Gov Ben Ayade
Prince Thomas Abi Jr., 26 August 2016
His Excellency, Senator Prof. Ben Ayade, let me thank you for travelling across the nations of the world in search of investors that would invest in your numerous projects. Which from every indication are geared towards putting smiles on the faces of our people.
Sire, I do know you mean well for our people by trying to bring in investors to the state, but in trying to bring in projects, who are the persons that would benefit from these projects if your own people can not feed? Who my governor?
It can be recalled that in the last one month I have written two appeals to you for the payment of Local government pensions and workers salary. But nothing has been heard of it.
Sire, you had said that no one is going to sleep with an empty stomach but as I write your people are sleeping with an empty stomach. They are in pain. They are suffering and some of them have been hospitalized as a result of government inability to pay their pensions and salaries.
As one who supported you during the campaigns I feel so bad with the way things are going. State government pensioners and workers are paid on time but local government pensioners are ignored. Sire, this is the height of injustice and gross marginalization.
These are the same people who chanted and drummed support for you saying if not "Ben no body". Now they can not feed. They can not pay their hospital bills. They can not buy their medications. Sire, it is heart breaking!
Recently, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protested over the non-payment of pensions and gratuity, that is to show that you are gradually loosing your popularity. Today, in Cross River State, our people do not speak well of their once sweet governor, when you call the name "Ben Ayade" they feel angry, even your aides. They do not want to speak about you. Everyone is not happy with the way things are going.
As I write this appeal to you, your people are sad. Most of them have gone into borrowing money to survive. They have gone into patronizing money lenders just to have money to feed. Incurring huge interest rate on refund of the money they borrowed. Sire, it is painful. It is heart breaking that they have to borrow to feed and buy their medications after serving our state and nation diligently for many years.
As man who has experienced real poverty, sire, you understand what it means to stay without money. As someone who many see as a man with a good heart, it would be out of place to starve our local government pensioners and workers of their due entitlement.
My governor, these people are your people, they voted for you, they sang your praises right from when you ran elections for senate to your being a governor, they supported you. Sire, are you paying them with hardship? Are you rewarding them with lack of payment of their pension and salaries? Please come to their aid before they all die of hardship and hunger. Please rescue them. They love you and mean well for you.
Sire, you understand the pain of not having food to eat or paying your children fees. I do know that the economy is tight, but please sire, do something before our people all die.
God bless you as you work towards making Cross River State great and prosperous.
Accept the assurances of my highest esteem and warm regards.
Prince Thomas Abi Jr.
Is a concern citizen of Cross River State
