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| This is the thread that incited the reaction from Cross Riverians |
Efio-Ita Nyok|11 December 2017
In an 8th December 2017 poll conducted on Facebook in Cross River cyberspace which generated almost 100 comments, it’s discovered that Nigerian lawmakers of Cross River extraction both at the National Assembly (NASS) and the state legislature, 8th Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA), don’t have an official website, Twitter handle, Facebook page, and Instagram account, NegroidHaven can report. This development has cast the ‘Honourable’ and ‘Distinguished’ members in negative light.
Efforts by the allies and aides of these 25 members House of Assembly and 11 members Senate and House of Representatives, totalling 36, to launder this perceived ugly development has proven puerile. For instance, an ally of the representative of Ogoja State Constituency in the CRSHA, Mr Abang Ogon, explained that having a personal website is outdated. His words, ‘Hon Peter Odinga has all except a website, Truth is: having a personal website now is outdated, If you can’t reach him via his personal facebook account “Peter Odinga”, his official facebook page “Hon Peter Odey you sure won’t be able to connect the website address. Shalom’. This was so surprising to read so much so that an online publisher, Mr Hope Obeten, said that, ‘This pathetically shameful coming from a young man. And to think I saw Access bank and Aptech on his profile. What a shame!’.
General sentiments from Cross Riverians over the condemnable discovery have it that the lawmakers don’t know about these ICT innovations, or have not given it priority. Some have thought that the priority of these 36 politicians are their selfish interests. Others have queried that if the governor of the state doesn’t have, is it the lawmakers that would? Hmmm!
What follows is a cross section of comments :
Deborah Ekpe
To some, it’s a waste of time. Don’t be surprise some don’t even know about the existence of such.
Orok Bassey
How will they have when the Governor who calls himself digital doesn’t have an active online presence.
His digital is in the toilet.
Martin Bassey
The Emperor does not have and your expecting them all to have.
You like Miracles too much.
They are all loyal guys; ‘Never outshine the master’.
Tony Adah
“those things don’t fetch money”!
Chris Edako
It’s a matter of priority. Those things don’t fetch money. There are created and maintained as channels of information to the people that deserve to know the affairs of governance.
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| The interior of Cross River State House of Assembly, Calabar, Cross River State |
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| Interior of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria popularly called Red Chamber |
Ironically, our politicians are not interested in informing anybody about what they do in government. All that preoccupy their minds is how to steal, embezzle, divert for personal use, manipulate and confuse the people that voted them. With this type of thinking, creating Facebook Page, Twitter Handle, IG, Website, Email, etc is nothing but a waste of time.
Again, these media channels are instruments of communication valued by reasonable people. Where you have cultism as a prerequisite for political appointment and selection, then expecting things to be done rightly is synonymous with expecting sun in the night. I’m out with a red face!
Independent research by NegroidHaven revealed that non of the lawmakers have an official website, some have personal Facebook timelines, few have both personal and official Instagram accounts, very few have personal and official twitter accounts.
The Speaker of the 8th CRSHA, Mr John Lebo, who has Facebook, Twitter and presumably Instagram account is adjudged to be ‘not friendly’ on social media as he has built a reputation for ‘blocking’ people who hold dissimilar opinions with him. His official Facebook timeline, Vox Populi, is relatively barely updated.
Do you think these legislators should continue without a credible online presence especially in the 21st Century?
According to the website, TrendyTheme, there are about five reasons why politicians needs a website and they are :
*Online Fund-raising
*Social engagement
*Campaign
*Recruit Volunteers and
*Media engagement.
The website particularly submitted that, ‘
It is hard to imagine a modern politician that doesn’t have a personal webpage.
A website is the best way of establishing personal connections to people for whom you care. Here you can show that every single person matters and can contribute to the common goal’.
A website is the best way of establishing personal connections to people for whom you care. Here you can show that every single person matters and can contribute to the common goal’.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of NegroidHaven
