It is common knowledge today that government at all levels are currently challenged. Challenges occasioned by a recession, dwindling income from from oil sales, and plummeting value of the domestic currency. The development has made governance an onerous task, as government at both National and State levels struggle to deliver on set goals. Such testy times as we now fine ourselves truly define the essence and character of a leader.
It is at a time like this that intellect and creativity come to play a pivotal role. And only leaders who have the capacity and mental acuity to think out of the box can weather the storm and hew a pathway to economic Eldorados.
This is where Cross River State Governor, Senator Professor Ben. Ayade stands out. In less than three years, he has showcased uncanny skills, fecundity of ideas, intensity of vision, and the bullishness of thought to reposition the state economically.
Having inherited a state famously defined by its civil service outlook, Governor Ayade knew that the task ahead was onerous, requiring him to hit the ground running. He was in a hurry to alter the economic narrative.
To achieve this, the Governor needed to put his soul above the problems in order for his body to follow. Already buffeted by an assortment of challenges - unemployment, acute infrastructural deficit, a near zero inflow from the Federal allocation, low industrialization, among others, he knew he had his work cut out for him.
In order to tackle the challenges of unemployment, he understood that the state needed to be placed on the path of an accelerated industrialization.
It was in recognition of these that in the first six months of his administration, Ayade embarked on an investment tour of Asia, Europe, America, and South America, wooing both foreign and local investors to the state with a view of establishing industries that will create employment opportunities for his people.
His Excellency Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade has so far recorded tremendous achievement and this is some of the achievement to further boost your support in joining the campaign for his second term as Governor.
CROSS RIVER GARMENT FACTORY.
As part of the deliberate effort to address the unemployment challenge, governor Ayade, immediately on assumption of office, embarked on the construction of the Cross River garment factory. Regarded as the biggest of its kind in Africa and one of the biggest single floor garment factory in the world, today accounts for about 3000 jobs, mostly women since its completion. It has a floor size of 5000sqm.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Determined to ramp up security in the state and ensure blanket cover for the state, Ayade established the cross river state homeland security. Equipped with state of the art vehicles and communication gadgets, the homeland security service, a non arm bearing organization assist the police with intelligence gathering. Over 1000 persons have so far been engaged by the service.
CALABAR PHARMACEUTICAL AND COSMETIC COMPANY (CALAPHARM)
The calabar pharmaceutical company known simply as CALAPHARM is currently under construction along the Goodluck Jonathan bypass. Adjacent the garment factory, on completion, the automated drug firm, the first in south south region is expected to create at least 2000 jobs.
CALABAR RICE CITY
Construction work is almost completed at the multi million dollar rice city project being undertaken in partnership with the Thai-Africa group. The project covers over 3000 hectares along the Goodluck Jonathan bypass. When operational, the project is expected to produce a specie of highly vitaminized rice for local consumption and export.
RICE MILL
To complement the rice city and create its brand in the rice sector, the administration is currently constructing a state of the art rice mill in ogoja.
CALABAR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE ( CICC)
The Ayade-led administration has completed the 5000 seat capacity purpose built convention centre. The convention centre is reputed to be the second of its kind in Africa with the other one in Cape Town, south Africa.
CALABAR MONORAIL
The administration has also completed work on the calabar monorail, making it the first functional monorail in sub Saharan Africa. The monorail connects the tinapa business and leisure resort to the calabar international convention center located at summit hills. The monorail has ten coaches.
HEALTH
Equally occupying a pride of place in governor Ayade's administration is the quest for a healthy populace that will galvanize the necessary manpower to achieve developmental agenda. Accordingly, the governor has rehabilitated and equipped 60 primary health care centres across the state. Additionally, 10 new primary health care centres have been built and commissioned by the administration. The administration has also established health post at internally displaced peoples camps in Akpabuyo and bakassi, created trans borders health post for disease surveillance and immunization coverage and commissioned the general hospital/college of health obudu.
The administration is also building three referral hospitals in each senatorial district for the state universal health coverage program known as Ayadecare. Construction work on a mini hospital being built by the administration in yatche, yala local government is nearing completion. The government has also provided over 149 primary health care centres with solar power and ultrasound machines. Establishment of cross river state primary health care development agency.
ROADS
Apart from ongoing work on the 270km superhighway, the administration embarked on the construction of:
1. 134km Mfom, Yahe, Okpoma, Obudu highway that cuts across the five local government council in the northern senatorial district of the state.
2. Boki East-West link road: the first in the history of Boki that a road link east and west which easily link people from one part of the local government to the other without the inconvenience of having to go through Ogoja.
3. Boje Bridge: A completed digital bridge and access road in Boje Boki local government.
4. Dualization of Tinapa junction to Odukpani junction highway which work is on going.
5. There is also road project going on in each local government area across the 18 LGA.
EDUCATION
Governor Ayade as a Professor recognizes the fact that education is the bedrock of any society. In just three years, the achievement of Ayade is enormous. HE has rehabilitated more than 185 schools from the 322 schools for which rehabilitation contracts have been awarded.
Other key achievement of Ayade in this sector include:
1. Distribution of 85 thousand textbooks to schools.
2. Distribution of 67 thousand plastic chairs to schools.
3. Introduction and distribution of magnetic teaching board to schools in Obudu.
4. Award scholarship to 1000 students of cross river origin at 100,000 per student.
5. 36 community schools taken over by government and given major facelift.
