13 February 2019
“In 1999, Cross River State gave PDP more than 900,000 votes in the presidential election that resulted in the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Consequently, Kanu Godwin Agabi SAN was appointed Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Also, Senator Liyel Imoke was appointed Special Assistant to the President on Utilities.
In 2003, Cross River State gave PDP more than one million votes in the presidential election and Olusegun Obasanjo was re-elected for a second term. Liyel Imoke was appointed Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In 2007, Late Umaru Musa Yaradua was elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cross River State voted massively contributing more than 1.2 million votes to the total haul of PDP! Subsequently, Late John Odey was appointed Minister of Information of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Also, Senator Florence Ita Giwa was appointed Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly!
In 2011, Cross River State overwhelmingly voted for PDP contributed more than 1.5 million votes to the total votes scored by PDP and Good Luck Ebele Jonathan was elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subsequently, High Chief Edem Duke was appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Despite the support of Cross River State ,PDP grossly undermined the people of the State. During the period , Cross River State lost a chunk of its territory, the oil rich Bakassi in 2002 when the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar respectively superintended the surrender of the sovereignty of the Bakassi peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon! In 2010 , under PDP federal government , Cross River State lost all its 75 oil wells and ceased to be an oil producing State.
From 1999 to 2015 , no single federal project was sited in Cross River State. In 2015, Candidate Muhammadu Buhari of the APC scored only a miserly 28,000 votes in Cross River State! Notwithstanding the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari lost woefully in Cross River State, he generously and graciously appointed Head of Service of the Federation ; Minister of Niger Delta; Chief of Naval Staff, SSA to the President on Prosecution ; DG, National Women Development Centre ; Permanent Secretary , Federal Ministry of Information ; Commissioner , National Population Commission; High Commissioner to the Republic of Uganda ; Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council , Federal University of Technology , Owerri, Imo State , two career ambassadors and numerous Board appointees from Cross River State . President Muhammadu Buhari is presently constructing the Calabar -Itu – Ikot Ekpene Federal High way and the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina-Ala Federal Highway respectively ! These two federal highways were left derelict and deplorable throughout the 16 years PDP was in power!
During this period PDP federal government made more than $980 billon from the sale of crude oil alone ! However, the people of Cross River State never enjoyed the dividend of democracy during the PDP era!
Okoi Obono-Obla
Is SA on Prosecution to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria