Efio-Ita Nyok|27 January 2016|6:50am
In his new year message to all Cross Riverians broadcasted on 1 January 2016 on Cross River Broadcasting Corporation(CRBC), the state media station, the Executive Governor of the state, Prof. Sen. Ben Ayade, amidst other things, was heard to itemise fourteen things his administration intends to execute in the year 2016. And they include, but may not be limited to:
1. The commissioning of the Calabar Garment Factory
2. Commissioning of the Calabar monorail
3. Activation of the Green Police,
4. Completion of the de-bushing of the superhighway corridor
5. Completion of the detailed design and securing approval for the deep seaport construction from the Federal Executive Council,
6. Commencement of the dredging of the seaport,
7. Completion of the detailed design and
preconstruction work of Calas Vegas and other two new cities, one in each senatorial district
8. Construction of 5000 housing units for the no-income and low income earners
9. Reconstruction of the Health and Education system,
10. Establishment of the state microfinance bank to provide soft loans for teeming youths,
11. Substantially stabilizing power and water supply in Calabar,
12. Push to obtain the concession of the Calabar-Itu federal road,
13. Creation of new urban forests for climate change and
14. Finding oil and gas deposits in our land.
While the above itemised features may be referred to as 'executive projections for the year 2016', the present author intends to label them 'anticipated lies of the Ben Ayade administration for the year 2016'. This pessimistic inclination is informed by the fact that the Governor of CRS is reputed by the media, political actors and the over 3 million Cross Riverians, which he superintendent over, to be a very mouthy or loquacious public office holder, if you don't mind.
For instance, the Governor, immediately he was sworn into office promised that he would provide 1000 jobs to the teeming youthful population in the state before the expiration of his first 100 days as governor; Ayade didn't only fail to meet that promise but has also failed to explain why he could not fulfil it.
Secondly, the Governor promised to commission the monorail from Tinapa to Calabar on the 20th of December 2015, Cross Riverians are still waiting to see whether there will be another December 2015 within which he will commission this project because the actual '20 December' is now history and so is his monorail; and yet the government doesn't think there should be any explanation for this characteristic 'promise and fail' attitude. Even Mrs. Rosemary Archibong, the Commissioner for Information, seem not to see reasons why she should rationalise the failure of her principal.
Again, His Excellency assured Cross Riverians of the certainty of already existing investors for his 'signature projects', namely, the Israeli based Broad Spectrum Limited which research by Ifere Paul suggest is a Nigerian firm based in Port Harcourt whose Board of Directors was recently reconstituted, an allegation which HE is yet to or probably cannot refute.
Besides, the Garment Factory(GF), Green Police(GP), Deap Sea Port, and the list continues seem to have very grey dimensions to the beingness. In view of this and other issues it is strongly believed by the present author that the Executive Governor of Cross River State will not fulfil his promise neither will he offer explanation my for his characteristic failure. He will succeed in making further promises as the need arises.
An insightful look at these promise-and-fail features suggest that the governor's promissory note revolves around:
*Infrastructural Development:
Super Highway, Monorail, Water, Power,
*Commerce:
State Micro Finance, Deep Seaport,
*Urban Development
New Cities, Housing
*Health
Reconstructing health system
*Education
Reconstructing educational system
*Oil
Finding oil and gas deposits
*Tourism
New Urban forest, New Cities,
*Employment
Green Police, Garment Factory, etc.
These nine categories are what a state, with a gargantuan debt profile of N440 billion, a bulky budget of N350 billion and a lean annual revenue of N100 billion will attempt to grapple with. I must confess that these aspirations are novel.
The superhighway and deep seaport alone requires N900 billion(€500 million). His Excellency has not been able, until now, to raise a bank guarantee of N125 billion, a prerequisite for investors to look the way of Ayade's larger than life ambitions. If Ayade can't raise 25% bank guarantee, how will he provide the remaining 75%? Again the Monorail couldn't be commissioned on 20 December 2015 without any explanation. This ultimately implies that 'Infrastructural development' isn't feasible.
The deep seaport, according to critics, isn't realisable considering what a deep seaport means. We don't have the economic weight to bring this executive ambition into reality. The ill-fate that is impending on the 'signature projects' will implicitly impact its component deep seaport evidently.
The Green Police is gradually becoming a pariah. First, we were told that HE would employ into his GP and Garment Factory(GF) in the first one hundred-days in office. Ayade failed and woefully failed to tender an explanation either from himself or his aide why that ambition didn't materialise. It seems to me that the GP maybe an avenue were HE intends to swindle unsuspecting westerners to deposit money into a dubious account.
The only things that look realisable are the state micro finance bank, Garment Factory, Reconstructing health and education systems, Housing, Water and power(seven of them). But the question is: Does Governor Ben Ayade have the political will to execute these projects? His body language suggest/put him in negative light especially considering that HE is loquacious. Besides, some see him as a capitalist who is in Government House to recoup the cash he sunk into her elections and further amass some wealth. The implication is that in the midst of the absence of political will and the lean resources we have, I make bold to say that, the 14 highlighted subjects will not be realisable. It maybe that the over 3 million Cross Riverians are actually in a 'one-chance' politically inferring. Our collective fate as a people may have been mortgaged. Is this how we will continue until 2019? However, I still stand to be corrected.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven effioitanyok@gmail.com
