EDITORIAL : Jeddy-Agba : Who God Has Blessed No Man Can Curse

Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, OFR, Cross River State Ministerial Nominee

About two months after his swearing-in for second term, the long awaited Ministerial list of President Muhammadu Buhari was released and for Cross River State, Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, OFR an illustrious son of the longest serving Paramount Ruler in West Africa, Uti Jedy Agba was nominated. His nomination was greeted with so much excitement by many but as typical of Cross River, a few reactionaries who feel intimidated by his rising profile have activated the pull-him-down syndrome against him.

To many, Jedy who singlehandedly funded a revolution against the powers that be in 2015 is a beacon of hope for the state while to a few, his appointment a serious threat to their 2023 ambition as well as n end to their Ministerial ambition. 

One thing is peculiar with Jedy, he has fought many battles and has always emerged victorious even though in some cases, others are the beneficiaries of his struggle.

In 2015, Jedy led a revolution that forced the powers that be at the time to zone the governorship to the northern senatorial district of the state which at the time was the only senatorial district that was yet to produce a Governor. Despite the fact that he didn't benefit directly from that struggle, Jedy has always expressed satisfaction that his primary objective wasn't just about his ambition but the desire and yearnings of his people to have a northerner as Governor.

Shortly after the 2015 elections, the PDP umbrella became too small to accommodate Jedy and his supporters. Perhaps, a a progressive concerned with what Cross River State may loose by disconnecting from the mainstream politics at the centre, Jedy led a strong team of  his men to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. In a colourful event in Calabar, the then National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun himself and other top echelon of the party were on ground to receive a man who breathed fresh air into APC which at the time was without spirit and soul.

In fact, it's worthy of note that Jedy till date remains the only politician who embraced the broom revolution in Cross River State that was received by APC National Chairman. This how big a name he has been to the APC!

At the time Jedy and his team joined APC, the party in the state was stagnant; no activities, no function and no real opposition. He came with his drive and passion to build a formidable alternative party and rekindle hope and aspirations of many. 

He joined with his team including Hon. Alex Egbonna, Sandy Onor who later returned to PDP because of the crisis that bedeviled APC two years later in the state, Barr. Venatius Ikem who also returned to PDP because of the party's inability to respect the conventional power rotation in state, Fedlis Ugbo amongst other and built APC into a serious opposition and threat to the PDP.

At his entrance into the party, APC which couldn't organize a single rally in the state prior to 2015 general election apart from when the President, then a candidate visited the state, begun creating activities. In 2015, he bankrolled the APC rally that that held at Atu Primary School that shutdown Calabar. The next year, that's in 2016, he sponsored another rally which held at the Africlub, Calabar road, Calabar that sent a  strong signal to the PDP that it wasn't business as usual.

Shortly after that, Jedy, after the council of Ward Chairmen paid him a visit and complianed about mobility, he bought brand new motorcycles worth about N280,000 each and distributed to all the 196 ward Chairmen of the party. As if that was not enough, Jedy went further to organize another rally in Obudu were he donated an 18 seater bus to the Chapter.

Outside these sacrifices which Jedy did without any federal appointment, Jedy constantly serviced the party in a form paying salaries of secretariat staff as well as rent of the secretariat. Despite the fact that by this time, the party had Minister heading a lucrative ministry and many other federal appointees with many Stakeholders enjoying lucrative contracts from the federal government, he took it upon himself to fund the party without demanding anything in return.

When contracts from NDDC and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs came, party leaders shared them amongst themselves without recourse to someone who was using his personal resources to service different organs of the party. He didn't give up, he continued supporting the party up till the last election where he made huge financial donations to the governorship campaign organizantion as well as Presidential campaign council of the party.

Agba, a former Group General Manager in charge of Crude Oil Marketing Division in NNPC, also made donations to some APC candidates privately. As devout Christian and a Knight in Catholic Church, he believes in the theory of not letting the left hand know what the right hand is giving. This perhaps, is why some people who have not contributed 5% of what he's contributed and contributing to the party are grumbling about his nomination as Minister.

Outside the grumbling, over the past few days, there have been sponsored Media campaign to smear the person of Prince Jedy. Some have linked him to the former Petroleum Minister, Allison Dazieni Maduake who is currently standing corruption trial while others have gone as petty as lying about his health situation.

Well, in Politics everything is expected but when people who feel threatened by the rising profile of Jedy begin to sponsor media campaign against him because favour has smiled at him leaves much to be desired.

Whoever is responsible for the media campaign of calumny against Jedy should know that he who God has blessed, no man can curse. Suffice to say that, amongst the 43 Ministerial Nomines by President Buhari, Jedy is one of those who is not under investigation by any anticorruption agency, local or international.

Dazieni Maduake, throughout her corruption trial in the United Kingdom, there have been never a time Jedy was mentioned anywhere. A respected Nigerian like Prof. Farooq Kperogi even lied in his smear campaign against Jedy that he paid for his appointment. What lie! 

The question is, who did he pay the money to? President Buhari whom is the only Nigerian empowered by the constitution to appoint Minister? Besides, Jedy has left public office for years, if the Ministerial slots were for sale, would he have been in a better position financially to purchase one than those who are just leaving government or still serving? A man who has had no appointment or contract in the last five years, despite the fact that he has his businesses like the Godilogo farm etc could not have boost of a better warchest than people who have had multimedia naira contracts and appointments in the last four years.

On the issue of health, Jedy is one of the strongest men of his age from the state. He has demonstrated this over and over again. But come to think of it, who doesn't fall sick? Even the President was sick and spent over 100 days in London but he's today hail and hearty. President Buhari returned to Nigeria to chagrin of false Prophets and the naysayers who have predicted that he'll die. Those lying with Jedy's health should remember the case of a Prophet who Predicted President Buhari's death but died shortly after the President returned.

Those who feel they will displace him via lies and cheap blackmail should think again because Jedy has sowed and this is when God has deemed it fit for him to reap. He's not after or fighting anybody now or even in 2023 therefore like other states have done, let all Cross Riverians devoid party lines rally round this proven administrator and amiable leader to succeed because his success would be the success will bring smile to the faces of all Nigerians.

This article is an editorial of Fearless Reports