The SSA and his Critic —by Efio-Ita Nyok

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21 December 2018 
At exactly 9:28AM of 30th November, I took a swipe at the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Executive Governor of Cross River state on Entrepreneurship and Job Placement, my brother and friend Joseph Lashakara Edet: I asked pertinent questions and begged for explanation(a) from him as a public officer bothering on his disposition to raise 100, 000 entrepreneurs for his principal in respect of the 2019 general elections.
My argument was basically that, he's barely two weeks in office and was already evolving into a campaign manager for the forthcoming 2019 general elections even when he was yet to show us as little as 10 entrepreneurs he's raise as SSA or 50 jobs placed —in my thinking, that was a misplacement of priority. I received a handful of calls, though not from him but, from those he called to 'report' me.
Today's thread is not to condemn, but, commend Mr SSA, the new kid in the block: I understand that he must have thought about my criticism and amidst the razzmatazz of the backlash my controversial thread inspired, he and his team may have seen some merit in my argument and have thought about a Job Festival & Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 where it's anticipated that there will be over 500 job placements, CAC registration for 100 start ups and '100 grants for SMEs'(I think you may have meant grants for 100 SMEs, and not the other way round…). I must confess, this is awesome. I admire your smart response to criticism. 
However, I have a little challenge: why call it 'The Ayade Job Festival and Entrepreneurship Summit…'? Can't it just be Job Festival and Entrepreneurship Summit 2019? It suggests to me this is sycophantic.
Let me explain: I have not been in the State for awhile: in the other states I traversed to my destination I saw similar expressions but they were more mature: 'Delta is working, Akowa is delivering', 'Kogi is working, bla bla bla is performing', but, in Cross River it's just 'Ayade is Working'. Let's prioritise the State and people before and above the public officer in the employ of the people —this is a democracy.
In saying 'The Ayade…', you seem to be making the similar mistake of the indefatigable Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sport Asu Okang when he christened the job centre at Marian Road, Calabar thus: Ayade Job Centre. In Benin, it's rather, Benin Job Centre. You see! The Honourable Commissioner for Health Dr Inyang Asibong and DG of State Primary Healthcare called theirs Ayadecare. Hian! 
Finally, I am calling on Nigerians resident in and indigenous to Cross River to take this Summit seriously, taking advantage of it. It's commendable.
Criticism, in the final analysis, pays I guess. Or  doesn't it?
I rest. 
Nyok is a social commentator