BY CHRISTIAN ITA
Responding to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Cross River is like engaging two feuding co-wives. You wouldn’t know who to talk to. One is not sure which of the disparate factions to respond to-the home-based integrity faction or the beleaguered Abuja league. However, for whatever it is worth, it has become imperative to respond to the compendium of farce being bandied about by the near disembowelling and eviscerating opposition party.
To properly situate the insipid position of the party on the achievements of the Cross River State government under Governor Ben Ayade, these immortal quotes will suffice: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not to his own fact”- Daniel Patrick Moynihan. “Liars are chameleons that take on any colour”- Clifford Thurlow. The two quotes above aptly define the character-trait of Cross River PDP.
To start with, the party’s claim that projects undertaken by the governor are bogus is laughable. It is mere political talk that reeks of infantile theatrics. If PDP has any modicum of integrity, it would have saved itself the embarrassment of eating it’s own words by not spewing inanities about the projects.
Like a drowning man trying desperately to catch at a straw, it is quite convenient for the embattled faction of the PDP in Cross River to forget so soon that just a few months ago when the governor was still in the PDP, its leading lights were all over the place waxing effusively lyrical and heaping platitudes on the same projects they are now describing as bogus. But the question is, what has changed between now and then? Why are they now suddenly denying the evidence of their eyes?
On recruitment into the Cross River State Civil Service, the PDP should rather bury its head in shame for its lack of empathy for the people. Its hatred for the state stinks to high heavens. It is quite disconcerting that a party that is angling to form the next government does not have the presence of mind to realise that Cross River has an ageing civil service that needed to be energised.
It will be recalled that in the 16 years when the party held sway, there was a total embargo on recruitment into the state civil service. It took an Ayade to lift the lid on recruitment into the state workforce. Many personnel have retired without being replaced and many more are on the cusp of retirement.
Instructively, what Ayade has done therefore, was a response to the need to re-energise the civil service hence the employment of critical personnel, including teachers, nurses and regularisation of the appointments of the staff of such agencies like the Waterboard who suffered untold indignities as causaul workers under the PDP.
If giving appointments to Cross Riverians rankles the PDP, it is understandable because here is a party whose anti-people policies and postures are legendary.
It’s only an unconscionable party like the PDP that will question the government for giving appointments to the people just to put food on the table to prevent hunger. And this is in line with Keynesian and afropolitan theories.
No wonder under the PDP watch, the hunger level was criminally high in our dear state.
No matter the dirty politics it plays, it will not distract the Governor Ayade-led government of APC from being responsible to its citizenry.
They can howl for eternity, the welfare of our people will not be sacrificed on the altar of cheap politics.
Christian Ita is the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to Governor Ayade