'We will not forget': Ace Blogger writes Open letter to Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, Friday Okpechi & Eteng Jones Williams

By Efio-Ita Nyok,

Viral online news reports Tuesday 9th July 2019 has it that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Cross River State has, in a 5th July 2019 letter to the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly, CRSHA requested a loan of five billion Naira (N5, 000, 000, 000. 00) for the payments of pensions and a spurious 'other unforseen obligations of government'.


These reports has it that, you, the duo of Rt. Hon. Peter Odey of Ogoja State Constituency and Rt. Hon. Friday Okpechi of Obubra I State Constituency were reportedly in the front line of articulating the defense for the 9th CRSHA ascquiscing to the Governor's request. Particularly, one of the reports states thus: 'Reacting on the request of the Governor, Leader of the House, Hon. Peter Odey of Ogoja State Constituency, appealed to his colleagues on the need to grant the said request, even as he appealed to the governor to ensure proper usage of the fund', and 'Hon. Friday Okpechi of Obubra I State Constituency held that the governor, Senator Ben Ayade is known for prompt payment of salaries; howthat, the delay in payment of June salaries could be what the governor captured
'unforseen obligations of government'.

Do you mean to say that as ranking members of the 9th CRSHA, you couldn't query the meaning of the phrasal expression: 'unforseen obligations of government' made by the governor before advancing arguments in support of the proposal for the debt of two years? The most embarrassing is the defence of Okpechi where he said according to the report 'howthat, the delay in payment of June salaries could be what the governor captured 'unforseen obligations of government.''
Couldn't Okpechi or whatever he calls himself ask the House to ask the Governor to explain in very express terms what he meant by such vaguest of expression made by in a public officer in Cross River State's recent political history —'unforseen obligations of government'!?

But, how could Hon. Elvert Ekom of Ikom II State Constituency tow a contrary disposition obviously being a first time legislator and then you a so-called ranking member couldn't relate with this reality? How could you be so sure of what exactly to borrow (N5 billion) but couldn't be certain of what exactly the cash would be used for? How will you hold the Executive Council responsible for these phantasmagoric 'unforseen obligations of government'?

May it be known to both of you that we will not forget —especially, we will not foget in a hurry that you decided to take sides with the immoral bourgeoisie instead of the suffering proletariat being representatives of the latter. I hazard to say that both of you are 'enemies of contemporary Cross River'.

To the Rt. Hon. Speaker I remember that you're a part and parcel of the 8th CRSHA which was understood to be a rubber stamp legislator. In fact, you were the Adviser to the grossly unpopular Speaker of that House whose Assembly was rubber stamp. This speaks volume already. Honourable Speaker sir, will your 9th House be another 'rubber stamp'? Already, with the okay by this 9th CRSHA for the N5 billion loan and other unforseen obliging loans of this present state government, we are wont to think that your House will be —a stooge-of-a-House-of-Assembly. Will the future support this suspicion? How I wish it wouldn't, that you would reverse the unfortunate trend?

To the quadruplets of the Speaker Williams, Odey, Okpechi and the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly the puzzle starring before you now is : if the monthly wage bill is between N2 billion and 2.5 billion as previously reported, and if 2 years will offset a N5 billion loan —for how long will Governor Ben Ayade take loan to pay monthly salaries and 'other unforeseen obligations of government'? For how many years will we have to undo this heavy debt burden? Didn't this state government say we've exceeded our borrowing ceiling recently when a similar request to borrow for the construction of the so-called super highway hit public domain? Are we not now borrowing?

Have you seen how foolish it was to have hurriedly qued behind a fraudulent executive disposition of a certain debt profile meant for an uncertain expenditure? You may feed fat today off our common patrimony but be certain that Cross Riverians nay Nigerians will not forget, no, not in a hurry!

Efio-Ita Nyok is a social commentator and can be reached at effioitanyok@gmail.com
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