Efio-Ita Nyok|21 July 2016|7:35AM
In view of the ongoing brouhaha between the government of Cross River State as instigated by the Office of the Attorney-General of the state, Sunny Abang and a foremost critic of the state government, Ifere Paul, popular social commentator in the state, Prince Thomas Abi Jr has lend his voice against the trend in an eight paragraph article.
The ace public affairs analyst confessed that it was heartbreaking that the government and her critics were misdirecting their energies in an unproductive venture of fighting each other. Prince Abi highlighted the numerous challenges starring the state in the face needing urgent attention but having none.
In his own words, ‘It is heart breaking to think that instead of how we can work towards moving our dear state forward we are channelling our energies towards attacking each other (government and critics) rather than generating ideas that are geared towards moving the state from the present state it is’.
‘We have too many problems to tackle in Cross River State: We have the problem of potholes, unpaid gratuities, poor refuse evacuation, kidnapping, poor means of transportation, lack of industries to employ our youths, poverty spreading like a wild fire, poor education for our children, poor health-care, lack of seedlings for our farmers, lack of fertilizer for our farmers, no housing scheme for workers, no clear cut out plan for our children, everyday across the hospitals in the state new babies are birthed, without anyone thinking about their welfare, and we are busy fighting ourselves and shouting – ‘I am for government’, ‘I am against government’, he further observed.
To the critics Prince Abi advised that ‘ We must begin to see ourselves as potential leaders’. Whereas, to the government he reminded them that ‘It is now time to govern the good people of Cross River State. It is not time to make promises or fight one another. It is time to redirect our energies towards putting Cross River State on the world map’.
He particularly drew attention to the deplorable condition of the state educational sector begging for attention. He noted that the state’s technical schools were in shambles, the about four educational tertiary institutions in the state were in his words ‘glorified secondary schools’, yet both critics and government alike were more concerned about using the social media for belligerent purposes than employing it to chart a more noble cause of adding value to the state and drawing government’s attention to areas where urgent attention was needed.
Prince Abi warned against this trend in strong terms noting that ‘Until we redefine where we want to be as a people, we will never move forward. The time has come for us to collectively make Cross River State great again’.
Again Prince Abi explained that service to the state wasn’t the exclusive prerogative of the government. That the private citizenry can contribute to state building. However, he reminded those already in government to see their lot as an opportunity to work for the greater good. He said that, ‘You must not be in government to add value. And if you are part of the government it is a rare privilege to work for the greater good of Cross River people’. ‘It is an opportunity to serve your state. Truth be told, we are not there yet. We have not prioritised our goals and where we want to be over a period of time’, he continued.
He encouraged both the government and her critics to constitute a viable team oriented towards the growth of the state.
Prince Abi finally summed up his bridge-building missive when he submitted the succeeding cliche: ‘It is now time to make Cross River State great again. It is time to add value and move the state to the next level of our developmental drive’.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)