By: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Stakeholders in Cross River State under the auspices of Christian Leaders Forum(CLF), led by Bishop Josef Bassey, of God’s Heritage Church in Calabar has vowed that the incumbent state governor, Senator Ben Ayade does not deserve a second term in office.
Speaking on behalf of the forum, Bishop Bassey, who was backed up by some other leaders of the group noted that ” the state needs to be rescued as a matter of urgency”.
Addressing journalists in Calabar, he declared that “indicator are clear that the state is failing and we need to speak the truth to power. We owe the people, the government and the state just that”.
“No meaningful progress has been achieved in the state in the present administration. And we have a government in power that does not know how to preserve or work on what they inherited from the previous administration. If you can’t build on what you inherited, at least, do not let it deteriorate”.
He lamented the sorry state of affairs in all sectors in the state and cited the civil service for instance saying, “the service civil of the state is worst hit by mal-administration. It has never been like it presently is. The government is weak to point of payment of salaries regularly and clap for itself. If you pay salaries without giving imprest to fund the workings of the civil service, how do you expect that engine of government to work? No memo is treated in Exco meetings nor do you have any meaningful Exco meeting?”
“The government also talks about making numerous appointments and providing monthly stipends to them but even with that, those same persons have been crying in their closet, because the situation is rather creating much poverty in the state.”
The group also cited areas of concern in education sector, high level of insecurity in the state, the declining fortunes of the state tourism economic that so much had been invested on yet the government has not been able to maintain not improve.
“Everywhere, the whole issue is more like raping the state, robbing the state and impoverishing the state. Taking us 30 years backward. If not more!
“We have a government in power who does not understand what they inherited. They do not know how to take advantage of the low bearing fruits.
“There is no project of government that we would analyse here that meets a minimum benchmark. No due process. You mobilize bulldozers to a road, is that how a road project starts?
“Unfortunately the state house of assembly they should have done the checks and the balances are as if their legs and hands are tied. The state legislature itself is also another pathetic situation.
“We are feeling the effect of the mis-governance everywhere; insecurity with communal clashes here and there, kidnappings, cultism etc.
“Perhaps the government is unaware of the realities on ground in the state. Because I cannot understand how the government will be aware of such things as there are in the state and they allow it to continue. As much as we want them to be aware, we are calling on all stakeholders to rise to the rescue of the state because we have only one cross river state.
“Everyone should rise and stop crying in the secret. Cry out and let the government and everyone hear your voice. Community leaders should speak out. Let us be able to engage our government.
“Make sure you have your PVC and make sure you take credible actions to create credible alternatives. There are too many capable people in the state to lead us out of the present mess.”
On the proposed visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Calabar next week, the clergy said, “The president is coming to commission the naval hospital. We also understand the state government wants him to commission a rice seedling factory that have built. But the question is, the rice seedling is being produced where? On a laterite or on what ground? What has been produced there?
“These are the kind of comedy we find that are taken to exulted position. I think that the government should rather cease the moment and the opportunity of the President’s visit to set an agenda on what are the core issues in the state that we need federal intervention. That is what we need and what should be; Not a window dressing. The state government should set an agenda rather seek to impress anybody on what is not real.”
