Efio-Ita Nyok|20 February 2016|12:00pm
On Wednesday 17 February 2016, disabled persons in Cross River State took to town to protest their perceived neglect and abandonment by the Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade's led administration of Cross River State.
These disabled individuals polling from the entire 18 LGAs of the state all converged at a strategic point, the highway bordering Cross River State Basin Authority(CRSBA) where we have the stature of 'Destination Cross River'. Reports have it that they numbered over 300. They reportedly caused traffic jam and stalled automobile movements for over 4 to 6 hours on this major route in the state.
It was expected that the CRSG under the leadership of Professor Ben Ayade, on getting wind of the development would have responded accordingly by reporting down there to both see things for themselves, listen to their agitations and address them. Alas! The Executive Governor of Cross River State was on his usual traveling spree of signing MoUs and having a swell time with tax payers' money abroad.
There seem to be nothing wrong with this as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows for the office of Deputy Governor in the entire 36 states of the Federation. Cross Riverians did vote for a Deputy Governor in the person of Professor Ivara Esu the maternal cousin of former governor Liyel Imoke during the 2015 general elections of 28 March and 11 April. It was expected that in the inability of the state Chief Executive to discharge his duties by reason of absenteeism, the Deputy Governor takes over. But, in the case of Cross River State Government the situation is and was different.
When reporters approached Deputy Governor Esu asking him to go and address the protesting disabled persons, this is how/what the said public officer reportedly said: 'my my hand are tied'. Thus, he didn't show up at the venue of the protest neither did his principal. But, the Commissioner for Social Welfare showed up reportedly.
This singular statement hasn't gone down well with some especially a foremost social commentator and public policy analyst, Ifere Paul. This is what he said on his social media timeline:
'Deputy Governor Ivara Ejemot Esu accepted the facts that his hands are tied when he was called to respond to the plights of disable and physically challenged persons in Cross River State. Prof Ivara Esu was approached by reporters to go and address the physically challenged when they protested in Calabar.
The question is how many more issues will the hands of our deputy governor remain tied? Did Governor Ayade forbade the deputy governor from addressing public protesters without his consent? Is it a good thing to admit as a deputy governor that your hands are tied on issues affecting the State?
Prof Ivara Esu doesn't seem to me a man who knows his constitutional responsibility as a deputy governor. Such utterances as "my my hand are tied" is akin to stark cluelessness.'
Statements of this nature from public officers justify the supposition that 'Cross River State has presently entered a one chance'. Where a Governor is absent and can't discharge constitutional responsibilities and the Deputy Governor 'hand is tied' portends gloom for the state's economy and/any other strata of the society.
Again, it suggests that the governor, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade is autocratic. Who could have 'tied the hands' of Ivara Esu if not his superior, Ayade? Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade must be a despot.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
