19 January 2020
EDITORIAL
This is the fifth edition of the series 'An Appraisal of the CEO in Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State' https://www.facebook.com/314791978715840/posts/1222609127934116/. The first edition was Supervision in Focus https://www.facebook.com/314791978715840/posts/1225950454266650/; the third was Support in Focus https://www.facebook.com/314791978715840/posts/1230750053786690/; this fifth piece is Role Model in Focus. The second and fourth pieces were published by TDN with whom #NegroidHaven is collaborating to do this series.
It should be emphasised that, the point had been made that this editorial series will be assessing the CEO status of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Cross River under such broad themes as —leadership and management. Not Ayade per se: that is, it's not a deliberate bias against the present incumbent but an attempt at objectively looking at his activities as occupier of public office.
Within the context of this series, leadership measures how well a public office holder can build inter-personal influence; how they influence the behaviour of others to enhance individual and collective performance.
According to Vocabulary.com, Role Model, 'just as model is something that represents an inspirational ideal, a role model is someone who inspires others to imitate his or her good behaviour.' Five qualities of a role model are:
1. Role Model shows passion and ability to inspire
2. Role Model shows a clear set of values
3. Role Model shows commitment to community
4. Role Model shows selflessness and acceptance of others
5. Role Model shows ability to overcome obstacle. (Root of Action https://www.rootsofaction.com/role-model/). It has been emphasised that the first quality (capacity to inspire) is the foremost, summary and/or peak of all other qualities.
So, the fundamental inquiry is: how well has Governor Ben Ayade demonstrated leadership by being a role model to/for Commissioners of Ministries, Special Advisers/Senior Special Assistants/Special Assistants of Departments and Executive Chairpersons/Director Generals of Agencies/Commissions? Phrased differently? To what extent has the CEO-Governor between 2015 and 2019, expressed a set of value system, demonstrated commitment to community, selflessness, and overcome obstacles in the bid to inspire his appointees/aides?
In 2015, when His Excellency was sworn into power as Executive Governor of the state, in one of his numerous public statements, he made the point that he will practise 'politics with ethics', and give his right eye for the good of Nigerians resident and indigenous to Cross River. These phrases I think, invoked the sentiment of His Excellency being poised to be altruistic in his policy framework, his programmes and project outlooks. The Governor would even declare that he would ensure that no Cross Riverian slept with an empty stomach. These statements, to my mind, invoked a compelling vision of service to the common man and woman from the political elites. That official compulsion was role model of some sort, as it were because it showed a commitment to the Cross River community, selflessness by elites in Cross River, disposition to overcome obstacles and the undergirding values staring Cross Riverians —all in service to the masses.
Beyond the above, what more should be inspiring in the CEO-Governor Ayade to his army of aides in service to the common man?
Between 2017 and 2019, there was a Medium Term Expenditure Framework MTEF and by extension a Fiscal Strategy Paper FSP, so there was a basis for inspiration? Constitutionally, the medium-term expenditure framework 'shall contain: a. A Macro-Economic Framework setting out the macro-economic projections, for the next three financial years, the underlying assumptions for those projections and an evaluation and analysis of the macroeconomic projections for
the preceding three financial years'. This MTEF according to the law also looks out for a Fiscal Strategy Paper, an expenditure and revenue framework, aggregate tax expenditure floor for the state for each financial year in the next three financial years the MTEF anticipates to cover. All these constitute am infrastructure for inspiration in view of governance. The state had the MTEF and FSP between 2016 to 2019. But none yet for 2020 through 2022.
The Appropriation Laws between 2015 and 2020 should be inspiring enough because it represents the summary of the economic prosperity of His Excellency the Executive Governor for all Cross Riverians. In 2016, Ayade assented to a Budget of Deep Vision worth N350 billion, while in 2017 he nodded to a Budget of Infinite Transposition peaked at N707 billion. In 2018 he consented to a Budget of Kinetic Crystallisation pegged at N1.3 trillion, as 2019 was Budget of Quabalistic Densification with the whopping N1.O43 trillion; while in 2020 he presented a Budget of Olympotic Meristemasis (N1. 1 trillion) to Cross Riverians. The question is: how well did these appropriation laws perform? Where this gargantuan economic projections inspiring enough? How well did Ayade's aides translate these ideas from the principal to concrete realities in the lives of Cross Riverians?
In more practical terms, the industrial drive of His Excellency are itemised thus:
1. Cross River Garment Factory,
2. Cross River Toothpick Factory
3. Rice Seed and Seedling Multipliation factory,
4. Cross River Pharmaceutical Company;
5. Calabar Noodles factory;
6. Calabar Chicken Factory,
7. Cocoa Factory in Ikom,
8. Rice Mill in Ogoja,
9. Piles and Pylon factory in Akamkpa;
10. Industrial block industry in Ogoja;
11. Teacher's Continuing Training Institute in Biase,
12. British-Canadian styled International College, Obudu.
Beyond the 11th and 12th items, can we in all honesty say the industrial policy and implementation style of this state government since its inception is Cross River-centred? Is it a reflection of selflessness by the political elites in the state —who really owns the properties, shares etc? How many Cross Riverians have been employed? Those already employed, are they paid from proceeds from the industrial initiatives or do they constitute part of the monthly wage bill in the state?
To the extent to which the MTEF isn't existent for 2020 to 2022, what is or will be the inspiration for the aides of the governor to deliver good governance to the public? Why is not the MTEF of 2016 to 2019 effective enough to yield the concrete dividends of governance? Does this reality underscore the inability of the Office of the Special Adviser Technical Matters to the Governor (who is responsible for the success of the pet project, namely, the super highway and deep seaport) to ensure the success of the project? Is there enough (or not) framework for inspiration?
Given the argument for and against the role model status of the governor, what would you rate Ayade —1, 2 and 3? To vote click: http://shorturl.at/uGMUX (A Framework for Defining and Evaluating Public Office Holders Performance).
