4 October 2018
58 years ago today, Nigeria celebrated her liberation from British colonial rule. That day marked the dawn of the Nigerian government by Nigerian people and was heralded by ceremonies all over the country. Young boys and girls dressed smartly in carefully selected outfits and sang the words of a new anthem composed in honour of that occasion. Many Nigerians still remember the feeling of exhilaration that accompanied their songs and activities that day.
Although I hadn’t been born at Independence, I feel enormous pride every time I intone the words of our national anthem which exhort us to action so that 'the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain'. Yet, on this Independence Day, 2018, that pride is mixed with some disappointment. I say this because I am a Cross Riverian, and in my part of Nigeria where so much history has been made, we have fallen under the misrule of a government from which we must declare our independence.
Governor Ben Ayade was sworn into office on 29th May 2015 to govern the good people of Cross River State. When he came into office, there was no inkling that within three years he would have allowed the running of the state to be taken over by the shadowy figures who are now in charge of the economy and security of one of Nigeria's most illustrious states. Despite his mandate to preserve the welfare and security of our people, Governor Ayade has allowed the treasury of the state to be used for personal gain while our townships and villages are overrun by brigands and cultists whose only idea of government is corruption and self-enrichment. Our state is in the worst shape it has ever been.
Cross River's legacy before and after Independence is sparkling. Calabar, the state capital, was the capital of the colonial government before it was moved to Lagos and the ports of the city were vital to the movement of leaders even before Nigeria was established as one country. Numerous Nigerian heroes from Hogan 'Kid' Bassey to Margaret Ekpo, are sons and daughters of this soil. All of Nigeria recognizes Cross River as a paradise, welcoming visitors from all over the world as the finest centre of hospitality the country has to offer. In three short years, that legacy has come under the biggest threat it has ever faced.
The Professor Ben Ayade led government has neglected our vital tourist sites, including TINAPA, the state library, and the Marina. They have outspent every government that has preceded them with little to show except for white elephant projects. One of those projects, the Calabar Super Highway, is a highway to disaster, as acres of our vibrant and delicate ecological heritage have been torn up to make way for it. Our people are divided by frequent communal clashes, encouraged by cultists and their affiliates who, themselves, have been emboldened by the leadership at the centre where many of their ilk have been appointed into positions of power. Cross River State is a hotbed of criminal activity, unrest and insecurity, while the ordinary people are unemployed and hungry.
So today, on the 58th anniversary of our independence as a country, my message is one of recovery and restoration. I have put my name forward as a candidate for the governorship of this state and I seek the cooperation of all well-meaning Cross Riverians. I promise a FRESH approach to governance that is independent of corruption and violence.
Together, we will bring back Paradise. Let us agree today, with one voice, to recover Cross River from the hands of Professor Ben Ayade and restore it to the citizens of the State.
Let us declare our Independence.
