe us Cross Riverians? Travelling? When we said we needed experienced administrator
as governor others needed book wormers. Here we are facing pure negative change. He said we will not go to bed hungry but he is the worst. He promised us sound sleep but we can't keep our eyes close
and even see dreams without sleeping. He asked us to vote for him for better and the small benefits we derive from our political fathers from past administration had all battered away and story of hard times has become a daily caption and headline from politicians and civil servants. The governor is
fake and his promises empty. Yes the civil service commission also need to survive; they sit in the
office with no imprest, no allowance nor overtime. The question is what are the Big Boys doing in the
House? Where is the transparent representation they promised us? What will be their story by 2019?
There is God..ooo.”
6. LACK OF DIRECTION
*Bernard Okoi: “He really needs to step back and give his government some direction.”
*Ifere Paul: “Direction and communication of the direction so chosen in order that we are not made blind in our path to our destination.”
*Mfawa Rafi : "A moving device that moved with a wrong gear ends in the workshop. Ask the road runner."
*Akah Pius: “The problem is not in the money or budgetary provision but policy framework, model,
direction, issues bordering on due process and international best practices in the conduct of
government business and development. I still believe Ayade has good visions for the state but
this belief is dwindling by day hence the need for reappraisal.”
7. DISREGARD FOR LOCAL TALENTS
Agba Jalingo: "Your observation is right Obas and I quarrel with that line of thinking. Unfortunately, he is
following a horrible trend. Remember we are a still
battling with the N2.4 billion loan guarantee for Ebonylife TV from Lagos while home grown media."
*Francis Edet: “I know the training I have received from CRUTECH and what I can give out from other
experiences I have gotten during my industrial training from an Italian construction firm Gitto. I wish our dear Governor will respond to us, because most of us are tired of still waiting for the super highway to commence so we can see how to get employment there.”
*Emmanuel Ayang: “In same light I picked bones in a comment made by 'one kind' senator representing
us in Abuja when she said that CRS does not have competent hands to stop the 'development of
underdevelopment' in our dear state. The real challenge in all of this, is typically the self interest of
those who make the decisions' to bring in the so called 'foreign experts', it's not that Ayade and his
crew do not know that we have competent hands to deal with our developmental issues. They can't
involve our own cause they'll be too embarrassed to explain the margin in terms of cost.”
*Awo Best: "This is one of the Nigeria major problem instead of promoting our own cultural heritage they rather spend unnecessarily promoting the foreigners,and the next thing is to talents as been
local while people from other nations looks up to us as the best creative nation, please lets make
ourselves valuable. We got what the whole world wants."
*Williams Eteng Bassey: "That is exactly the problem. We have fail in respecting our cultural heritage, our indigenous technology. Until we stop depending on transferred technology, we will keep on spending huge amount of money in things that are not relevant. Let's developed our indigenous know how so that we can be self reliant."
*Nasopolo Jnr: "It's really Bad…he seem not to see local talents which is very bad…local actors gat to
buy forms to get auditioned in other to get featured for free…that alone makes me sick…na wow!"
8. LOSS OF CREDIBILITY
*Nkanu Stability Ubi: “Is having a professor as governor and deputy governor a blessing or a curse? Seriously the youths need a lot of
sensitization on how to prevail on the leaders and demand for their legitimate rights.”
*Anthony Bissong Attah: “Ordinarily, it should have been a blessing but in our case, it is almost turning out to be a curse. May God deliver us.”
*Francis Edet: “The governor is a very big curse.”
*Ibomi Cletus: “May the lord almighty deliver us from this evil and wicked government.
*Tawo Bravo Onawu: “Party Semantics notwithstanding, performance is a product of our
innate quality. Ayade in my opinion is a far cry from a man who is ready to ink his achievements in gold.”
*Efio-Ita Effiom Nyok: “Please don't relate the professoriate Ayade with the highly esteemed discipline called 'Philosophy'. He is not a
philosopher either by training or by natural default. They said he is an environmental expert, but I have
every justification to doubt that tag: he couldn't conduct an ordinary EIA for his propagandist Signature projects (Dual Carriage High way).
