Towards Building a Modern State, Separating Governance from Politics.
~ Victor Egba.
Bsc. Cal, LLB in_View.
H.E, The Governor_Elect,
Cross River State,
Sen. Prince Bassey Otu.
Your Excellency, allow me the fancy of introducing myself to you, it is expected that you will not have heard enough from a boy who has no popular surname, other than the share coincidence of sharing a synonym with one of your key supporters in person of Sen.Victor Ndoma Egba whom I have no material relation with.
However I have stayed in the islands of political commentary, and my penchant for open letters does not include my bromance with the political hobnobbing that have characterised our political fortunes as a state. Permit me therefore to go without a mention.
Permit me to extend my unreserved congratulations on your emergence as Governor (Elect) of our dear state, our collective heritage.
As citizens of this state, you will agree with me that we share a common destiny, and we likewise suffer the same fate. It is only with this understanding that I have chosen to write you my contemplations and suggestions as you perform your constitutional mandate, as superintendent of our geographical and administrative jurisdiction.
Your Excellency, it is a few weeks before you get sworn in, and a plethora of issues are coming to your desk, this are salient issues deserving of your prompt and immediate attention.
With some far reaching potentials and consequences in all of them we have no doubt that you will not be crowded by a poll of noise and events that governance becomes secondary, you must roll up your sleeves and get to work with the grit, firmness of spirit and unwavering commitment to salvage Cross River State from the imminent brinks of collapse, build a modern state not just in infrastructure but a robust system that works for all.
While it is true that the pathway to elective office is through political parties and politicking the purpose of government is governance. Like you know the thin line between should never be crossed. We must maintain the sacredness of administration, be overcomed by the need to proffer solutions to the problems of our people rather than submit to the unending maneuvering of political jackasses and hyenas.
Allow me the leverage to attempt to paint a picture of what we now have as a state, while you must have discovered in your campaign through the nukes and crannies of our dear state, the insufferable plight of our people, the epidemic poverty of rural areas, the decaying public infrastructures, the absence of basic amenities like safe, portable drinking water even in the metropolis of Calabar, the fancy potholes that have overan our once beautiful city, the overflowing refuse dumps sitting with pomp and pageantry in a carnival of absurdities, the epileptic power supply that have been normalised, the proliferation of crime and the reoccurring incindents of burglary, kidnapping and robberies.
Allow me the opportunity to state for a fact the resignation to fate of our youth population, the growing number out of school children, the codification of psychophancy for the lack of productive employment, the death of the dignity of Labour or the exodus of industries from our state. This are not unconnected to the failure of governance.
Let me make an attempt to define what the last sentence entails, it is the failure of government to formulate the proper policy framework, and to, if formulated, properly implement it to the end that the problems of the masses are ameliorated or solved.
This is concomitant result of what we have suffered from the nepotic political system of rewarding political actors with positions in governance for their loyalty to the Party and involvement rather than a system where leadership is based on competence and capacity.
Allow me to say that it is now more than ever important to lean towards epistocracy, epistocracy represents a political system in which political power rests exclusively on highly educated citizens.
However it is my believe that amidst the Plethora of supporters you will find the ensemble of people who are not just available but highly competent to play this roles. And assuming it becomes necessary have the courage to require the services of those who do, regardless of their political affinities.
We must be careful to ensure that aspiring leaders must demonstrate the intellectual pedigree to translate knowledge into effective, transparent, and accountable governance that leads to prosperity of our state.
I agree with Rotimi Fowale that aspiring leaders must possess the ability “to improve the ideas that are put forward and the intellectual rigor applied to the discussions that underpin our statehood.
Furthermore, Your Excellency, In putting together a cabinet, it is important to make a bold statement of your readiness to offer Cross Riverians Quality Service delivery, it is more crucial to be successful at governance than to be considered a subject of daily idolisation by praise singers and permanent friends of the throne.
In building a Modern state your Excellency,
We must look at the provision of Critical Infrastructure, tailored towards your vision. We must seek to make Cross River state the destination of businesses across the world and one way we can do this is firstly to formulate a policy framework and follow it though, attract investors both local and foreign, providing not just a peaceful environment to thrive but also encourage local content development.
To make this happen I suggest we create the
\”CROSS RIVER STATE INVESTMENT PROMOTION AGENCY\” similar to what was introduced by the Kaduna State Government led by mallam Nasir Elrufai, that would tailor towards investment friendly policies and woo potential investors into Cross River State.
IMPROVED LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION.
More so, we must revamp the civil service and Local Government administration and as well respect local authorities, we must not forget that in the last few years our local Government Areas have become desolate, for longer than necessary that arm of government was reduced to penitance, civil servants were idling without work to do, promotions and incentives were not paid, with an unmotivated civil service we had a dysfunctional system.
Local Government Chairmen were more concerned with retiring available funds and since it were underfunded it failed.
When we revamp Local Government Administration, we can have a robust system that employs our young people, improve our Internally generated revenues and carry out simple projects that impacts the people at the grassroots.
ROUNDING UP REVENUES.
It is no news that they exist a proliferation of unidentified levies and revenue collection points, many of which do not have the legal backing of the state. Extraneous amounts collected from wood loggers, markets and stalls and even advertisement agencies.
