From Judex Okoro, Calabar
A Canadian-based human rights activist and an indigene of Cross River State, Princewill Ogban, has said that zoning is part of the nation’s political history, but that the governorship seat in Cross River should be micro-zoned to the Southern senatorial minorities for equity and balance.
In an exclusive interview during his recent visit to Calabar, Ogban, the President and Chief Executive Officer Patwill Center for Health who has indicated interest to run for the governorship race, maintained that Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency, where he comes from, have been dominated by the Efik in Southern senatorial zone for too long. Among other issues, he expressed optimism that APC would still retain the state in 2023 and enjoined stakeholders to close ranks and work assiduously towards the next general election.
Some critics have taken a swipe at Governor Ben Ayayde’s large appointees and the cabinet, saying the state’s lean resources does not need such a retinue of aides when there are civil servants that can execute and implement government policies. How do you assess Ayade’s policy of bringing more appointees into governance?
Those criticising Governor Ayade on his policy of massive appointment of aides are selfish. I think that criticism comes from the point of selfishness. As I said earlier, past governments had very few appointees and you see those appointees are very rich. Today Ayade has succeeded in bringing a crowd, diverse people into his administration ranging from women, youths, older people and those resources you see very few people harnessing in the name of government appointees today are spread across. Now, you see thousands of people benefitting from that resource and it’s something that other governors should copy because it is a model. For me, it has created opportunities for young people to have a big start on their Curriculum Vitae. For instance, you can imagine somebody in their early 20’s becoming a Special Assistant to the governor or Director General of an agency; you know what that means. So, I really support the government for opening up the system and making the youths have a taste of what governance means to them at that level.
Sometime last year, the governor set up a privatisation council and mandated the council to go round the state and find out the feelings of Cross Riverians with regard to privatisation of about 32 industries built by his administration. What is your take on the exercise?
Firstly, let me commend the governor for embarking on such an industrialisation programme to improve the economy of Cross River, known as the civil service state. Secondly, asking the people to decide how the state will manage its industries is a good initiative which is what obtains in Western societies. Thirdly, I express optimism that he will abide by the wishes of the people. However, the good thing is that they have sent out questionnaires to seek citizens’ opinions about a particular thing on what they want to privatize; whether they want a shared ownership where the government and private owner will jointly own these companies if they don’t want the government to own alone.
I think the governor, the way I know him, will respect what comes out of that. So, the fact that he decided to consult Cross Riverians to get their feedback about the decisions he hopes to make shows a positive development and I believe he would respect those feedback and then take an informed decision.
The issue of zoning of the governorship seat in Cross River has become a thorny one. While some welcome it as part of our democracy, others think zoning breeds mediocrity and incompetence; what is your position on that?
The political culture can only survive if we keep to an Africentric democracy. Zoning will keep peace, unity, and allow for rotation of everything that we currently experience in our democracy to every segment or unit that makes up the polity. Until Nigeria gets to a point that anywhere you reside becomes your state of origin, we must continue to embrace zoning as a critical part of Nigeria’s democracy. Certainly, there is a need to respect the zoning formula in electing the next governor of Cross River in the 2023 election as zoning would guarantee peaceful transition and give all segments that make up the state a sense of belonging. We have had zoning in one way or the other. We had Sen Liyel Imoke, who ruled for eight years from central and now Sen Ben Ayade from the North. So, Ayade has to respect the zoning formula that we have in the state and return power this time around to the Southern senatorial district made up of seven local government areas. We are graciously waiting in the wings to grab the opportunity, but that is not to say we are not campaigning for it. Quality people have declared their interest to run in the governorship race. The argument that at no time has a governorship election been completely zoned to one senatorial district without candidates from other zones contesting for it does not hold water. Remember that in 2015, some leaders across the state including the late Brig-Gen Anthony Ukpo and High Chief, Asuquo Ekpenyong met and agreed that Ayade should go for a second term and after that, it should return to the South and that is where we are today.
Well, the only time it wasn’t zoned was in 1999 and that was the rebirth of Nigeria’s new democracy. No governor sitting in Nigeria was zoned then, but after that, most states have kept to zoning. If Donald Duke were to contest in 2007, for sure he would have benefitted from zoning.
