Stop running around, APC tells C’River gov

The All Progressives Congress has cautioned the Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, to settle down to work “rather than travelling around the world.”

The National Vice Chairman of APC, South-South, Mr. Hilliard Eta, who spoke with our correspondent in Calabar, the state capital, on Monday, said the governor had not settled down to govern the people since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.

Eta said, “He (Ayade) has on his own created a state of confusion and right now, Cross River is in a state of flux. There is motion, but no movement; so much talk, but no action; so much display of exuberance, but no real governance.

“In all honesty, I would have wished that Governor Ben Ayade succeeds as governor of Cross River State because his success, regardless of party affiliation, will be to the glory of Cross Riverians. His failure will be our pains as well and this will exacerbate our problems as a state. And so, my prayer has always been that he succeeds.

“But this junketing from China to Germany will not do us any good. He should come and rule us because he wanted to be the governor. It is unfortunate that in Cross River, we have a culture of silence and anybody could come and hoodwink us and nobody will say anything.”

Reacting to the allegation, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. John Okon, said Eta had not appreciated the reality of modern governance, which he said entailed movement to get things done.

Okon said, “I do not know why someone like Eta will say that kind of thing. Maybe they (APC) still believe in the traditional style of governance. The governor had said when he assumed office that he would do things out of the ordinary.

“He is travelling to look for investors that will take charge of the abundant natural resources in the state. He is doing this with the full support of the party and the state House of Assembly and he should be given a chance. Our governor is doing well. He pays salaries every 25th day of the month.”