*Godwin Ibiang: "Our governor @ Ayade has suddenly lost focus in less than six months in office, pls cross riverians we have to wake up now and resolutely correct some of the wrongs he committed before its too late."
9. NEED FOR TECHNOCRATS
*Jimmy Abua: “I urge Governor Ayade to shun nepotism and make amends. It is not too late! The
Governor should bring in technocrats with acumen into his administration to liberate the state from economic quagmire. The Governor should also come with a clear and defined vision and policy trust which his administration is anchored on.”
10. POWER LIES WITH THE PEOPLE
*Barr John Ebri: “I pray that he realise early enough the dangers inherent among some intellectuals that think they can do that which is beyond their powers. No! They can only do that which is within their
powers. Just as u've pointed out, the guy needs an inner circle of unbiased & unfeigned men to enable
him succeed in his governance. “
*Kenyoh Offem: “We should be bold to tell our elected leaders, our truth from what we see and how we see it. And the hope is that we are
enlightened by them to their truth and how they hope to bring their vision to fruition.”
*Joseph Odok: “Truth heals.”
*Juliet Ibiang: “How many of us are willing to give up our life for the betterment of our children yet
unborn? Who is willing to set the pace like Nnamdi Kanu of the Biafran movement? Do we have the
mind?
*Ben Itam: "Ayade has only one tenure to rule blc in 2019 he wil nt scale trow wit dis his attitude."
11. LACK OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS
*Eno Beké Ikwen: "Ayade is smart and sweet talking. He has vision. He is brilliant no doubt. He is a
successful business. He has a good heart, but he lack the required leadership skills to lead a state.
He is too arrogant, too pomp, too oversabi. And that's what will bring him down. Like I once said, he
loves being seen as a saviour. So he surrounds himself with people who worship him. People he can scold and tutor and shout down on. He is a poor team builder."
12. DISREGARD FOR DUE PROCESS
*Daniel Ubana: "These theories are always stack realities – urbanization, rural transformation and industrialization all work well and sink well when impacts are felt. But in our climes, they always hang in the cloud and the common man,
unemployed youth, the child bearing mothers, etc are often not merged in these theories consideration. What people are complaining about Ben Ayade is that while his intention is to drive the State towards industrialization, he should also seek the opinion of others in this beautiful mission so that he they should also feel that their inputs also matter. For instance, these projections by His Excellency
are all couched without an Executive Council where
deliberations and brain storming ought to have taken place. In any case, it was not too proper for a
State government to present a budget also without an Executive Council. All this made the people to
think that the Governor is acting in a hurry and without due consideration for the people he is
directing?"
*Ifere Paul: "Millions are going to bed hungry and sick now. The "Deep Vision Budget" will send us all to our graves."
*Allen Obonga: "90% of the people will probably trek to the carnival jamboree on foot, and trek back
home on same tired foot, whereas the governor and his political associate that make up the remaining 10% will drive home in escorted SUVs. To me, it is an abnormally."
*Nasopolo Jnr: "It's really Bad…he seem not see local talents which is very bad…local acts gat to buy forms to get auditioned in other to get featured for free…that alone makes me sick…na wow!"
*Catherine Anani: "Unbelievable, I was thinking this government will bring a transformation to the people
of Cross River State. What is our mission and vision statement in Cross River State? Hmmm God help our leaders."
13. SYCOPHANCY
*Daniel Ubana: “The problem we have in leadership'is sycophancy especially in Cross River State.”
*James Eban: “Enough of this grammar and blame game, the president has asked for time why not Ayade? Please, the governor has multi social media and medium of public opinion, send your complaint
or suggestion, we all must contribute this time, not side talk.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am highly excited by what I am reading and have decided to take it to the next level by creating a
governance index that will help us to understand how Cross River citizens legitimize and delegitimize
the government, how they express their grievances against authoritarian leadership, and how they construct their struggle for transparent and accountable governance. We will use the index to
enlighten ourselves so that our silence will not be taken for granted anymore.
Obasesam Okoi
Is a Canadian University Don