To mob up revenues we must introduce digital platforms for the payment of taxes and harmonisation of public taxes. This will help encourage industry, eliminate leakages and corruption to it\’s bearest minimum.
REVIEW PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
Your Excellency, one thing at the heart of any modern state is it transport system. People should have minimum comfort moving from point A to B, and being able to access a decent means of transportation is important to the image of the state we seek to build.
Today the Cross River State transport system is a total mess, we have no sense of organisation or respect for basic driving rules.
The Proliferation of various ticketing on our highways makes it very daunting for drivers to make a decent living, everyday our citizenry are exploited by illegal levies and taxes thar never make it way into government coffers.
The plying routes are disorganised, a taxi cab move from Calabar South to eight miles, bus stops have disappeared or no longer respected, road signs are now bygones, and the vehicle worthiness seems to be forgotten neccesity.
We must not let the this to continue, it is my believe that we must regulate the process.
We must define clearly the transport routes in Calabar metropolis like every modern state, we must insist on its adherence, we must streamline taxes and levies and eradicate multiple taxation, we must identify commercial motorist and certify them.
We must institute some order and very importantly restore Traffic and streets lights, carry out proper sensitization on the need to adhere to traffic regulations and insist on the enforcement of legal deterrence for offenders.
The Department of Public Transportation as well as all relevant state agencies must come out with a wholistic policy to that end.
This goes without saying that prompt work must be done on our roads this is non negotiable.
Your Excellency, it is important for me to conclude with a few words, but having poured my heart to you, permit me kindly make a case for members of my Constituency the Young people and Youths of this state,
Firstly, is on record that the highest number of voters in the last elections were young people, and it goes to show that they believed in your pedigree and your leadership, we therefore seek to implore your administration to amongst other needs of the Cross River people take it to heart the following salient areas that will impact that community.
Firstly,
Involvement of Youths in Governance.
The need to provide transgenerational leadership experience and to have the young people very well represented in the cabinet and part of important decision making process need not be over emphasised. In Oyo, Kwara and most States the government have employed the hands of capable under thirties to serve a commissioners. Ours should not be different. We believe that if given the chance young people can contribute effectively to the society and Governance.
2)The Renovation and Expansion of the state library to include a State of the art E_Library.
To promote readership, support research and ingenuity and priorities the building of a proper man.
The same should include the renovation/equipping of all state owned libraries along side a well thought campaign to promote reading amongst young people, as well as state sponsored competitions and prizes.
3) Reintroduction of Statewide Sporting Activities.
Sports have always been a great way to enjoy life, a unifier and promoter of peace as well employment of talents.
Many Young People in Cross River state are super talented, the Ministry of Youths and Sports should be saddled with the onerous task of coming up with viable policies that will reintroduce sporting activities across all levels from Primary schools to mainstream sportsmen.
The government should make concerted efforts to get into international and national collaboration in that regard.
This will no doubt gainfully impact on the lives of youths and as well generate interest in young people who are idling away their talents in social vices.
4) Establishment of Technology Hubs.
Your Excellency, the world is fast evolving and like you know Technology is now the leading employer of labour, it is important to know that despite the boom, Cross River state is still lacking in the use of technology or its knowledge of it.
We must therefore make deliberate policies in introduction of Technology hubs for our young people, whose abilities are without boundaries.
The hubs should focus on providing both soft and hard skills which can become very valuable to us as we migrate from manual administration to a true digital economy.
It is my believe that with the right policy directions, we can achieve and set out to make Cross River the Technological hot bed, Increase our revenues and train valuable man power to serve our state.
5) Reintroduction of State Scholarships.
Despite being amongst the educationally disadvantaged state, and seeing the low enrollment of our youths in schools and colleges across the country, it is not rocket science to know that the economic situation of our state has made the pursuit of higher learning very difficult for most Cross Riverians. It is understandably so seeing that we are but a civil service state, however we could change the fortunes of a lot of young people if we reintroduce state scholarships.
Law School grants, Postgraduate scholarships and other special prizes should be deliberately introduced to stimulate the pursuit of education by our young people.
This and alot more have already been institutionalised in many States of the Federation Oyo and Rivers for an example.
Your Excellency, it is my believe that you will have taken enough of time to read my humble piece, however it may come, please be reminded that we have always believed in your ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to your people.
We are at the Cross road of destiny, this is the single most important administration in our democratic journey, you must act with the circumspection of a surgeon. If you act too careful to not inflict necessary pain the patient might die, if we do nothing soon enough we all die of collective hearmohage.
The people who have accustomed themselves to the fine art of maneuvering have now found a new host, determined to stay and survive against all odds. Some of which have not the pedigree or the know how to mann certain ministries, you must avoid the liabilities of the past administration no matter how powerful and fancy they appear.
There is no better way to consolidate on power than to effectively deliver on the promise, the hope and dreams of the Cross River people, the basking euphoria with which they came out under the rain, refuse my Excellency to let them down.
We have no doubt that you will do what is not only convenient but necessary to Build a Modern Cross River State, one that is the beauty of all, Clean, Green, Working and by all standards the Peoples paradise.
Congratulations once again and Wishing you a very fruitful stay in office.
VICTOR EGBA
Writes from Calabar
