Celebrating A Week of Achievements: Ayade's Scorecard.
https://www.fearlessreports.com/2017/06/celebrating-week-of-achievements-ayades.html
This week will go down for Ayade as a week when he again proved his "smartness " by hosting the Ag. President Professor Osinbajo. Amidst all the lies told in inchoate language, certain real facts of the week speak to me in these highlights :
1. The Activists Protest.
On Monday, the 29th of May, Nigeria's "Democracy Day", some young activists, tired with social media activism decided to blaze a new effort at resistance. They planned and undertook a peaceful March in Calabar the capital city of Cross River State to demand certain minimum deliverables from their government and governor. They raised placards demanding amongst other things payment of LG workers' salaries. Pensioners due. A clean environment. Security for lives and property. A stoppage to attempts to change the states logo to a Red Bull logo they accused of representing occultism. Their plan was to stage this peaceful March at the Millennium Park. But unfortunately, they were denied the use of the Park. They were not denied in a civilized way. They were barricaded by the use of armed policemen. Having no alternative they took to the streets. Again armed policemen confronted them and tear gassed them. But they had made their point. "Democracy" was hardly their experience on this "Democracy Day"!
2. Somewhere else in town on this same democracy day, someone arranged or hired a crowd of students to demand that he contest elections as Governor for a second term, not unlike Abacha, and in the excitement of the usual display of love by his people, his friend, former governor of a neighboring state or the incumbent, depending on your account of the story, doles out 10 million Naira, in appreciation; only he didn't mention Mr. BIGS this time! Governor Ayade tops it with his own widow's might of 3 m naira! Since he is not governing an oil producing state.
The Youth Commissioner, however had his own plans. He decided to activate the plan of chopping the campaign money as we hear all aides have conspired to do to the governor at this eventuality. He custodies the money to be shared at a later time. He is later to tell the youth how he spent 10m, before, during and after the event leaving them with 3 m naira only to share for their trouble! Naturally, this sparked a protest by the restive youth that was met with the use of force. They were not as lucky as the activists earlier on. Three students lost their lives! People on social network said it's the Red Bull at work!
3 . Tuesday : even The the inactive labor Unions in the state, suffering from conflicts of interest as 3 of them are led by Ayade's kinsmen from Obudu,( NLC, Ushie, NULGE, Goddy Ayendi, NURTW, Goddy Ishang,) for once found their voices and called an Industrial Action. Although it was shortlived as the governor panicking from the effect it would have on the planned visit of the Ag. President, recanted on his earlier threat that he could run the state without labor decided to promise everything they demanded for. Never mind that none will be kept hereafter. His kinsmen had to save his face! The strike was called off...
4. Then on Wednesday, as arrangements were being concluded for the visit of the Ag. President, the Navy formation located in this coastal city of Calabar decided to test their security readiness by using the Nigerian police for target practice! The police I understand had unwisely challenged them anyway. There was commotion everywhere around Akin road where both formations have presence. The end result was carnage. Some personnel died and property destroyed after hours of target practice!
5. Thursday And the Ag. President visits! And he commissions again projects already commissioned and says some kind words to the governor. There is celebration because the mood in the state prior to this had been quite despondent. It was like returning a fish to water after some minutes out of it. Some may eventually die shortly afterwards because a fish out of water according to biologists hardly survives even when returned even though momentarily it swims away happily.
As if to prove the point, as the Ag. President settles down to dinner, a prominent son of the soil, former commissioner and Ayade's kinsman, Mr. Paddy Ugbe, a budding broadcast entrepreneur is kidnapped!
What a week it has been. Have a lovely Weekend! It's still the People's paradise!
Farewell, Ag. President!
Venatius Ikem
03/06/2017.