Governor Ben Ayade crying in front of camera
Daniel Agbor, 26 August 2016.
The social media were a washed with video of the governor of Cross River State, Sen. Ben Ayade weeping profusely in Akpabuyo not Bakassi as citizens were made to believe.
Ikot Eyo as far as I know is in Akpabuyo not Bakassi LGA. And if anything is to go by, it is either the governor was taken to another place which is Ikot Eyo as against the actual IDP camp Ikot Effiom or the whole exercise was stage managed. The two situations are not far from possible arising from the notoriety in which the administration was founded and is operated.
Apart from the current situation and the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of the co-governor, Mr. Frank Ayade, the first of its kind in the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is in trouble waters: cut flat-footed and striving hard to survive.
Stage managed situation have been in play before now. A case in point was the stage managed protest for the superhighway where participants were paid a thousand five hundred to protest. Some didn't even know the reasons they were protesting. A similar situation was witnessed in Ephesus about two thousand millennia ago where Demetrius organised the silversmith to protest in favour of Artmemis: the goddess of Ephesus believed to be the goddess of fertility.
It is regrettable to note that the ploy of this administration is to give very little to the populace but using the vast majority to evoke sympathy.
The case of Bakassi is not new in Cross River State and Nigeria at large. The plight of the people is better experienced than told. It is indeed true that the governor visited a camp but what Cross Riverians have not been made to understand is that the said camp is not the IDP camp as alleged.
The camp in question had ceased to exist as soon as the governor left Akpabuyo. Oh sorry, was supposed to be Bakassi. Well, whether by Providence or inspiration having two camps for the same people is what we are yet to ascertain. Be that as it may, information has it that, the governor cried when he saw the IDPs. Ooooh, sorry, my mistake, stage managed IDPs. If they were not the actual IDPs and the governor accelerated immediately to applying the emotional gear, I wonder what the governor would have done of he saw the Bakassi returnees?
Was the governor playing into what he already knew? Well, if the information in the social media concerning the fake identity of the impostor presented as a German Mayor from the city of Dortmund is anything to go by, then I am afraid that the visit of the governor to a wrong IDP to his shedding tears were all well orchestrated.
Yes, it's the emotional aspect that is sort of interesting. Crying in public by a public servant, a renown official of high standing is considered indecent behaviour. When governor Sam Mbakwe of Imo state cried sometimes ago on the condition of the Igbo, the media lambasted him and had him labelled. Dame Patience Jonathan is popular today with the "there is God ooooo" chorus among other things. In the America, the boxer, Mike Tyson was arrested for crying in public.
It is in order to cry, express emotion but making public spectacle like the sort witnessed in the governor is a situation blown out of proportion just to whip sentiment.
It is on record that the true sons and daughters of Bakassi have found a common ground to fight their course. They have accepted their fate and now seek the part of peace to reconcile themselves in the two parts of the divide. Hence, anyone fanning the ember to rekindle the fire is only trying to extinguish the people of Bakassi and they are hell bent on fighting back. It is disheartening that, after supporting the present administration gain her mandate, other persons have disposed them of the status of IDPs just to make few millions which according to source was just three million Naira.
Why wouldn't people jostle for this when the flow of cash is just within the Ayades. Please, be informed that the actual IDP camp is in Ikot Effiom and not Ikot Eyo.
Daniel Agbor
Is a Social Commentator
