By Nkrumah Bankong-Obi
The drums are pealing loud again. Melodious sounds ooze, penetrating down the guts of even the most indifferent. Sometimes, the sound, where one tries to patch an intellectual garp to it, appeal to the mind. But taken on the totality of the massive bickering, division and in extreme cases, the application of lethal tactics to the trade, one percieves, touches and frets at the imminence of war, a wraith that frightens most of us. It is true, that the hoopla usually rests after the ballot count. The little consequences never leave everyone happy or guiltless; not even the apolitical.
But war has been with us and we can’t exorcise it from politics and its new entrepreneurs. Boje versus Nsadop know this, the harrows of Oku Bushuyu and Borum conflict, we remember. Beebo and Okwabang had a morbid spar not long ago, so it was between Odoh and Uyanga, the morbid exercise launched by Nko against Nkpani or the blood spills between Adun and Iyamoyong are small examples to show how much we have patronised war. Our brand of politics, and elite mechantilism has fuelled conflict. War in every sense has become a partner to the government, elite and peoples of Cross River State. Sad. The only kind of war absent among the generality of Cross Riverians is the humour war. No, that is an exclusive entitlement of the present crop of the people decreed – seemingly by ballot, into positions of authority in the State. They have amused the outside world with the sizes of their hypermanic budgets, provided jokes about their signature projects, entertained observers with awkward themes of the annual carnival and smeared television screens with the sizes of their official convoys and other means of announcing why the Government House was ‘captured’. Yet poverty has been decreed to great heights and governance publicly mocked.
The current occupants of the State House in Calabar have only followed a pattern, though. Since 1999,we have been constantly reminded that Cross River is a civil service state and measures are being taken to redress the economic stuntedness. Nearly two decades after, with two gentlemen completing eight-year term each as governor and another at the cusp of his first four years, Cross River’s development suffers still, the pains of sclerosis. The sealholders have all built castles of self-glorification and decreed lack on the pinnacles of their architectural fics. Obudu Ranch remediation, Tinapa Resort drive have brought no succour to the masses; the IMT in Ugep is begging for a lifeline even as people within its environment languish in penury. By some high dose of ‘my-word-is- my-bond’ self abdication, the Super highway and Deep sea port have remained in the supersonic brain that concievedthem. So, the very important things have been put aside, while we hunt name-preservation on the beams of massive edifices of vain glory. Till date, no cottage factory worth its name has taken off in Cross River in the last nineteen years. Yet, agro-related raw materials rot away at the peasant farmer’s expense.
We have deliberately nailed our ears against advice to channel genuine efforts at empowering the people. Education has suffered. Healthcare is in shambles. Social services are ateriallly dysfunctional. One faction of the elite in authority services itself and decrees the rest of the people, blessed. Afterall, young men, ignorant of their rights, turn up to snatch ballot boxes on their behalf while women and school children gyrate under rain or shine to amuse the plunderers with ‘welcome songs.’
Since the elite control the system, it falls within their purview to loose the noose and give the people an acceptable level of good life. With discerning generality of Cross Riverians, that journey has begun. 2019 general elections pave yet another opportunity for which we must either luxuriate in our backwardness or take some steps towards self-redemption. Personally, my vote will go to the man who understands that the answers to the problem of improving on the condition of Cross River can be found in our collective history. such a fellow must comprehend how how to modernise the past and give possibilities to moribound initiatives. Such a leader must learn, and as a people, we should encourage the woman or man, to wean us from excessive dependent on the what we collect from Abuja as Federal Allocation. Cross River State is too endowed to be pauperized. A peep into the past will illustrate a bit. When the Southeastern State- now Akwa Ibom and Cross River, moved its office from Lagos to Ogoja and then to Calabar, the State was run almost wholly with proceeds from agricultural produce. These included forest produce, palm oil and kernel, cocoa, timber, among others. The demand for these wasn’t as high as it is now. Yet, Colonel UJ Esuene only augmented the State’s income with whatever came from the centre. His developmental strides nearly fifty yesrs ago are still unmatched.
If we take this as a pursuable clue, we will find answers. The question is; why haven’t the political elite seen through this orifice? They have. But agriculture in the view of these instant saviours, is associated with drugery. People need instant miracles, isnt the world is an impatient place? The youths don’t want to work in the plantations, they desire white colour jobs. Excuses! They truth remains that nobody has tried earnestly to turn things round. We have land fallowing from Ikom to Calabar yet no one has gone near it. We hear how, with cocoa bye-products, Ivory Coast is on the verge of owning a power plant, we aren’t moved. The President Muhammadu Buhari administration is paying deliberate attention to the exploration of mineral resources, it is doubtful if the Cross River government sees this as a means to lift our state higher. People, especially those with acess to public resources from the petro-rackets still allow their lacrimal glands throb about the seventy-four oil wells politically bequeathed to Akwa Ibom State. We salivate over spilled milk yet scorn at the gold buried on the Obudu mountains, Ikom forest, Obubra crusts and Abi escarpments. Same cold ash sentiment applies to information communication technology, ICT. One wonders if the fire catching the country as manifest in the sprouting of startsup firms, software development, investment in new technologies has come near the Cross State boundaries. Indeed, it appears there is everything analogue about the State. Not a finger is lifted in pursuit of the digital life, as far as one can see.
Who will change this story of half-hearted steps? With a blank cheque issued Nigerians and indeed Cross Riverians to elect new leaders in 2019, what kind of governor do we need? To wade off any de javu between motion and progress, the electorate must first crown themselves. We must begin to ask serious questions, not murmurs. Four years is too long to be spent on the sidelines. The people should begin to take active interest in how their representatives perform in office. Cross Riverians must never again cower when security agents are unleashed on them. The disconnect between promise, policy and grammatical hyperfastidiousness must be identified and such offenders called out, accordingly.
Importantly, our State is renowned for its peace and serenity. A few years ago, it became almost impossible to market her to outsiders. Violence of great proportion visited our Calabar. Cult wars followed on the heels of communal conflicts and political thuggery became a norm across the meridians. This is unbecoming of a place in dire need of investors to breathe life into its agricultural, tourist and solid mineral resources.
Therefore, the new governor and members of the House of Assembly must come with a high deposit of physical and mental strength to face these challenges. Impostors, charlatans and rock stars must yield the space for serious work to begin. Such a man must have a heart to allow our people, ireespective of political leaning, sex and place of origin to contribute to the positive development of our dear State. We must chisel hard, regardless of the position of responsibility assigned us. We need leaders who can galvanise our people to lift themselves up. A man who thinks before he performs. The new specie must be adequately conversant with its environment, so that influencing it in the direction of remediation doesn’t become chaotic.
And a great peep into the past will help. Some effort had been done in 1991-92 in areas of healthcare. Cross River became conspicuous on the world map due to the fervent tourism promotion initiatives from 1999-2007. Rural access roads also gained attention particularly around 2009-12. The benefits to whoever emerges is that s/he can spot the shortcomings that characterised these policies and programmes and give them a new direction for the greater good of the people.
A personal nunc dimitis here is; our own ‘Moses’ who will emerge next February must look keenly at the official photographs of his predecessors on the mantlepiece of his office. There are lessons strewn on the pictures. The would-be helmsman must possess the radical commitment of UJ Esuene, the genial mien of Dan Archibong, energy of Ernest Kizito Attah, the intellect and handsomeness of Clement Ebri, corporate world directness of Donald Duke and the taciturnity of Lyel Imoke.
• Bankong-Obi is a poet and independent researcher. He sent this piece from Obudu via banxobi@gmail.com