Southern Solidarity Movement (SSM)
Press Release:
APC STATE CHAIRMANSHIP: THE ZONING CONUNDRUM AND NEED FOR EQUITY AND FAIRNESS.
The media space has been inundated recently with different narratives pertaining zoning of the State Chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress,APC in Cross River State.
Among the narratives, rising interest as to why the position has to be zoned to either the Northern or Central Senatorial District has gained ascendancy.
Some of the permutations have interestingly been given colorations that appear as decisions already taken in the boardroom.
Only recently,a concocted report had ascribe complete “claimancy” to the office to a certain Local Government Chairman who is still neck deep in mastering the art of local government administration.
The times are deeply political, and allows for such permutations.
However, truth has remained sacrosanct about the issue of zoning in our dear party and how much the respect for zoning has helped to douse tension and sustain the existing peaceful climate in the state.
The Back-To-South campaign initiated by the Ben Ayade administration which returned the Governorship back to the Southern Senatorial District has largely been acknowledged as the basis for the peaceful political climate largely enjoyed in the state today.
Beyond peace,it has also become the basis for ending the zoning conundrum much as it has become a perfect template for actualising balance of power in other aspects of our wealth and power distribution mechanism.
Zoning the position of State Chairman of our party is one aspect of power distribution mechanism we must give thought to.
If we subscribe to the principles of equity and fairness,the most peaceful and potentially beneficial to all the interests involved in the power distribution process,then we would have done so well to demystify the potential conflagrations that undue agitations would have thrown up.
From the developing narratives,the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts are bent on the Chairmanship. Unfortunately,such ambition appears to be orchestrated by self-serving motives and not on the basis of equity and fairness which the APC represents and is also reflective of the People First Mantra of the Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu administration in the state.
A brief historical analysis of the position and their occupants in the past shows clearly that the Southern Senatorial District should by all intents and purposes be allowed a shot at the State Chairmanship of the party.
The following analysis give a vivid account of the situation:
1.Pst Dr.Usani Usani-Central Sen.Dist. (Chairman 2013-2015)
2.Etim John-Central Sen. Dist.(Chairman 2015-2016.)
3.Late Dr.Matthew Achigbe-Central Sen.Dist.(Chairman 2016-2018)
4.Sir. John Ochala -Northern Sen.Dist.
(Chairman,2019-2020)
5.Sen. Matthew Mbu-Central Sen.Dist.
(Chairman,2020-2021)
6.Barr.Alphonsus Ogar Eba- Northern Sen.Dist.(Chairman,2021-2025)
The above is self explanatory! It therefore raises the fundamental question where is the place of the Southern Senatorial District in the triumvirate consideration of the State’s power sharing principle?
It is only when we see through the spectacle of equity and justice which demand that we allow the Southern Senatorial District a shot this time,that we would have justifiably addressed the looming distrust arising from the unnecessary ambitions.
Sen. Ayade, reputed for setting examples in equity and justice had insisted that Alphonsus Eba,Esq,a fellow brother from the Northern Senatorial District should hold on to the position for a full tenure.
That precedent defeats every argument about a Sen.Prince Bassey Edet Otu’s choice of a fellow Southern brother as State Chairman.
Sen. Otu himself an Apostle of equity and justice,also knows that running the office of State Chairman of the APC which involves painstaking, selfless undertakings,has never been a tea party; a responsibility for ‘boys’ but for ‘men,’ and will expectedly bring in a ‘man’ with the pedigree and right credentials to man the position.
Therefore, whatever semblance of an ambition that is, are delusional fantasies.
1.Hon. Effiong Ekpenyong
(Chairman)
2.Mr.Obu Ilem
(Secretary)
