Efio-Ita Nyok|24 March 2016|6:25am
The purpose of this article is to represent what Cross River born, American based Development Consultant, Princewill Odidi, said at the instance of discovering that Osun State unbelievably received only six million Naira from the Federation Account as monthly Federal Allocation.
Laden in what Odidi said yesterday on his social media account are nuggets that the Ben Ayade led state government of Cross River State needs to listen to especially when one take into cognisance the numerous gargantuan projects Governor Ayade is gunning for, which no doubt are novel, but will certainly jeopardise the economy of the state in the near future when the governor would have long exit office. What follows is Princewill Odidi's:
*That Osun State got only six million naira from federal allocations last quater after deductions, is a lesson we must learn. This is what private loans in the name of creating a legacy and developing capital projects can do to a state.
No good manager can mortgage the future of unborn generations in his state just to satisfy some meaningless projects that do not have an alignment to the day to day aspirations of her people. When made the custodian of your people's source of livelihood, guard it jealously.
Remember the days when the governor wears school uniforms like pupils? Just to prove a point. Remember when Rochas made his elementary school teachers wear suites? Why can't they impose those policies again?
Good governance is not attempting to bombard your state with so many projects without considering the long term effects of these foreign loans, good governance is taking into consideration the state of the economy of your unborn children and how your policies today would shape their own future.
have decided to replay the post here not at the instance of Mr. Odidi, who will surprisingly be reading this article fresh as every other person, but for the purpose of putting the public policy approach of the Governor Ben Ayade into context and as well make my patriotic contributions towards redirecting Cross River State from an anticipated reverse gear economic progression. It would interest you to know that after Osun State's N6 million, Cross River follows immediately with N1.06 billion. This is, in my opinion prophetically instructive. In fact, yesterday about 7:06pm, I received one of Ayade's media aides unsolicited messages which reads thus: 'Cross River monthly wage bill is N2.5billion. March federation allocation N865M while Akwa Ibom gets N9billion'. The catchy phrase is: 'March Federation allocation N865M' —this is a downward spiral. It will not be long before we start receiving N6 million! Yes, N6 million and even less!
The question is, if Cross River State got N1.06 billion in February and 865 million in March and probably something less in forthcoming monthly Federation allocations, why gun for very big projects that will certainly mortgage the economic future of the state? Why not go for less complicated programmes? That Odidi said —'No good manager can mortgage the future of unborn generations in his state just to satisfy some meaningless projects that do not have an alignment to the day to day aspirations of her people'— should not be taken lightly.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
