Politicians are always amazing. As 2023 draws nearer, they are at their wit; engaging in character assassination, mudslinging, bad-mouthing, blackmailing and in extreme cases kidnapping and killing.
Before the 2015 general elections in Imo State, there was a young man, a comedian, who was hired to assassinate the character of former Governor Rochas Okorocha. He said terrible and unprintable things about him that were found not to be true later. It was discovered that People’s Democratic Party(PDP) hired him to run down the ex-governor. Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu shocked Nigerians when he said that in PDP they use to kill people in course of politics. It shows the extreme some unscrupulous politicians can go in the quest for power.
It appears this same party is in their game again, this time in Cross River State. If there is a governor that is positively distinctive in his approach to development, it is Governor Ben Ayade. His approach to development is primarily about Job creating, revenue yielding and superlative projects. This has won him admiration of many Nigerians unlike many governors whose approaches have been wishy washy and un-durable projects to give quasi impression to the public that they are doing well.
The governor has a captivating vision to develop the state such that in a post in the social media about his developmental efforts, many who were not indigenes of Cross River wished he were their governor.
Unfortunately, there is a campaign of calumny to run him down by the very people that sang his praise yesterday. The reason being that he decamped from their party to another party which he thinks will help him realise the aspirations of his people.
There is nothing a bad system as in Nigeria cannot throw up.
It is a pity that a young man by the name Liborous Oshoma is running a propaganda outfit, to blackmail and hoodwink nefarious politicians to use his services. His business dwells on painting people black with all manner of deceits. The breeze has blown, one can see the anus of a fowl. This attack on Governor Ayade has exposed him as one that throws mud even to saints for pecuniary purposes. He is a hireling used to muddling people but it will backfire. Nigerians have seen enough of him. Morality has declined so much in Nigeria that we set up the business of vice and ignore the business of virtue. In the civilized part of the world, non-governmental organizations are set up to engage in good works and have respect for truth. Here, a young man is in a business of running people down and has refused to call a spade, a spade – all for stomach infrastructure. The business he is into, does it not have ethics where things that are glaring cannot be controverted? It is a pity that young men such as Oshoma are indulged in business – mind you not criticism but mudslinging – that does not help our system but slides it to the precipice.
A tour under the auspices of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations(NIPR) conference participants to projects undertaken by Governor Ayade exposed the lies of Oshoma and his cohorts.
At the tour, we observed that the Calabar pharmaceutical factory, Calabar was nearing completion and we were impressed with the work done so far. At the Industrial Park, we also observed that the rice seeds and seedlings factory were currently producing at a maximum capacity. The Calachika chicken processing plant had already begun production, while the noodles factory had started test running the production of the Kisimi brand of noodles. The garment factory had 3,000 employees and was working. Also, the toothpick factory was producing paradise toothpick which is in the market. We visited the fabrication and construction academy for the training of youths in Calabar. As a man of vision, Governor Ayade is conscious of the present unemployment ravaging the country. To this end, he set up West Africa Fabrication and Construction Academy, Calabar, which young Cross Riverians are presently benefitting in various training of craftsmanship. So, why the lies from Oshoma? At Bekwara, we saw the vegetable oil processing factory and at Obubra, the cassava processing plant. Both had reached advanced stages of completion. There was also the Ogoja multi-billion dollar ultra-modern rice mill rapidly under construction.
With these projects, Governor Ayade ought to be commended rather than be condemned. A visit to other states in the South-South and South-East and beyond, you could hardly see this kind of job-creating projects. Nigeria is a country where performers are not encouraged which has a negative import on future administrators. The governor really deserves a pat on the back.
There is also the British-Canadian University in Obudu, which is almost completed. There is Cally air, the airline of the state which would soon begin operations. One is sure that Oshoma and his likes do not even know of these projects, they would have made a lie out of it too.
Oshoma and his cohorts were also making a mockery of the Bakassi Deep Seaport. They never made any visit or inquiry on it. The Bakassi Deep Seaport is moving towards its realization. It has secured key approval from the federal government through the issuance of the Final Business Case(FBC) certificate, which will enable full construction to commence.
Also, to enable the Obudu cattle ranch resort to attain maximum tourists attraction, the administration of Governor Ayade is constructing a passenger and cargo international airport in Obudu with 5.7 km runway.
On Bakassi resettlement, thank God, Oshoma did not know when he commended Gov. Ayade for completing and allocating ultra-modern housing estate to the displaced people of Bakassi. Gov. Ayade has a vision that he has been realizing and such the project is prone to continual expansion.
On road construction, the governor is undertaking the construction of the longest kilometer of road ever embarked upon by any state governor in Nigeria. It is a 147km Obudu-Mfom- Okuku- Yala- Bekwara highway connecting five local government areas in the northern Cross River. Already, 100km of the road has been asphalted and is in use. Other roads nearing completion are the 29km Boki East-West road and the Calabar Odukpani junction dual carriage road with an interchange bridge at Odukpani junction.
Considering all these projects, some completed, some at the verge of completion, it is foolhardiness for anyone to rubbish these achievements. Many states in Nigeria including rich oil states cannot boast of these records. Yet, Cross River State with one of the lowest federal allocations is achieving these colossal feats. Or, have we forgotten too soon the shrinking of national allocation as a result of oil and global recession. What of the COVID- 19 challenge to the economy and other constraints. Yet, he was able to achieve all these.
We plead with Governor Ayade to ignore the antics of his cynics and look forward to accomplishing his vision. History at the end will vindicate him.
Concerned and unbiased Stakeholders.
