The Former Chairman of the Special Presidential Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono Obla has hailed the governor of Cross-river state, Ben Ayade over his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In a statement made available to POLITICS NIGERIA on Friday, Obla disclosed that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has done a lot for Cross-River state adding that the state has enjoyed numerous federal appointments.
“It is settled that Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he was elected, to the All Progressives Congress, (APC). He proffered nationalistic reasons for his defection. The PDP in reaction, countered the claims made by the Governor as misplaced because in its opinion, the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done nothing for Cross River State to justify that position.”
“PDP is standing logic on its head to contend that Cross River State has not benefited under the APC-controlled Federal Government.”
“The truth is, Cross River State in the six years government of President Buhari has benefited immensely in terms of infrastructure and quality appointments more than she did in the 12 years the PDP controlled the government at the center, even though the people of Cross River State voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Statistics do not lie. So I will proceed to enumerate the appointments that Cross River State enjoyed under PDP 12 years in power at the Federal level.”
1. Senator Kanu Godwin Agabi(SAN) was appointed Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 1999-2001 and 2002-2003;
2. Senator Liyel Imoke was appointed Minister of Power from 2003-2006;
3. Professor Evara Esu was appointed Minister from 2006-2007
4. Honorable John Odey, Minister of Information 2007-2010
5. Chief Edem Duke Minister of Tourism and Culture from 2011-2015
Under the six years government of President Muhammadu Buhari, the following appointments were made:
1. Dr. Usani Uguru Usani, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from 2015 to 2019;
2. Hon. Jedy Godwin Agba Minister of State, Power from 2019 till date
3.Honorable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, Chief Justice of the Federation from 2017 to 2019
3.Mr. Tony Ayine, Auditor General of the Federation from 2016 to 2020;
4. Mrs. Winifred Oyo Ita, Head of Service of the Federation from 2015 to 2019;
5. Admiral Ibok Etta Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021
6. Senator Victor Ndola-Egba (SAN) Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission from 2016 to 2019
7. Barrister Mrs. Mary Ekpere, Director General National Women Development Centre from 2016 to 2020
8. Ambassador Mfawa Omini Abam, Nigeria Ambassador to Italy from 2021 till date
9. Ambassador (Dr) Etubom Nya Eyoma Asuquo, High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (the Republic of Uganda from 2016 to 2019)
10. Navy Captain Charles Ogwa, Commissioner, National Population Commission
11. Barrister Utum Eteng, Commissioner, Hydro-Electric Power Area Producing Commission.
12. Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla. Senior Specialis Assistant to the President on Prosecution and Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property 2015-2019.
Infrastructural Projects in Cross River State undertaken by the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari;
1. Federal Polytechnic, Ugep (Take off grant allocated N2 Billion and classes will commence in October 2021)
2. Construction of Ikom Bridge
3. Construction of Ikom-Ugep-Calabar Highway (ongoing)
4. Channelization of Yepeli Drainage in Ugep Urban
5. Calabar-Itu-Uyo Highway
6. Nigerian Navy Hospital, Calabar (completed and commissioned in 2018)
“Through the 12 years of the PDP Federal Government from 1999 to 2015, no single federal highway was constructed in the Cross River State. As of 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the government, all the federal highways in Cross River State were in a derelict state of deterioration and disrepair.
It is instructive that under PDP leadership, Cross River State lost its status as an oil-producing State.”
“Also, under PDP rule, the sovereignty of a substantial chunk of the territory of Cross River State (The Bakassi Peninsula whose population is Nigerian) was taken over by the Republic of Cameron after the case filed by the Republic of Cameron against the Federal Republic of Nigeria was mishandled by the legal team that represented Nigeria at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands.”
“From the above, it is as clear as the crystal ball that the fortunes of the people of Cross River State under the six years government of President Muhammadu Buhari have fared better than the 12 years of PDP leadership of the country.”
