Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the truth be established. That is a quote from the Christian Holy Bible. Governor Ayade is a Christian. He is even a Knight of the Catholic faith. Majority of Cross Riverians are Christians with a negligible population of other religions.
There are three former elected governors of Cross River State that are still alive. Governor Clement Ebri, Governor Donald Duke and Governor Liyel Imoke.
One has not been talking. That is Chief Clement Ebri. But even his silence has been deafening and speaks volumes. Before you conclude that he is old, sick and inactive, he is not. He became governor under 40.
He is still an active member of Ayade’s political party, APC, and even heads the Board of the National Biodiversity Institute. Why he doesn’t speak with or relate with our incumbent State governor nor comment on his activities even when they are in the same party, could fill the missing gaps in his calculated silence. We cannot speak for him. But his quietude has been speaking.
Governor Donald Duke, has come out to call Ayade a mistake. He said Ayade has regressed Cross River State for over 30 years. He also said other things I don’t want to repeat here. Governor Imoke who fought tooth and nail and practically foisted Ayade on us, has also openly called Ayade a mistake.
He regretted that he brought Ayade on us and begged Cross Riverians for forgiveness.
Catholic Bishop, John Ayah, gave us some snippets that day in Church when the governor promised to “send him a whisper”.
The man of God openly rejected the whisper and admonished Ayade that, he hasn’t done enough as governor and should add the whisper to what he has and do the needful.
Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Emmanuel Agim, in a reception in Calabar not too long ago, also expressed dismay at how things have turned so bad and how the management of our State has nestled into a family affair.
He spoke truth to power. Ayade was there. He bowed his head and muttered some words.
Gideon Okereke, a popular Nollywood actor visited Calabar the other day and did a video from a window view telling “Oga Ben” that it was not to late to try and fix Calabar again like it used to be.
He told the governor that everyone was complaining. From taxi drivers to market women to the woman selling bush meat at Atimbo. They can’t wait for him to just go.
Sunny Neji, is one of Cross River’s finest musical export to Nigeria and the rest of the world. He is the Ntol Ashe of Ekajuk. The ‘Oruka’ crooner simply put it this way “Dat guy scam us big time.” What a summary!
There are more people even within the Ayade government who hold this same opinion than those who think otherwise about the Governor.
They eat with him, drink with him, work with him, stand on campaign podiums with him and speak well of him in public too. I can’t quote anyone of them here because I do not have the authority to quote them.
When the veil is thrown, they tell you frankly that their boss is a mistake. They can’t wait for him to leave. But they dare not say that in public.
All these is to inform you that, other people have been talking. When I say repeatedly that Governor Ayade hasn’t run Cross River well, I am not saying it maliciously.
It is a statement of fact. I am saying it out of genuine concern. His big dreams for our State have remained stunted in his lack of methodology.
He will end up as one governor who put his hands in so many pies yet none was properly baked. One who stirred so much motion without actual movement. He will leave behind so many beautiful pipe dreams and abandoned monuments that would have been aggregated for actual progress.
The epitaph on the tombstone of his tenure as it faithfully ticks away.
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.
