How To Remove Ayade BY AGBA JALINGO

Agba Jalingo, Journalist and Publisher of CrossRiverwatch 

I have said repeatedly that whether governor Ayade performs or not, getting him out of office in 2019 is not going to be done by people who themselves are not good at anything other than abusing.

I make this assertion with due  respect to all the men and women of courage out there who have had the temerity to ask valid questions concerning some of the mis-steps of the Ayade government. I salute you and you are many.

Leaders, whether performing or non performing, are removed from office by broad base coalitions/networks of 'diverse interests' mobilized on the plank of 'common interest', not by rabble rousing.

So while some fellas   are hopping around facebook like house pets seeking attention in the name of fighting Ayade, I have two tasks for them to make their work easy.

First, you are already doing very well in abusing. Thumbs up for you guys on that.

But:

1. Begin to show capacity to mobilize and lead.

Show me one influencer of the kind you seek to be or surpass, who did not mobilize and network. They 'fought' with platforms not from their high horses.

Even contemporary activism which has been richly enhanced by social media and instigating rolling revolutions, has also been essentially about mobilization, networking and grooming.

Just show that you can do these within the political economy of the state.

And I am not talking about the overrated and overbloated images we have all cut for ourselves on social media.

I mean real touch! Functional team building, if you know what I mean.

Meetings and minutes of meetings. Resolutions, working/action groups, reports, M&E. Etc.

It is very critical to upstaging a government. Not empty talk and abusing.

2. You need to begin to periodically show us your capacity outside facebook.

Yes, outside of Facebook, who are you?

What other value are you adding?

Who are you grooming?

What are some of the small steps you have taken or are taking in your community or neighborhood to demonstrate leadership?

If you are seeking for a better society, how are you going about it with the everyday people outside facebook?

We need to know your own capacity to be able to make things happen outside your Samsung phone and data in your SIM card.

This is also very important if you have some sense.

See, to whom brain is given, sense is expected and I am sure you were given a brain.

I remind you again, no government was ever removed by rabble rousing and incoherent ramblings.

Let me remind you again, I have not seen anything yet that will stop Governor Ayade from getting a comfortable second term whether he performs or not.

NOTHING!

Not from APC nor from the 'activists.'

I may be wrong but that is my reality from my perception of events in the state.

APC in the state is not even a threat so let me not even go there. Plenty tory.

Next is that, there is tremendous impact from the volume of information that is churned out about Cross River on facebook everyday. It is getting people angry and agitated.

But there is yet a strategy by the 'activists' on how to translate this to concrete action that can instigate change.

Several factors are responsible for this but still allow me slip those into the shelf for now.

Ayade's Wife, Dr. Linda Ayade, smartly brought "her fellow wives" of South South and South East Governors to the 6th meeting of the group in Calabar, the governors also came after that, the PDP governors keep tropping in seeking Ayade's block votes at the convention. The South South/ South East senators just left Calabar.

He has met with several APC leaders in the state and pacified them.

Please I did not say he gave anybody money for God sake.

Ita Giwa, Edem Duke, Jedy Agba, Ndoma Egba, Bassey Otu are all leaders of the APC in the state that the governor has met with recently.

If you think all these  meetings put together are for nothing, then you need to enrol for adult school.

I even hear with one ear that emissaries are also been sent to Sir Venatius Ikem, Hon. Paul Adah and co.

I don't know if na true and I will repeat that I never said anyone gave anybody money.

What I am saying is that these rabble rousers who say they are fighting Ayade on facebook seem to be alone in their self deluding wilderness.

The ship has left them but their indulgence with the Ayade personae will not let them decifer.

I am still waiting to see the person with the financial war chest to challenge the incumbent.

And for those waiting for the Prince to join the fray, you will be sooo heartbroken I repeat.

Do I always agree with Governor Ayade?

Big NO!

I disagree with with him on many fronts.

I feel he is promising too much and may not be able to deliver some of the things he is promising.

I feel he does not have the right team to drive his audacious dreams.

I feel he is not making use of the best among his team.

I feel he has appointed too many people who are not adding any value.

I feel he is doing too much alone, all by himself.

I feel he needs to trust more people around him.

And above all, I feel he is not being firm with his principal appointees who are creating chaos.

Do I think Governor Ayade has delivered on his promises?

Not yet. The cup is half full. That is how I see it frankly.


I still have confidence in governor Ayade and my reason is simple and straight to the point.

While  his predecessors have been reasonably and even traditionally  cautious as we are known for in our state, Ayade has very audacious ideas, some of which I doubt of course, like 'I WILL TURN BAKASSI TO LUGANO."

But I share deeply in Governor Ayade's desire to industrialize Cross River state.

In my thinking, this shift is very significant as it will create faster opportunities for our growing population.

In fact, the mere fact that the working class in our state, who are mostly civil servants, are beginning to hear of the possibility of a massively industrialized Cross River, will definitely cascade into the creation of a budding class of enterprise minded middle class to drive the economy of our state.

Bold ideas about mega infrastructures, mega industries, mega farms, mega estates, etc are seeds that the next generation of Cross Riverians need to begin to nurture and adapt to in our sub conscious as a panacea to maximizing the potentials of our state and that is where I find a very formidable common ground with the governor, Senator Ben Ayade.

We have established ourselves as a service economy over the years giving a lead in hospitality. It is a niche we must hold on to tenaciously.

However, the existential hurdle of our state within the Nigerian political theatre calls for innovative and even so-called "grandiose" thinking to drive our state out of the quagmire.

Governor Ayade has clearly demonstrated that thinking, at least in his outlook.

Let the conversation  on. Let the probing questions continue. Let the activists shout louder. Let more voices join the team that is asking the questions. For such are the ingredients of good governance.

But nevertheless, What I think is missing is not enough to kick out what is available.

Good morning.

NOTE:

Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Agba Jalingo, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization  the author works for/with.