By: Hon. Akwagiobe Emmanuel Undipeye
The political journey of His Excellency, Senator Professor Ben Ayade, CON, began in the early 1990s during the SDP/NRC era. However, his official breakthrough came in 2011, when he was overwhelmingly elected as Senator representing Cross River North with his hometown, Obudu, delivering the highest number of votes.
As a Senator, Senator Ayade distinguished himself through inclusive and people-oriented representation. He supported older people, students, through numerous empowerment programs and financial interventions. Many beneficiaries were even able to pursue overseas scholarships thanks to his generosity.
In 2015, upon becoming Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ayade again shocked the political establishment by appointing unknown and underserved individuals many of whom had never ventured far beyond Obudu into powerful and influential positions. He opened doors that had never before existed for many of them.
However, as the 2023 general elections approached, a disheartening shift occurred. Many of these same individuals once elevated from obscurity to prominence turned their backs on their benefactor. Some of them acquired choice properties and wealth, but repaid their benefactor with betrayal and disloyalty. Rather than supporting his Senate bid, they boycotted events, kept a calculated distance, and even publicly celebrated his opponents’ victories.
These actions did not go unnoticed. Their lukewarm attitudes and conspiracies were evident even to the blind. It is unfortunate that a few ungrateful individuals now speak carelessly in public about the very man who gave them a platform. These bad actors, however, do not represent the good people of Obudu. They are the exception, not the rule a handful of ungrateful minds who believe they can destroy the bridge that carried them across.
But history is watching. We remember those who were indebted and struggling before their appointments on May 29, 2015, and how drastically their fortunes changed after May 29, 2023. What more could a man do for his own people?
To His Excellency, I, Akwagiobe Emmanuel Undipeye say: Remain the good man you’ve always been. Your legacy as Senator and Governor stands tall, especially among the sons and daughters of Obudu. No amount of revisionism can erase your contributions. We see them, we acknowledge them, and we are grateful.
God bless you, Sir.
God bless Cross River State.
