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I Have Never Written Anything Negative Against The Chief Of Staff Nor The First Lady Of Cross River State. I Am A Loyal Party Man To The Core

By Obi Ojage

QUITE recently, my attention was drawn to an article in circulation captioned “Cross-river in chains, How One Chief Of Staff Has Hijacked An Entire Government Structure: The Silent Sufferings Of Commissioners And A Call To Rescue Cross-river From Internal Oppression.” The purportedly misplaced innuendos are said to be written by me, when in fact the piece was written by an imposter who did not have my photograph but a logo and phone numbers of the writer instead.

HOWEVER, my name, “Obi Ojage”, was used without my consent in connection with a dubious and fraudulent act by a coward, along with a phone number, 08037070622, which was never mine. I do not have logos. I used my name as the writer at the beginning of the write-up and ended with either a single photo of mine or that of the person who is being discussed, or both photos. And my phone number is certainly not what was used by the writer. My WhatsApp number is 09085942743; simplicita.

UNFORTUNATELY, the concern of the cowardly writer was focused on defending the interests of commissioners in the state, whom he alleged were being badly treated or shortchanged, and he attributed the indifference to the office of the chief of staff, whom the writer inferred, had been meddling with issues that were not under his purview and continues to have his hands on every pie. He further alluded that the chief of staff has made so much money, therefore, he shouldn’t interfere in areas where other colleagues, in this case, commissioners, were supposed to make theirs, inevitably.

I wondered how that should be my concern, when I know that most of those appointed commissioners in our state of Cross River, do not merit that position but were appointed purely out of the generous disposition of the current Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, either as childhood friends, former aids or those sponsored by stakeholders as their slots, and the like. Whereas the majority of those occupying that sit as we speak, at best could only have merited being made special assistance in an ideal situation where merit was considered. And more so at this critical moment of our development, the best brains should be given the job, especially the position of commissioner.

THIS is largely why some of these boofons, now commissioners, insist on collecting a huge amount of money as kick-backs from genuine government contractors who have completed the job, before the monies are released, even when such payments have been approved by the Governor. Cross River is in dire need of quick-fix development, and this crop of commissioners can’t make it happen. All their engagement is who makes what. And their discussion are all in Billions. You don’t build a state to an envious height with such mentality or elements parading themselves as honourable commissioners, for God’s sake.

I made a similar request so explicitly in one of my articles, where I employed the Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, to dissolve the current exco and appoint people on merit. And such appointments should reflect the diversity of the state to prove his obsequiousness. I didn’t accuse anybody of being responsible for the imbalances in appointment reuse in the state. Because the bulk stops with the Governor. Anyone else is an interloper.

NOWHERE in the country has any Governor appointed five members of the executive committee of his political party into the state executive committee of the state (state exco) as commissioners, none anywhere. But Otu did it, and many other unconventionalional decisions just to appease or accommodate certain interests, only for these ingrates to sound uncharitable under cover, rather than thank their stars, they engaged the services of an impersonator using my name as a scapegoat and doing so against the chief of staff, who was neither a threat to me nor a rival.

THOSE who know me well enough including my ardent supporters and those elites who read me regularly on social media, know that I don’t condescend to engage in trivial issues or personalise my comments if I do, in parentheses, it’s usually elaborate and detailed in such a way that it brings out all the silent point to the issues without any intention whatsoever to blackmail anyone. Rather, I attempt to give whoever is involved in the matter, the right image of themselves, including all sides of the matter. And I do so with my name and photographs under my WhatsApp accounts, including those published by bloggers across the country, having my photos on them as well.

I am well informed to know that the chief of staff to the Governor of Cross River, in this case, Hon. Emmanuel Ironbar, is not the Governor nor the Deputy; therefore, any action he takes must have been an order from the Governor to him as an instruction to be obeyed. Or an action carried out under the powers given to him to exercise in his position as the chief of staff. If anyone is not satisfied or comfortable with it, he either seeks ways of aligning with the chief of staff; or the person involved, in this case, is either free to go to the Governor to complain, stay with the problem or resign and go home to another engagement that pays him more.

I cannot, therefore, disturb myself in any case whatsoever, with the thought of the chief of staff in mind, over any matter if I can approach the Governor or his deputy to address my case. The chief of staff is also trying to assert himself as an appointee of the Governor in that capacity and to exercise the powers under that office. Conversely, perhaps he does so assertively to the annoyance of many, but certainly not those who have access to the Governor. So what’s the headache?

NOW, let me try to dissect or possibly address the issues that enraged anger in the petition of the pseudo writer, concerning who oversees the activities of the “100 Marian Enforcement Unit,” which is officially designated as the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA). I dare say to the best of what I was rightly informed, that the aforementioned agency is a creation of a law enacted by the House of Assembly as an agency on its own, headed by a chairman, with its own budget. Not under any ministry.

AND as far as I know, any government agency or parastatal that is not within a ministry automatically sits under the Governor’s office. And anything under the Governor’s office automatically falls under the supervision of the chief of staff, who is the head of all and everything that is within the Governor’s office, including staff. So, the noise is not attainable in this case. Why then would any sensible human being drag my name into such insensitivity and callousness when I have more pressing things to engage my mind on?

IF anyone has any genuine issue bodering him or her and the individual feels so deeply, and wishes that the public should know of it, such individual or group should be courageous enough to use his or their names or platform to ventilate such anger and not that of someone reputable and outstandingly courageous for saying the truth plainly as I do indeptly, articulately and with the sense of responsibility. Especially so, because I am one of those who brought this government into power, I cannot be seen destroying it over unsubstantiated matters, when I should have access to the Governor on whose table everything begins and stops.

I may have my grievances, but certainly neither the chief of staff nor the first lady is my nemesis. I cannot blame any of these if at all there is, but the Governor. He has the yam and the knife. Anybody else is a busybody. I am not that stupid not to know so. So people should disregard anything written against the current government in Cross River, or any of its appointees, using Obi Ojage on it without my photographs and the insignia that follows, ending with my prayer inscription as usual. And it certainly should emanate from my WhatsApp accounts.

I am a loyal party man, both as a media personality in politics and a Christ Devotee. I have displayed loyalty exceedingly, even in the delay of my due, I remained patient and fervent in my resolve not to destroy what I fought jointly to build, except I am being forced to defect to the opposition. And anyone who would cause me to defect does not wish the current Governor well.

I supported the party and the candidacy of Prince Otu, from inception to victory, with all my heart and all I had as the exclusive voice of Cross River in the net, with a huge readership to my credit, across the entire country, which still subsists. I did so with high hopes and expectations as many now enjoy. But have I realised the reasons for which I sacrificed all that I did? The answer is monosyllabic no! But I am still loyal. Let no one bring me into their innocuous and unnecessary wranglings. The internet does not forget.

MY contributions are all there on the internet for whoever cares to verify. I singlehandedly handled the entire publicity of the candidate, Prince Bassey Otu, the defence of his image, shut down a series of blackmail stunts from the opponents’ groups, and, in turn, waged an intellectual war against our opponents in the race, who were people I knew in and out. Today, more than twenty persons or thereabouts are now appointed into offices as media personnels, just to do what I singlehandedly carriedout before and during the elections of 2023, causing and convincing a huge audience comprising the elites and the ordinary folks to look at the direction of my candidate, which they did gladly. I pray this truth sinks in.

End Time Message.

GOD WITH US….