Ayade’s Love for Boki Worth Commending — By Churchill P. Enyia, FIMCN

PHOTO: AS GOVERNOR BEN AYADE REAPPOINTS BARR. TINA AGBOR AS SSG OF CROSS RIVER STATE

I know many of our people would want to behead me for this piece, but that definitely would not change anything or upturn the facts. In my elementary knowledge of law we call it   "res ipsa loquitur" , meaning the fact speaks for itself. At least I did a lot of business law in the course of my training.

I am definitely not a fanatical fan of Governor Ben Ayade, but that does not stop me from appreciating and commending him for his enormous love for the Boki nation manifested in the many things he has done for us. I consider it achondroplastic sarcasm when i see people on Social Media tagging his projects, that can be physically seen, as scam.  Much as I am not the governor's attorney, I will not close my eyes and conscience to watch this unfair disposition of most our people towards our governor.

I am not oblivious of the fact  that few of our people, even some leaders, dislike this guy so passionately, even to the extent of rejecting appointments from him. But will that alter the fact that the governor has been fair to Boki? Or stop us from appreciating the little he has done for us? Please let's show gratitude, even the Bible commands us to do so.

I am not a political jobber, sycophant or boot licker, and I can never be. I am a Management Consultant locally and internationally trained,  involved in scholarly and intellectually challenging work environment and dealing with high profile clientele. So, I have no reason to sing praises for the government for any expected gratification whatsoever. Those who know me closely know some of my personal idiosyncrasies, and one of them is to always say the obvious and very objective in my analysis, not minding whose ox is gored. 

Agreed that the governor destroyed our farms and crops, via the supposed super highway, without compensation to our people; agreed that our dear governor  cannot build flyovers in CRS like his Ebonyi state counterpart; agreed that our teachers and civil servants are still crying for promotion under his administration; agreed that funding of the LGAs under his administration has been very poor; agreed that insecurity in the state has increased under his watch; agreed that tourism, which was our pride in Cross River, is completely dead under  him; agreed that the issue of Boki Oil Palm Estate has not been well handled by him; and agreed that the level of poverty in the state under him is on the increase. All of these do not in anyway undermine his enormous love for Boki. We just have to appreciate and acommend him.

His love for Boki, which needs to be appreciated and commended, is manifested in the following:

1. Under Ayade, Boki got the highest appointive position in the state. He graciously gave the position of SSG to Boki nation. This made Boki  the  first LGA to produce the first female SSG.  My fellow compatriots, this is worth commending.

2. Governor Ayade gave the most active commissionership positions in his Cabinet to Boki nation: Commissioner for Works and Commissioner for Aviation.

3. The governor gave the position of  DG of the most active government agency in the state to a Boki daughter, Dr. Janeth Ekpenyong (Nee Odey).

4. Under Prof.  Ben Ayade,  Irruan nation got the "first Commissionership appointment"  since the creation of heaven and earth.

5. Ayade is at the verge of completing the Boki East-West road that has been a burden to us for many years.

6. Under Ayade,  Boki got the Vice Chancellor slot of the famous University of Calabar, whom I learned he supported. Not only that, she also became the first female VC of Unical since inception.

7. I hear from the grapevine that plans have been concluded to commence the construction of a General Hospital in Boki, which he vows to complete before the end of his tenure.

Let's appreciate the governor for his passionate interest in the well being of Boki nation.

Finally, while appreciating and commending our governor, I like to use this opportunity to crave his indulgence to the ultimate and urgent plight of our people:

1. Civil servants and teachers have been crying for promotion in the state. Please Your Excellency, listen to their cries.

2. Please free the local government allocations so development can take place at the grassroots.

3. Please do something urgently about rural electrification, we cannot continue to  live in darkness.

4. Initiate moves to start the renegotiation of our state debts.

5. Please restore tourism in CRS as quickly as you can.

6.  Double your efforts in addressing insecurity in the state.

7. Reintroduce undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Cross Riverians.

8. Please try and resolve the Boki Oil Palm estate crises before you leave office.

9. Only present feasible and realistic state budgets.

10. Completely drop the idea of super highway and deep seaport and face governance strictly since our state resources cannot support such gargantuan projects.

11. Please do well to build a general hospital in Boki before you leave office.

12. Make public all releases (monies) from the federal government for purpose of accountability and transparency.

13. Build befitting palaces for our Paramount rulers.

I am not unaware of our high debt profile and the little allocations that accrue to Cross River State, but I trust that the governor will prudently manage what we have as a state for optimum efficiency, this is what should make him  truly digital.

Boki nation, let's appreciate and commend our governor so that he can do more for us.

Kudos incredible Ayade!

Churchill Enyia, a Management Consultant,  writes from Abuja