Efio-Ita Nyok|13 March 2017
Yakurr, Cross River-born human rights activist, legal luminary and Special Adviser to the President on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla, has frowned against the Governor of the Year 2016 award bestowed on the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Benedict Ayade, by Vanguard Newspapers Limited NegroidHaven can report.
Obono-Obla who okayed other gubernatorial award recipients, namely, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state, Abubakar Bagudu Kebbi State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State expressed profound grudges against the choice of Ayade. For the presidential aide Cross River governor deserves no such award because he has done nothing to merit it. In fact, he notes that Gov Ayade has performed dismally and woefully poor.
His words, 'The Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards 2016 has chosen the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade as one of the Governors of the Year. This is a joke taken too far! Other Governors chosen includes; Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state; Abubakar Bagudu Kebbi State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State. I have no grudge with the choice of these Governors because in my self opinion rating, they truly deserve it.
'But I do however have serious reservation with the choice of Senator Ben Ayade as one of the awardees. In my humble opinion, Governor Ayade has done nothing whatsoever to deserve such a bumper honour! He has performed dismally and woefully poor!', Obono-Obla continued.
The respected politician outlined five reasons why Ayade doesn't deserve to be such an awardee. He highlights the fact that the near two years administration of the Governor of Cross River is policyless, further characterised by nepotism, crass disregard for rule of law, graft and failure to pay civil servants/pensioners.
'This is a Governor who has no policy direction on education, agriculture, employment, justice, law and virtually nothing! This is a Governor that has personified governance to the extent that his younger brother is regarded as the de facto Governor. This is a Governor that hasn't the slightest regard for the constitution, to the extent that he will go on vacation without bothering to hand over to his Deputy as stipulated by the Constitution!
'This is a Governor who has refused to pay civil servants, local government workers and pensioners despite the fact that he recently got a bail out of N11 billion from the federal government. This is a Governor who has institutionalized corruption by allowing N4 billion of the bailout fund given to Cross River State Government in July 2015 to be illegally transferred to his younger brother's bank account.', he concluded.
Does Gov Ayade merit this award or not?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org
