DEMOCRACY DAY BROADCAST: Office of the Commissioner for Health, CRS

Efio-Ita Nyok|30 May 2016|6:40am

Below is the Democracy Day official broadcast from CRS Ministry of Health under the watch of the indefatigable Honourable Commissioner Inyang Asibong. Commissioner Asibong summarises her speech in the following words: ‘Health is best viewed as a collective responsibility of both the government and the governed. Let’s take personal responsibility for our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing as government will not relinquish its responsibility to the citizenry’. What follows is the full script of her speech:

My fellow Cross Riverians,

One of the classical definition of democracy has it that it is ‘government of, by and for the people’. Captured differently, democracy is people-centric and person-oriented as well.

Recently, health has been perceived world over as a holistic concept that encompasses the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the individual/people.

One understand therefore that health is a vital component of the human person. Democracy therefore in being person/people-centric implies health. It is in view of this that public policy of any government, whether federal, state or local, must give health it’s deserving paramount place.

This has explained why under my watch priority has been given to primary and community health because of its grassroots paraphernalia. 

Beyond this, within the anniversary under review, there have been high level engagement of critical stakeholders, collaboration, etc at all levels, whether federal, state or local governments as well as the private sector (Public Private Partnership, PPP) in view of materialising the health agenda of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, who in his ‘politics with ethics’ envisions the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of all Cross Riverians.

 In the remaining years ahead, my Ministry is poised to delivering more and beyond on the campaign promises and policy statement of His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade.

On a parting note, I wish to charge every Cross Riverian to sustain their faith in the health policy of the Ben Ayade led Cross River State Government. Patriotism entails that even when there is a disparity in ideology, there should still be support for the ruling government. 

Health should be best viewed as the collective responsibility of both the government and the governed. So, as individuals, let’s take personal responsibility for our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing as government will not relinquish it’s ultimate responsibility to the citizenry.

Long live Gov Ben Ayade led state administration!
Long live Cross River State!
Long live Nigeria’s democracy!

Dr. Inyang Asibong
Honourable Commissioner
Cross River State Ministry of Health.

Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)