6. Given approvals for provision of uniforms to school pupils free of charge.
7. Commencement of construction of Teachers Continuous Training Institute at Akpet Central, Biase LGA.
8. Ongoing construction of the World class British Canadian School in Obudu.
9. Training and retraining of Teachers and non-teaching staff.
10. Installation of computers and solar panels in schools.
POWER SECTOR
In power sector, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade has recorded laudable achievement. Installation of the 20 megawatt power plant in Calabar is nearing completion. When completed, Calabar will become Nigeria's first city to enjoy 24hours uninterrupted power supply, And again
1. Secured $30 million Indian loan for 26 megawatts of electricity for cross river.
2. Installation of 4 megawatts power turbines in Obudu.
3. Provision of street lighting for Obudu metropolis.
4. Commencement of construction of hydro power plant in ikom.
5. Provision of power turbines for Tinapa Business Resort.
6. 132 transmission line from Calabar to Obudu
7. Distribution of over 200 transformers of various capacities to boost power supply in Calabar, among other ongoing projects.
ICT
Work is at advanced stage to make the state capital, Calabar Nigeria's first smart city with the launch of its own broadband services.
Other achievement include:
1. Digital job search training centre for youths.
2. Formation of first association of women in technology (Techy-women) establishment of Cisco academy.
3. Reactivation of state Data Centre.
SOLID MINERAL
The administration has completed the mineral mapping of the state with coordinates of mineral deposits attained.
HOUSING
Social housing for displaced people of bakassi presently under construction.
ENVIRONMENT
In other to protect and sustain the environment, as well as retain the status of Calabar as the cleanest city in Nigeria,the administration, on assumption of office, embarked on the following policies and programmes:
Recovery and protection of the grew areas.
Desilting of areas prone to flooding.
Re-grassing of degraded areas within the state city centre.
Clearing of wages of all other urban centres.
Procurement of waste trucks and compactors.
Audit of all erosion sites in the state.
AGRICULTURE
1. Construction of an uktra-modern rice mill in Ogoja
2. Construction of ultra-modern 3000 per year cocoa processing plant in ikom.
3. Construction of ultra-modern rice seeds and seedling center in Calabar.
4. Odukpani Banana plantation in collaboration San Carlos company of Mexico.
NEW CITY DEVELOPMENT
In the administration's new city development strategy, government intends to establish three new cities in the three senatorial zones of the state with Calas Vegas in the southern senatorial zone; Centicort city in the Central Senatorial District and Northstradam in the Northern Senatorial District.
Already, the design of Calas Vegas, which is the most ambitious real estate project in Africa, has been done.
The new city will be located on the twin island, overlooking the Calabar River from opposite the Marina resort. Ground breaking for another new city known as Virgin City has been performed in Calabar.
CIVIL SERVICE
Desirous of ensuring that the wages of honest labour liberates families from the jaws of hunger and hardship, the Ayade led-administration made a solemn commitment to lift the morale of workers in the state by ensuring that worker's salaries are not only paid but paid promptly. In this regard and in keeping to his promise, civil servants have been receiving their salaries not later than 25th of every month. Today, the spectre of delayed salaries has been exorcised. The complaint in the state today is no longer one of non payment of salaries but that it is coming too early in the month.
Also, to reenergize the already aging civil service, the administration, in its wisdom, lifted the 23-years-old freeze on employment. Accordingly, the state civil service commission was directed to advertise for recruitment into the service.
INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT
A modulator between two classical economic theorists, Adams Smith and Thomas Maynard Keynes, Governor Ayade position on expanding government in a time of recession is being seen as populist. For him, it is a way of offering a brother a shoulder to lean on. It was also a way of giving opportunities to more people to be part of the day-to-day running of administration in the state.
Like John Maynard Keynes, Ayade believes that when an economy shrinks, it is the duty of government to spend in order to reflate the economy. And so, by engaging more people, the economy can come out of recession when they are encouraged to spend. The gesture has led many to conclude that there is no recession in Cross River State.
Settled all outstanding issues and arreas in the judiciary that were on ground before he took office.
* pays subvention of about 169,000,000 to Cross River University of Technology monthly.
* Has paid all severance and entitlement of chairmen, councillors, and appointees of local government who served between 2014-2017, while plans are afoot to pay same to the outstanding batch preceding the last set.
* pays monthly subvention to College of Education, Akamkpa.
* Has commenced a massive social housing project in Bakassi.
* Is driving exploration works in hydro carbon energy.
* Dualization of Okuku-Abakpa junction road which is 35 percent completed.
* Constructing Onicha farm- Boje bridge.
* Constructing the East-West road to link the two constituencies of Boki at last.
* Linking public power supply from Benue state to Obudu at last.
* Deep seaport structural designs on going.
* Calapharm pharmaceutical factory, 90 percent completed.
* Hydrographic studies completed.
* EIA of super highway approved by the scrupulous federal authorities.
* Garment factory completed.
* Massive rice seedlings plant completed.
* Cocoa processing plant on going.
* Okuku high tech rice mill ongoing.
* Wind and solar power plant in Obudu already designed.
* Obanliku new city construction works ongoing
* Biase road project on going.
* Akamkpa road project on going.
* Calas Vegas city construction on going.
* Toothpick manufacturing industry in Ekori.
* Maize processing in Ochon
* Has been contending and finding lasting solutions to various boundary challenges around the state.
* Provided jobs for thousands of Cross Riverians, through various industries.
* The appointment of over 4,500 Cross Riverians in political offices.
* Pays salaries and pension of civil servants promptly every month, when most States are several months behind.
It takes a man with passion and love to do what our governor is doing, I therefore call on meaningful Cross Riverians who need the progress of Cross River to support Ayade reelect 2019 for a better Cross River.
Let protect what we have (Ayade) with love and support.
From Victor Bassey
DG Voice Of Central
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