Ifere Paul|5 February 2016|10:44pm
It has been well over 8 months since Governor Ben Ayade took office from Liyel Imoke.
Since taken over power, Governor Ben Ayade has been commended for the quick payment of salaries of civil servant. While a lot of critics say that payment of salaries is a right owed civil servants, it should not be hyped as a policy. It is true that only 1.6% of the entire population of Cross River State are civil servants. The other 98.4% are a combination of retirees, students, women, whom mostly are subsitent farmers and petty traders, and children. This people forms the bulk of the population and they are the population which needs the government most. But government does not care about them.
Retirees in Cross River State, and Nigeria in general are weak, tired, and some are sick and are on prescription drugs. These people are left at the mercy of their God. They survive by begging from their children, most of whom are school leavers and graduates without employment.
I met one retiree at an ATM point in Ugep. He was old and bad looking. He has emaciated so badly and has a pale skin as if bed ridden for a long time. He stood on queue for several hours under sun to get the money that was sent to him by his daughter in Lagos. After charging and pleading with people, the man was given an opportunity to jump line and withdraw his money. In fact, he asked me for assistance with typing the ATM pin because he had vision impairment.
After getting the money, he went on to thank me and told me that the 3000 naira he got was for prescription drugs. That his child who was not lucky to get employment in the Green Police has left town to Lagos. A lot of people like these are out there who can barely afford help too.
It was this desperation that forced some pensioners to want to demonstrate in Calabar on Wednesday 3rd of January,2016. The demonstration was to protest the bad treatment the State government has metted on them as senior citizens.
The governor who got wind of the demonstration called the Commissioner of Police to make sure that such a protest did not hold. The Commissioner of Police, apparently angry, told the governor that it was not his duty to stop demonstrations but to protect lives and property during protests. The CP went further to inquire why the governor will want to direct the police to fight against a planned peaceful demonstration.
According to a senior police officer who knew of the planned demonstration but who would not allow me to name him said that the “governor said that he has no money to pay pensioners and other retirement benefits”. That the State governor went on to say that the “money available are monies I want to use for projects”.
It is so sad that our governor is thinking about projects against the welfare of the people. These are not just any how people, these people who had worked for the State. People who gave their all with their lives, and mortgaged their happiness and love of family to work for the prosperity of the State.
It crass ignorance for Governor Ben Ayade to consider monumental structure development as against the payment of pensions and pensioners.
Isn't it true that the State Governor, Ben Ayade had collected bailout from the Federation Account to ease the State from pending pensions and salaries? The 7.8billion naira captured the payment of pensioners too.
Governor Ben Ayade should know that the lives of pensioners in the State are important too. The governor should be informed that monuments needs people to function properly.
It is wrong to consider projects than welfare of the people. This sure shows that Ben Ayade was and is not ready for leadership.
Ifere Paul
Is a Public Affairs Analyst