BY Goddie A. Akpama
Recently some disgruntled individuals operating on the aegis of Efik Leadership Foundation, an unknown group of politicians masquerading as Leaders of the about 600,000 Efik worldwide wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari accusing the Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade, of doing nothing in the state to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Signatories to the letter include Richard Duke; Chairman of the good governance committee of the foundation; Timothy Esu; Barbara James; and Eyo Ekpo.
As of the time of publication of their letter to the President to date, no single case of Coronavirus has been recorded in the state. In their letter copied to three former governors of the state, Mr. Clement Ebri, Mr Donald Duke and Senator Liyel, they unwittingly exposed the political motivate of their inordinate call to the President.
They kept rambling from all sides as they belaboured themselves to place Ayade in bad stead before President Muhammadu Buhari.
But, as much as they tried to create the impression that Coronavirus has become a guest to Cross Riverians, the more they failed in their ill conceived letter to prove that the virus exist in the state.
Knowing that they had no shred of evidence that there is any carrier of the Covid-19 in Cross River State, they shamelessly resorted to reeling out financial figures just to paint Gov Ayade black in the estimation of the President and the Nigerian public.
Well I will not bother myself or reasonable Cross Riverians over the figures mentioned by the so-called Efik leaders, but it is wrong for them to feign ignorance of the fact that the N900 million for the fight against the Covid-19 and the N4.5 billion for the airport project, applied for by the governor was approved by the State House of Assembly. If the self-styled Efik leaders feel the appropriation of the funds did not follow due process they should prove it rather than resorting to cheap blackmail against the governor.
If those renegades masquerading as Efik leaders are conscious of the negative effect their selfish agenda is capable of inflicting on the hard earned political unity and cohesion among the diverse ethnic groups in the state, they would have wasted no time in tendering an unreserved apology to the people of Cross River State for promoting disunity among them.
I urge this attention seekers to go and study the contemporary history of Cross River State so as to know that no single ethnic group, the Efik inclusive, can speak on any issue, whether rightly or wrongly, on behalf of the entire state.
Intact, the ELF whose members are political toddlers cannot even speak for the Efik because when the chips are down they will not be counted.
Resorting to ethnic
cleavages at the slightest prompting will not augur well for the unity of the state.
On the fight against Covid-19, those letter writers commend Ayade rather than condemn him.
It is on record that no one has died in the state on the basis of Covid-19. It is also on record that all samples sent from the state for testing returned negative.
So, must the state create Coronavirus patients when there is none just to satisfy some people and interest?
I stand to be corrected, and I want those assailing Ayade to know that as a proven microbiologist, and environmental scientist, it was Ayade that first recommended the use of nose mask, and that novel has been adopted as a policy, and law throughout Nigeria. Even the World Heath Organisation, WHO, has come to agree with Ayade on this.
Ayade had closed the borders of Cross River State with its neighbouring states, even when the Federal Government had not reasoned in that direction. Now the policy of closing the borders of states in Nigeria and banning interstate moment which Ayade pioneered has been adopted as the most potent weapon against Covid-19.
The ELF should know that Ayade is working seriously to ensure the state is free from Covid-19 .
God bless CRS..
Thank you.
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