Dr Linda Ayade decorating Neurite Mendes as Miss Africa 2016 on Saturday last week
Daniel Agbor|29 November 2016
In what I characterise as youthful exuberance. The Cross River State Governor embarked in yet another kangaroo exercise in organizing a pageant tagged "Miss Climate Change Africa".
The media have been awash with tales of this pageant to the extend that the campaign and it's euphoria were celebrated before the event proper.
Pictures of beauty queens from various countries in Africa flooded the internet and the social media. It is established and confirmed that these beauty queens came into our state capital for the event.
What is worrisome however is the foolhardiness the Governor made of himself. He first criticised the Obudu Mountain Race where he said has no direct impression on any Cross Riverian and no Cross Riverian had won the event. To this end, he abolished the event yet this is the same person that hosted an event that no Cross Riverian is a beneficiary.
Hmmmm, Frank Ayade again! This time he has all of a sudden become an event planner cum commissioner for tourism. If Cross Riverians do not know, let me inform us that the pageant was planned, organized and hosted by our unconstitutional co-governor. I keep wondering when Frank Ayade has suddenly become a guru in the tourism industry to host an event of this magnitude? I must commend his expertise. As a fashion designer and now as a professional in the tourism industry. One will not be surprise to see him as a clearing and forwarding agent, forex trading, Helping Hands or MMM.
Frank Ayade, must you do everything because you are a co-governor? When people talk about the juvenile tendencies in the administration of Cross River State and attributing such to Ben Ayade. I do echo this sentiment but I must say that recent events leaves me with the conclusion that the man behind the mask is Frank Ayade. He has made Cross River State a family business of the Ayades.
What more is there to say when amidst the EFCC issue on his head over the Garment Factory and the bailout funds. He is organizing a pageant. For what and to whose benefit?
How many Cross Riverians have benefited from the pageant? How much was expended? How much was generated? How did the rural farmers in the villages across Cross River State benefit from the contest? What information did the Citizenry in the state get as regard the positive steps to take to ensure a stable and convenient climate? What modalities were put in place to disseminate information in the rural areas? We indeed have litanies of questions to ask.
It's so sad that amidst the teething problems facing us as a State, the Governor could allow his younger brother Frank Ayade to expend the state lean resources on such wasteful frivolities and fantasy.
Let's be partners to the growth of Cross River State not her enemy. This sort of highhandedness is only comparable to such exhibited by Hophni and Phinehas the sons of Eli.
Daniel Agbor
Writes from Calabar
