Efio-Ita Nyok|4 August 2017
In perceived reply to the defense of Journalist Emmanuel Unah over the debate on an 8 years of 2 tenures for the office of Governor of Cross River State for northern senatorial district of the state, acclaimed social change agent, Joseph Odok Esq., Ph.D has posited categorically that proponents of such weep argument devoid of content.
Odok made this known recently via a social media thread tagged, 'And they goof each time they try to justify zoning', where he contended that inept persons should not be allowed to occupy public office and eat through the collective future of Cross Riverians:
His words, 'Proponents of zoning have only ended in weeping argument without content. Foundationally zoning builds on the principle of chop make I chop. This is a very dangerous campaign slogan that is at the root of the crippling of our economy. We must no longer allow inept people the opportunity of eating through our future and that of our generation yet unborn. Competence should guide our choice not zoning
'Campaign against zoning does not exclude the North from participating in the gubernatorial race but rather place them in equal footing with other competitors to showcase their competence. Let competence be the benchmark for the choice of the next Governor and not ethnic and mediocre sentiment of zoning
'To justify zoning, some few people have come to Ayade's MoU government with Donald Duke's first term in office.
On the first defence a bad precedence cannot be used to justify another bad precedence. Secondly though Donald Duke began his major projects in his second term, there was a functional government in his first term that assured us of clean environment, security and welfare of the people
'More importantly, however you these apologist of zoning twist the argument, we did not hear of a co-governor in Donald Duke days. But in the days of Ayade, there is an actively functional co-governor behind scenes that is acting as a conduit pipe for embezzlement of public funds
'Who born dog to compare Donald Duke's government with Ayade's government.
#SayNoToZoning
Full texts of Emmanuel Unah's now porous defense:
FOR THOSE PLAYING THE OSTRICH
IN 1999, Mr Donald Duke became governor of Cross River State. It may not be necessary to state here how he became governor but suffice to say that during the first four years of his government, we only heard about projects like castor seeds, cashew nuts, pineapple fruits and models towns and the like. Let anyone point to us today where those nuts and fruits and model towns are in Cross River State today and what economic , developmental and agricultural benefits they have brought to the state.
Projects like Tinapa, Mountain Race, Calabar Carnival and Urban Renewal programme were all started during his second term that was why he could not complete Tinapa and get it running before his exit. Tinapa was commissioned in April, 2007 few weeks to his leaving office which is why till today, the place is still comatose. Obudu Mountain Race was started in 2005, Calabar Carnival 2005. Facts and dates are available for anyone in doubt.
Many of us are living witnesses to the fact that his urban Renewal only ended in Calabar until there was uproar in the Central and Northern districts before it was extended there and only a few kilometre of roads were done in Ugep, Ikom and Ogoja. It was Imoke who extended it to Obudu and constructed more roads across the north and central districts.
Senator Imoke who succeeded him had the drive and vision for rural transformation. However, can anyone point to the roads he constructed during his first term through the Rural Urban Development Agency headed by Eko Atu ? Roads like Mbube, Abakpa, Oderegha- Ababene, Ikot Offiong Ambai and many others constructed in that era are all death traps today.
The schools renovation, Rural Access Mobility Roads, electricity projects, Second Calabar Drainage and the almighty International Conference Centre, and single rail projects were done during the second term that is why Senator Ayade had to be the one that completed the ICC and mono rail projects.
In just two years of Ayade, we can point to a road running across the five LGAs in the north, a superhighway, Garment Factory, Calapharm and Calavegas. How then has the young man failed. Let us be fair, let us use the past to judge the present.
**Is Unah's argument in favour of an exclusive north sound? For me, it's not, seeing that it is already biased: Unah should first admit the crass failure of his 'brother' not ask us in hypocrisy —'How then has the young man failed?' My opinion though.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven
