John Maxwell in 21 Laws of Leadership says: “A leader is one who sees more than others see, who see further than others see and who sees before others see”.
According to African proverb, “When the frog in front fall into the pit. Those behind take caution”.
The two quotes above are deliberate conundrums for the nitty-gritty of the would-be piece. It’s psychologically established that one of the most hardest and arduous jobs in the world, is the job of leadership— that’s leading human beings with the same brainpower as anyone. Many times, or perhaps always, leaders aren’t the most intelligent constituent members of the society. Therefore, they aren’t exempted from making mistakes and miscalculate. Unfortunately, most of them believes that the authority and power they wield could cover-up genetic and intellectual imperfections. No! No!
Experience shows that it’s a commonplace observing in our nation that serious governors in the 36 states of the federation go all-out to etch their names on the heart of the electorates in their first tenure. And most often, as observed, second term is habitually a time they rest on their oasis since they believed they may not be courting for the electorates’ mandate as it might be.
For those whose ears are wired to the ground to pick the tiniest information on election matters, it’s widespread that elections time-table for the 2019 is out. By next year being 2018, all political parties should’ve concluded their primary elections. And one of the criteria for re-electing a candidate by the voters’ discretions is performance score-card. Smart guys are up and doing in delivering their electoral promises and reviewing their preliminary manifestos.
Some years ago, by this particular time of Sen. Liyel Imoke’s administration, he had captured the vast mainstream of the people under his whim and caprice with excellent results to show for. Exhuming some materials from my archive, the following were some of the projects accomplished by Liyel as it were then.
• General Electric (GE) worth $1,000,000,000 investment.
• Songhai Farms worth N2, 500,000,000 investment.
• Wilma plantations worth $400,000,000 oil plantation and processing facility.
• Giant Cement (Honeywell) worth $600,000,000 investment.
• Calabar International Conference Centre (CICC).
• Dangote Farm (DANSA).
• Artee Industries worth $45,000,000 investment.
• Brentex petroleum worth $600,000,000 investment.
• 200 Housing units at the Golf Course of the Summit Hills Calabar.
• Eastern Premiere feed (Agro Feed).
• Ebonilife TV
• Abitto Global services (Oil and gas fabrication).
• Projects masters (Oil and gas fabrication)and;
• Mono-rail.
With the above and his rural development projects, he became a miniaturized god. Whenever he sneezes, the people catches cold. He became powerful and not narcissistic. He wasn’t an effusive governor but it seemed he could transmogrify. His words were obeyed and feared. Oga-say and governor-say were frequently used phrases in the political gathering in the state. During the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP primary election, one of Imoke’s archrival, Amb. Soni Abang couldn’t campaign on the streets but rather on air using helicopter because the ground was occupied by Imoke.
Today, Cross River State is so blessed and pompously pride itself as the only state in the nation having scholars as governor and deputy piloting the affairs of the state. They’re both in the academic. The governor was one time senator and incumbent governor. His deputy was at one time the Vice Chancellor of the famous University of Calabar and minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Surprisingly, their rich knowledge in the theoretical and their political wealth of experiences couldn’t manifest and translate into an impeccable administration in the state.
Not too long ago, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state was suspended for making public statement in support of the initial Appeal Court verdict in favour of Makarfi. Not too long, the state security outfit was renamed from Green Police to Green Sheriff. These actions were all in support of the diehard man he pitched his tent in his camp during the crisis. Recall that the then Makarfi-led PDP faction through their counsel had denied Ayade at the Supreme Court during his litigation with Mr. Joe Agi (SAN).
Recall that some time ago, the state chapter of PDP was accusing the governor of total neglect of the party. Recall that his frequent sweet romance with the presidency to curry favour from Buhari brought embarrassment to the governor in one of the party conventions.
