OPINION : A Servant-Leader Prince, K-Jay, out to serve his people

Prince K-Jay Agba

By: Solomon Asha

KJay Jedy-Agba, is an illustrious son of Obudu, a gentlema per excellence, and a prince of the royal Household of His Royal Majesty,  Uti J. D. Agba, Paramount Ruler of Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

He is a successful businessman who has caught a niche for himself in the private sector spanning the real estate, the service industry, telecommunication support services and the likes.

He was only recently with the coming of the Ben Ayade administration appointed by the Government of Cross River State, as the Chairman of the New Cities Development Board. A portfolio created my the erudite Professor and Digital Governor of CRS to boost infrastructural development in the state and for which Mr KJay was singled out to drive the process and bring his enormous wealth of experience to bear.

Consistent with his altruistic desire to serve the people in an elective position, Prince K-Jay Agba in 2011 took a bold step to contest for senate alongside some  heavyweights for the Northern Senatorial seat at the upper legislative chambers of the national Assembly, under the platform of the PDP and made very significant impact at the primaries.

To further drive his zeal and actualize his dream of serving his people in an elective capacity, K-Jay, (as he is often called) is again showing his  willingness and preparedness to serve the people of Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency as their representative in the Lower Chambers, the green chambers of the National Assembly.

Interestingly and as expected, his  expression of interest to contest the Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra Federal seat has drawn so much of positive reactions and support from people within and outside the constituency, With much of that interest coming  especially from the youths who have premised much of their  satisfaction and confident on the fact that a young, dynamic and purposeful driven individual such as K-Jay will certainly be a better deal for the constituency in terms of effective, and pragmatic representation, in a constituency that is lacking in federal presence like the Bekwarra, Obudu, Obanliku Federal Constituency.

In my many Interactions with the Obudu Prince, he had spoken of how fully prepared he is to contest for  the position, beginning with the  extensive consultations he has made to party leaders and stalwarts within and outside the constituency.

However, some concerns have been raised regarding whether it would be politically proper that a member of the House of Representatives for Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra should come from same Local government with the Governor of the state.

The facts in this matter is that the people of this Federal Constituency had long fashioned a rotational arrangement for this position from the inception which commenced with Bekwarra, had moved to Obudu and then to Obanliku and returned to Bekwarra with Hon. Legor Idagbor representing the constituency at the moment with  Obudu standing by to take the batten.

It is my candid view that this humble Prince from Obudu with the heart of a gold itching to serve his people at this material time need not be denied the opportunity to do so based on the fact that he shares similar local Government of origin with the incumbent state Governor, Ben Ayade.

This rotational arrangement for the Federal seat now heading towards Obudu at same time, a son of the Local Government is the Governor, is but a mere coincidence.

Besides, precedence had been set in the past in the constituency and in the other parts of the state by previous administrations as regards this issue.

In 1999, a precedence was set in this same constituency, when Senator Kanu Agabi, SAN. from Bekwarra was elected senator for the northern senatorial district of Cross River state, and Dr.  Mike Ogar also from Bekwarra was elected to the House of Representatives.

Similar political scenarios equally played out in the southern senatorial district of the state when Mr. Donald Duke, from Akpabuyo Local Government Area was elected the Governor of Cross River state, under the platform of PDP, and Hon. Patrick Ene Okon, from Ikot Ene, Akpabuyo LGA was elected to represent Calabar

South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

In the short-lived third republic, 1992-93, Mkpani-born astute and prolific journalist cum businessman, Chief Clement David Ebri, from the then Ugep Local Government Area (now Yakurr) was elected as the Governor of Cross River State under the platform of the National Republican Convention NRC and his fellow comrade, Liyel Imoke, equally from the then Ugep LGA before his part of the Local

Government was carved into Abi, was equally elected as the senator representing the Central senatorial District of the state.

In equally similar situation, Prince Bassey Otu from Odukpani Local Government Area, was elected to represent Calabar

Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency at the lower chamber, from 2003-2011, and by 2007, the former deputy Governor of Cross River, Barr. Efiok Cobham, also from same Local Government like Prince Otu was elected the state number two citizen.

One must give kudos to our political leaders and  statesmen who sat down from the inception to craft a wonderful zoning arrangement that could see the position for the federal seat rotating among the three Local Government Areas.

Their efforts, foresight and wisdom
must not only be  commended and sustained, but seen as one capable of building social political cohesion among the three Local Government Areas.

It is based on this reality that any attempt to truncate the zoning arrangement as been practiced from 1999 to date, would be detrimental to the peace, progress and development of the area. For anyone to enjoy second or third tenure both at the state and federal legislative seat is a matter of mere privileged and not a right.

Our concern therefore should be viewed against the backdrop of effective representation and how pragmatic an individual is to draw federal presence to our constituency. A tall order this has been and a feat  for which Mr KJay Jedy- Agba now seeks to represent.