Let me even inform you that the people of Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency, where I come from, are arguing that the Efik in Southern senatorial district have dominated them for too long. So, if the power is coming back to the South, it should be micro-zoned to these two local government areas of Biase and Akampka for equity and balance. I don’t see anything wrong in micro zoning the governorship because such micro-zoning has produced various political leaders in both PDP and APC in the past. As a non-Efik from the South, I feel very marginalised and if we are looking at equity, the next governor should come from Biase or Akamkpa.
Besides, zoning governorship back to the South, I think the governor should work towards handing over the state to the younger generation. I don’t expect someone that is older than the governor to take over the state. I would think the governor should support someone that is younger than him to take over the state.
If the slot is zoned to the South, would you like to take a shot at it? What would your programme be like?
With the current economic situation of Cross River State, I would be the best governor to take over from Gov. Ben Ayade. I think Governors Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Ayade have done their best for the state, but the state needs someone like me. I have the international experience and connections to attract foreign grants to develop the state, especially the rural areas; I would create a pathway for youths to migrate, gain knowledge and bring their expertise and resources back to the state. Although I am not an Ayade appointee, I have shared some policy ideas which have made Cross River State distinct from other states. Recentl, Cross River State school of Nursing is the first to award degrees to Nurses instead of the certificates after three years of rigorous studies. That was one of my policy statements that the state government implemented. As a governor, I will come up with a creative way of getting dollars into the state to support the poor allocation.
However, I am aware that other aspirants from the ruling APC and the opposition PDP, have declared their interests; I am also aware of the massive investments needed especially for a governorship election in Nigeria; I am equal to the task. The only reason I have not officially joined the race is because I would prefer to get the blessing and support of Gov. Ayade and the earlier, the better. If we have aspirants in APC fighting with the governor, then we are at risk of being vulnerable to PDP.
Most importantly, the state has been relatively peaceful and I represent that set of new peaceful generations from the Southern part of the state. So, these are the things I am looking at even for other elective positions. I want to see the governor support younger people. We should not elect a hostile governor come 2023 but continue the tradition of electing governors who are tolerant.
I can say that we have been lucky to have governors that have been very gentle, not hostile. Unlike in some states where governors allegedly threaten their subjects. We want to keep that record of having peaceful governors that respect people irrespective of the differences and when I think of this, I am not sure it’s because I have lived in the Western world for a very long time and people are relatively peaceful when it comes to interaction with other people. Therefore, I want the governor to support a candidate that is going to be very peaceful and respect Cross Riverians irrespective of the level of criticisms.
Now that Ayade has moved to APC and PDP is battling tooth and nail to reclaim the state. Are you not afraid that APC may lose the state in 2023?
I had said earlier that Ayade’s defection to the APC is a good thing as it has created an opportunity where we have new faces in the political space of Cross River. I mean as Cross Riverians, we should be tired of having the same faces over and over in politics. You talk of the governor, we have people who started in 1999, you talk of senators and we have people that started in 1999. So, Ayade’s defection is going to create as well as make the state more democratised. You are going to see both PDP and APC campaigning; there will be choices for people to run in both ways but I believe strongly that Ayade is going to support the younger generation to come to power and that’s why I wholeheartedly support his defection to the APC.
Almost every one in PDP contesting for the governorship position, has been in power since 1999 and that is a shame. One good thing that Liyel did was to support and hand over to Gov. Ayade who was not part of the 1999 class. I think if Ayade supports someone like me that is fresh, we will receive great acceptability from the masses and that is the key to victory. Cross Riverians are tired of grand-father politicians. APC is standing on sound footing with the governor as an APC person and other paraphernalia of office. APC would go into election stronger than before because they now have structures and other thousands of appointees that would work for the party during elections. APC is no longer the minority party and is re-organising with a commitment to retaining power in 2023. So, we are not afraid of PDP threats unlike before. We are good to go this time. All Governor Ayade needs to do right away is to keep to his regular payment of workers salary and on time, keep faith with his industrialisation programme; and be focused on supporting a credible, trusted, and an easily acceptable aspirant to take over from him.