Ifere Paul|3 July 2016|6:23am
* Where are Green Police successful candidates posted to? Under what ministry? I have not seen any other Green Police personnel on uniform other than the Inspector General of Green Police. Please any other person who has seen GP officer other than Ben Ayade should please post the picture below this thread as update.
* Where are those widows shortlisted for the Garment Factory undergoing their training? If they have already started, where are they training? I mean, which part of the world if not in Calabar?
* The Green Police were promised 35,000.00 Naira as salaries or stipends. Is it the same 35,000.00 that those in the Garment Factory would be paid?
* Looking at the State minimum wage, won't it be a breach of the State civil service rules to start GP & GF over 18,759.00 Naira? Can a State government pay some of its workers higher than other? Especially those just employed? Wouldn't that create labour lockjam over salary discrepancy and or discrimination?
* Mr Governor, you've signed MoU with the government of Canada to build technical colleges in the three senatorial districts. The question you have not answered is whether the technical colleges will be post secondary or a post primary curriculum?
* It is important that I bring to your notice that we do have technical colleges in the State. The St Patrick Technical College, Ikot Ansa in Calabar, and the St Patrick Technical College in Ugep. There might be other technical colleges in the State facing obscurity. Perhaps, you will need to borrow a leaf from Abia State that did not build new technical schools but used the existing ones to drive in his new vision. Unlike you, your colleague in Abia State invited the Australian Government to Abia. They immediately signed the MoU there, and immediately commenced training of primary education teachers in the State. A selected group of teachers were used for the training. These teachers, have on their own commenced training of other teachers across Abia State. The technical schools in Abia State has received revival subvention for refurbishment and restocking of equipment. Over 10,000 students are being trained in different skills now.
Your Excellency, do you know that Abians are fighting against the removal of their governor because of his people friendly policies? I bet you Cross Riverians will jubilate any moment the Supreme Court kicks you out of office. May that never happen.
Anyway, in between your technical colleges from Canada, where do we keep the existing technical colleges in the State? Most importantly, where do you place the Highbury ITM Ugep?
* You promised that in April of 2016, investors from China will commence the implementation of all signed MoUs. Your Excellency, today is 2nd July, 2016. Perhaps you may need to explain to Cross Riverians if they have changed their minds. Or was that your April Fool's joke?
* You promised Cross Riverians a digital superhighway. Your efforts to actualize this has been so encouraging. I admire your courage and dexterity. I truly wish you could return back to the drawing board to start a professional EIA of international standard. Don't you think you have been wasting our lean resources debushing the road that has now been over taken by weeds? Have you been told that your kid brother Frank Ayade organised a paid protest while you were in Canada? I must inform you that the Ministry of Environment is not happy about that protest. They, like everyone thinks it was sponsored to twist arms.
* We are still waiting for our rice city, Calavegas city, Nostradamus city, and Centrelis city. You told us that by June, 2016, groundbreaking for these cities will have taken off. What is delaying this wonderful ideas even though the names of the cities sounds like stories in children play book?
* You signed an MoU for the biggest poultry farm to be sited in Africa. You said the hatchery will roll out 1500 chicks a day. Such an enterprise according to my calculation will have employed about 800-1000 people. Perhaps you can also revisit the MoU agreement in order to see what's delaying the take off of that wonderful idea. Don't you think we can start with a hatchery of 500 birds? Think about it Your Excellency, because July 13th, 2015 was when you made this promise that in a year from then, the poultry farm will be operational. Is it 95% completed already?
* Your Excellency Sir, our Cross River Pharma is a very wonderful idea. It is long over due for commissioning. Is the President or wives of the President coming? Today is 2nd of June, 2016. In September last last, you made the promise that by 1st of June, 2016 everything would have been okay.
* That reminds me Your Excellency too, that each time the monorail is struggling to drive its short distance, people are running around and about it. Is that how we will continue the operation of the monorail?
It is important that I inform you that the monorail is not properly installed. Here is my reason: the Destination Calabar lines between coaches does not overlap perfectly. This is as a result of mistakes in hydraulic balancing. If you watch the aerial view, even though at a slow pace, you will notice that some of the coaches are taller than others. I will bet with you that if that monorail goes 60k/per hour, it will go off it tracks. Please for safety reasons, they should rebalance it and then reinstall. What do you think?
* These are some of the questions and suggestions in my mind. Like always, I will be there to remind you the things you have promised which has expired by the timelines you gave.
Ifere Paul
Is a Public Policy Analyst