It’s on the news and rumour making the round is quite startling of the possible defection of the governor to the All Progressive Congress, APC. We hear that serious consultation is ongoing with the minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to give him soft landing in APC. It’s going to be interesting how possible it may likely be. I write authoritatively that the hyenas and crocodiles in APC are picking their teeth waiting for a sumptuous meal. The lions and tigers are equally sharping their claws to devour the flesh of their prey.
The fact is glaring that the Makarfi-led PDP knows how perfidious Ayade was to them and any pretense now is a calculated attempt to put dust in their eyes. If Ayade defects to APC, it would be very fatal and if he stays, he may somehow attract sympathy. But in a nutshell, the permutation was wrong from the onset.
Majority of those members of his cabinet will disappoint him by 2018. Reason being that; many of them are treated in disdain. Others are preferentially treated. Some PAs are recognized more than some SAs. Some commissioners have cars and vehicles attached to them while others have not. Most of them aren’t happy with the monthly return they remit to the defacto governor. They’re some commissioners and SAs that are bitter over the polarization and disintegration of their ministries and offices. They’re prepared to shock the governor. Some of the Senior Advisers are complaining that as SAs that they’re supposed to be members of the State Executive Council as it was obtainable in Liyel’s administration.
No doubt, this is the first tenure of our digital governor. During first term, there are things that people lookout for. Things such as some basic infrastructures. Yes, the State Water Board is trying. What about our basin authority and fire service? What of rural-urban development? How about security and environment? The environment is at least ok for the now. Though some place are still wearing the old garment. At a time, the environment was rotten. Refuse dumps were towering as pyramids. Our gloss streets became proclivity and declivity.
Since this government took over the reins, the greatest challenge facing it has been the menace of insecurity. There’ve been security challenges in all the senatorial districts. Communal clashes due to land dispute and tussle of traditional stool have been the flashpoint. Urban insurgencies by members of clandestine belligerent groups has caused pains on the populace. Kidnapping is the order of the day. Ogoja and its environs; Ugep and Calabar metropolis are plunged in full-blown Hobbesian mobocracy.
Cross River State, an acclaimed tourism hub of sub-sahara Africa is in fire. Life nasty; short, brutish, hellish and plagued. In broad daylight, goons would majestically loitering the streets with weapons unhindered by the coercive apparatus of the state. Gosh!
The masses are unhappy and with the governor over his frequent signing of preposterous memorandum of Understandings, MoUs with no fruit to show for. The Ebonyi State governor has completed many roads and bridges in his state. There is no road in CRS that was initiated by this regime and have been completed. Too bad! Super Highway is just being approved after many months of Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA furor. Though, there are projects if actualized that would be benefiting to the state. These projects includes but not limited to Cali-vegas; Calipharm, Rice city, Garment factory, Deep seaport, 21 MW power plant and the staggering Super Highway.
Unfortunately, some of these projects are white elephant projects. I wish the governor would not bate an eyelid over the exigency of timing. The time is quite in the haste. China trips won’t let him settle down now to face the business of politics. I don’t know the plans of the governor— but fire brigade approach would amount to exercise in futility.
The crux of the tapis is that Ayade is going off at a tangent too often and it won’t help him at this juncture. No gainsaying that he’s on a fix; o’ certainly he’s! Jumping boat to APC now will be by the skin of the teeth in terms of his acceptance. Staying in PDP is standing between Scylla and Charybdis; that’s, to be confronted with simultaneous dangerous alternatives, so that escape from one will involve ruin from the other.
Back to my introductory quotes. The frog in front is falling into miry pit. Those behind are observing caution. Didn’t Ayade prognosticate before leaping into the political climate that it would be blustery and turbulent? Methinks, he’s missing the route to China with the 6.4 billion Paris Club largesse. Somebody help!
Indeed, man is the planner of his misfortune. And the residue of one’s adversity should be a lesson for another. If there’ll be victory for him come 2019, it definitely going to be Pyrrhic victory; that’s one that’s costly as defeat. Even so, God bless Ayade.
Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko
Is the Cross River State Secretary of Young Progress Party, YPP.
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