2019 : 'Ayade not losing sleep over aspiration of some caricatures' - Undiandeye

Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River

Governor Ben Ayade Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Chief Tony Undiandeye has said that the Governor is not losing sleep over the aspiration of some of his
challengers describing them as "caricatures".

Undiandeye who stated this in Calabar during an interaction with Journalists said that the Governor was not running election against anybody until 2023 when he may have finished his second tenure.

He said that "Governor Ayade will not lose sleep because of the aspiration of some caricatures who said they are running against him in 2019. Some people think that when they enter beer parlour and people cheer them up then they're popular enough to win governorship elections. But the Governor will not loose sleep because he's not contesting against anybody, being it intra or  even inter-party till 2023 after his second term".

Undiandeye said that the Ayade's administration was a success as the governor was working to take the state from the path of mundane the path of industrialization.

"Ayade's administration has been a huge success. The Governor has taken to a path that many people don't understand. Nigeria is asking for restructuring where every state will be existing as a federating unit and he has taken an idea from that to take the state from the path of mundane to the path of industrialization.

"His achievements are physical to everyone to see. From the industrial layout in Jonathan bypass to Odukpani where he's building Banana factory. In Ikom, he's building cocoa processing factory while in Ogoja he's constructing the first of its kind rice processing mill. So, the opposition has always been involved in scandalous accusations but we won't join them in that trajectory", he said.

Speaking about the delay in conducting local government elections, he said that the Governor was concerned but working to raise funds for the elections.

In his words "The Governor is very concerned about the local government election. To conduct election is very expensive but the Governor is saving for that purpose. He's very sensitive to democratic ethos that's why you have not seen him appoint people as caretakers".

On the security situation in the state, he said that the Ayade administration has done more than any other previous administration in terms of security.

He said "No government has done as much as this government in terms of security. To show his commitment, he set up the Operation Skolombo and Homeland Security to strengthen the security architecture in the state".

The Governor's aide however blamed the federal government for the incessant communal clashes in the state.

"Most of the incessant communal clashes in the state is because of boundary disputes and it's not within the the state purview to demarcate interstate boundaries. The crisis have persisted because the National Boundary Commission has failed to do what is expected by demarcating clearly interstate boundaries. But generally, Cross River is the most peaceful state in Nigeria and the Governor is committed to maintaining that", he said.