Some leading All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts in Cross River State have commended the State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade for his pro-people oriented administration and execution of massive infrastructure in the last two years.
The leaders who gave the commendation at separate occasions in Calabar said Ayade’s giant strides in the area of industrialization, improved welfare of public servants and human capital development was unprecedented in the history of the state.
Former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, in a special commendation, expressed satisfaction with the sense of belonging given the neglected people of Bakassi by Ayade and the show of concern to the plight of the poor in the State.
She said due to the attention extended to the people of Bakassi by the governor, the hitherto neglected indigenes of the area are now hopeful that very soon their suffering will be a thing of the past.
According to Ita-Giwa, “Since the government of Nigeria ceded Bakassi to the Cameroun, this is the first time a government both at the state and federal level has accorded special attention towards finding a lasting solution to the plight of the people of Bakassi.
“We are grateful to His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade for his foresight and visionary leadership, which has taken upon the onerous task of bringing relief to the peace-loving but neglected indigenes of Bakassi.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade has performed creditably well especially in caring for the less privileged in the state. I am particularly swayed by his abolition of taxes for the poor. It shows that Senator Ayade is a considerate, caring, listening and lover of the poor. It means he has milk of human kindness flowing in him; which is unfortunately lacking in most of our political office holders.”
Speaking further, Senator Ita-Giwa, who explained that Ayade’s developmental agenda was akin to the Change Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari said: “No government in recent years has shown the kind of commitment Ayade’s administration has exuded in its quest to alleviate poverty and better the lot of the poor”
Similarly, an APC member and Senator, Senator Bassey Otu has described Governor Ayade as “ a beacon of hope and Cross River’s light of tomorrow” saying the State under Ayade has become a reference point in the welfare of government workers.
“At a time, more than half of the 36 states in the country are owning workers’ salaries and pensions for many months, the Cross River civil servant gets his salary by the middle of the month. It is gladdening that no worker in the state is being owed any form of salary under the leadership of Prof. Ayade. This is a no mean feat, especially at this period of economic recession,” the Senator said.
Otu also lauded the governor’s industrial revolution in the state singling out, the Calabar Garment Factory, which he described as “a huge industrial investment and an avenue for creation of wealth and employment.
“You know, we are very fashionable people in Nigeria, particularly we the people of Cross River are very colourful. Therefore, by establishing a garment factory, he is selling the state and indeed the whole nation to the world. He has created employment, he has brought wealth to the people and he has brought unprecedented development. We must all applaud this.
“This is not about party affiliation but it is about performance; it is about achievements; it is about visionary leadership qualities. And I can tell you, by his actions and stellar performance in the last two years, Governor Ayade can transform Cross River into another Dubai. I am an APC member but as a leader, I must give credit to whom it is due,” the Senator stated.
Commenting on the effort being made by the administration in the area of tourism and agriculture, Otu maintained that the sustenance of Calabar Carnival and development of the TINAPA by the present administration deserved commendation.
He said the promotion of agriculture by making credit facilities and farm implements accessible to the ordinary farmer in the state was a “pointer to the fact that the Governor Ayade-led administration is committed to boosting food production in the state.”
