BY Vena Ikem
I just can't help but ponder at Agba Jalingos
post of yesterday where he attempted to set an agenda or standards for the next
governor of CRS. What I find curious in retrospect is that the agenda seems set
only for the opposition contesting against the incumbent. To be specific the
standard was set for Goddy Jedy Agba who he said is looking set to take a
second shot at the governorship of our state, to prove that he can do better
than the incumbent Ayade!
I am not a journalist. I am a politician. He says he
is a journalist and not a politician. I don't know what established him as the
authority to set such an agenda. If it is his professional calling, I thought
such standards are usually set as a group. Otherwise of course he has a right
to talk to the aspirant himself in person. I may be wrong.
It is interesting to me that Agba who works himself so
hard to establish his "Progressive " credentials has for the better
part of this administration been a very enthusiastic supporter of the mishap in
the Cross River State government house, endorsing everything that spills out of
the governor's mouth without question and instead acting often as a buffer
between him and critics from the progressive opposition party. The excuses have
bothered on support for development! Even when the governor has himself
admitted failure, his "developmental strides" continue to attract
unquestionable support. Lately, I have found it curious that Agba has shifted a
bit to the left of Ayade and I know it is not for nothing. His punchy diagnosis
off the abject security failure of the administration last week was legendary.
The follow up was this Jedy questionnaire!
For instance no journalist has followed up on the very
robust links provided by Ifere Paul to unravel the veracity or the allegations
of diversion of our bailout funds. Nobody has reported about the non payment of
workers' entitlements even after stupendous monies have been collected for that
purpose beyond the social media effort of some left leaning upstarts. Nobody is
reporting why IGR has dropped from above 1 bn monthly to about 500m naira
monthly amidst allegations that most are being diverted by collecting banks
into the private accounts of Frank Ayade. Nobody reports that the Local
government allocation is being hijacked sometimes wholly while workers are
pressurized to generate revenue even without imprest! Local Government staff go
without salaries while the media reports the governor as the most labor
friendly!
Yes, I did promise that we shall as a campaign bring
up a "blue print " for the aspiration. And Ifere Paul ,
in attempting to give some indication of what to expect came under heavy attack
by Agba Jalingo. It then occurred to me that there is more to this agenda
setting. In fact I must confess that it was then I realized Agba Jalingo has
set out an agenda almost exclusively for Goddy Jedy Agba! Is that how political
agenda are set? Even if I concede that in doing so he is already seeing ahead
that the Jedy machinery at work seems the most likely challenge to Ayade as
incumbent, the question of objectivity still remains.
Agba dismissed some of Ifere's policy inputs because
according to him, they had the personalized suggestions that showed they were
Ifere 's personal opinion not Jedy 's! How absurd! Is the quest to test Jedy's
capabilities in writing an agenda or his policy agenda itself, however put
together!? I am not aware that many politicians ever write their own
blueprints! Blueprints are a collection of policy initiatives that an aspirant
believes reflect his direction If he succeeds to get into government. Yes, a
few cerebral politicians have in some climes contributed a lot of inputs into
their political agenda but it is inconceivable to imagine that one Aspirant can
write his entire policy from Health, Agriculture, to employment, environment
and whatever! A Governor or president is not elected because he knows
everything. He is elected because he can provide leadership to bring forth the
best policies to bear on his administration. The critical quality essential for
leadership therefore. Is the ability to listen and and take informed decisions
from competing policy approaches. Discernment is the watch word. Separating
what works from what does not. An administration fails not because the leader
is dull but because oftentimes lacks the ability to listen to advise. It is the
chronic disease that has infested our state for two years! And you can see what
we have at hand, despite a legendary coterie of Advisers and assistants, who
never see the leader, except their schedule is of a domestic nature!
I am not making excuses for Goddy Jedy Agba but moving
forward we must aspire to a fair system in which we are judged by some
semblance of same standards. I am happy that Agba would agree that PMB has done
reasonably well given his realities. But if you ask me what his policy profile
was during the campaigns I will still shudder like I did each time he woke up
to deliver his two minutes campaign addresses! Maybe I am even being very
generous with the time he used. But that didn't mean that he didn't know what
he wanted to do. In any case anxious for change , Nigerians gave him the
benefits of the doubt. I believe that the very despicable performance of this
administration in our state puts us on the same pedestal. We shall by all means
produce a documentary guide to our policy intentions but I believe that for
most Cross Riverians the fundamental issue of 2019 would be CHANGE Of
leadership!
I have said elsewhere that I am impressed that the
average politician in the state believes and understands the peculiar
circumstances of the northern senatorial district and the imperative of
fairness and are willing to give us another chance if we can give them a better
candidate. And it is completely inconceivable for such a candidate to
contemplate a second term given our well managed zoning arrangements.
These are the issues that will define the election of
2019! You can call me names and talk your long policy ideals. As a politician I
understand the mood of the moment. But once again, we shall work out a concise
policy framework.
Vena
A. Ikem.
16/06/2017
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