Ikem, who spoke in Calabar while hosting the state executive of Liberty Support Group during a courtesy visit, said “the present state of the country and the maladministration in the state under Governor Ben Ayade clearly portray the PDP as the viable alternative to the quagmire.”
According to him, “the present insecurity, untold hardship, economic woes, gradual collapse of key sectors are adding up to the growing indices for a failed state. The exorbitant cost of living and the gradual transformation of Nigeria into a killing field under the APC-led government should convince every rational prospective voter that it is high time the APC is voted out of power to save our people from this malady. In PDP, our antecedents speak volume of our capacity, competence and noble intentions for our country.
“Our predicament in Cross River is even the worst scenario. The commercial oriented destruction of our historic ecosystem, massive looting of our treasury, siphoning of the bailouts and Bakassi stabilisation funds as well as the deliberate destruction vented on our common heritage and apparatus of government have taken us backyard in developmental index, hence the urgent need to reclaim our beloved state from these vandals in government who have nothing to offer other than lining their pockets and enriching their families with our common patrimony.”
Ikem further charged support groups to operate by the dictates of the law and establish their structures in all the 3321 polling units in the state to facilitate effective mobilisation.
Also speaking, the Director General of Liberty Support Group, Mr Peter Igbe said the group comprising retired seasoned technocrats, academics and enterprising youths across the state came into existence to mobilise Cross Riverians and its well-wishers towards enthroning a responsible government in the state to restore the lost glory of Cross River.
According to him, “the deplorable situation in our beloved state informed our formation. Gone are the days we used to introduce ourselves as proudly Cross Riverians, today we are ashamed of our state status. The damage on our collective heritage and psyche are simply unprecedented “
He added, “we opted to pitch our tent with the PDP after a holistic appraisal of the various governorship candidates on parade across the parties.. We have unanimously agreed that Senator Sandy Onor is the best option in all ramifications. Hence our decision to team up with the PDP to usher in Senator Sandy Onor as the next governor of our state.”
In his speech, the patron of Liberty Group Sir Philio Adie described as “saddening the total collapse of governance in a state once a model for other states in terms of cleanliness, potable water supply, blanket security network, tourism industry, budgeting, and seamless operations in MDAs.”
He promised that the group would work hard to ensure the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections.