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It’s Illogical To Contend That Cross River State Hasn’t Benefitted From Buhari – Obono-Obla Tells PDP




A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River State Chapter and former Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has criticised the People’s Democratic Party’s opinion that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done nothing for Cross River State.


Obono-Obla stated this in reaction to PDP’s statement on Governor Ayade’s defection to APC.


Recall that Cross River State Governor officially left PDP, under which he was elected, and defected to APC, on Thursday, May 20, 2021.


Reacting to a statement by PDP, that  the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done nothing for Cross River State to justify Ayade’s defection, Obono-Obla said that PDP is standing logic on its head to contend that Cross River State has not benefitted under the  APC-controlled Federal Government “the truth is,  Cross River State in the six years government of President Buhari has benefited immensely in terms of infrastructure and quality appointments  more than she did  in the 16 years the PDP controlled the government at the center, even though the people of Cross River State voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.”


Chief Obono-Obla said “statistics do not lie”, and proceeded to enumerate the appointments that Cross River State enjoyed under PDP 16 years in power at the Federal level.


1. Senator Kanu Godwin Agabi(SAN) was appointed Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 1999-2001 and 2002-2003;

2. Senator Liyel Imoke was appointed Minister of Power from 2003-2006

3. Professor Evara Esu was appointed Minister from 2006-2007

4. Honorable John Odey, Minister of Information 2007-2010

5. Chief Edem Duke Minister of Tourism and Culture from 2011-2015

 


He noted that under the six years government of President Muhammadu Buhari, the following appointments were made:


1. Dr. Usani Uguru Usani, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from 2015 to 2019;

2. Hon. Jedy Godwin Agba Minister of State, Power from 2019 till date

3.Honorable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, Chief Justice of the Federation from 2017 to 2019

3.Mr. Tony Ayine, Auditor General of the Federation from 2016 to 2020;

4. Mrs. Winifred Oyo Ita, Head of Service of the Federation from 2015 to 2019;

5. Admiral Ibok Etta Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021

6. Senator Victor Ndola-Egba (SAN) Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission from 2016 to 2019

7. Barrister Mrs. Mary Ekpere, Director General National Women Development Centre from 2016 to 2020

8. Ambassador Mfawa Omini Abam, Nigeria Ambassador to Italy from 2021 till date 

9. Ambassador (Dr) Etubom  Nya Eyoma Asuquo,  High Commissioner  Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (the Republic of Uganda from 2016 to 2019)

10. Navy Captain Charles Ogwa, Commissioner, National Population Commission

11. Barrister Utum Eteng, Commissioner, Hydro-Electric Power Area Producing Commission. 

12. Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla. Senior Specialis Assistant to the President on Prosecution and Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property 2015-2019.

 


Obono-Obla further listed Infrastructural Projects in Cross River State undertaken by the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari :


1. Federal Polytechnic, Ugep (Take off grant allocated N2 Billion and classes will commence in October 2021)

2. Construction of Ikom Bridge

3. Construction of Ikom-Ugep-Calabar Highway (ongoing)

4. Channelization of Yepeli Drainage in Ugep Urban

5. Calabar-Itu-Uyo Highway 

6. Nigerian Navy Hospital, Calabar (completed and commissioned in 2018)

 


He argued that  throughout the 16 years of the PDP Federal Government from 1999 to 2015, no single federal highway was constructed in the Cross River State. As of 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the government, all the federal highways in Cross River State were in a  derelict state of deterioration  and disrepair.


“It is instructive that under PDP leadership, Cross River State lost its status as an oil-producing State. 

 


” Also, under PDP rule, the sovereignty of a substantial chunk of the territory of Cross River State (The Bakassi  Peninsula whose population is Nigerian) was taken over by the Republic of Cameron after the case filed by the Republic of Cameron against the Federal Republic of Nigeria was mishandled by the legal team that represented Nigeria at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands. 


“From all listed, it is as clear as the crystal ball that the fortunes of the people of Cross River State under the six years government of President Muhammadu Buhari have fared better than the 16 years of PDP leadership of the country.,” Chief Obono-Obla argued.

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