By Linus Obogo
It is gladdening to note that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has finally woken up from the dead after a lengthy period of lying in state, following its total trouncing at the 2023 governorship election.
As an opposition party, the PDP entombed itself immediately it lost the governorship to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Even then it is often held that while the dead cannot see, it does hear.
It is on this score that one wonders why the party did not advise itself against pushing out the puerile issues raised in its tenuously yoked statement on Friday.
If the party cannot see what the Sweet Prince is doing to advance development in the state, is it that it is also deaf to hear the testimony of Cross Riverians?
After going through its vacuous statement apparently put out to announce its resurrection, PDP and their harebrained members could be forgiven for their impish claims, on the ground that they have probably not seen or traversed the various road networks in Calabar metropolis, Calabar South, including other ongoing constructions and rehabilitation work in both the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state.
Administrations before Senator Otu’s had merely paid lip service to payment of gratuity of the state’s retired workforce since 2014. Could the governor’s decision to expend over ten billion Naira on payment of gratuities be what the PDP and its hordes of whiners consider as criminal? Clearly , the dead party would have been happy had the sitting governor toed the same path of insensitivity, mindlessness and wickedness meted out to our senior citizens. It’s on record that Otu recently approved the release of N10 billion naira in gratuity with payment to commence this month. This figure must have been too hefty to merit a mention in PDP’s hollow statement.
It is equally ironic that PDP is unaware of the massive interventions by Governor Otu’s administration in education, particularly when it released to the West African Examination Council (WAEC), humongous sums running into nearly a billion naira, as registration fees for 16,301 Cross Riverians, not aliens, for their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations. This perhaps was also a criminal gesture not worthy of an inclusion by the PDP in their tendentious and warped statement. And the list of Otu’s strides goes on.
But the PDP and its jaded members, for want of what to say, will always go back to their pastime, which is simply, dishing out beer parlour gossip. This is why the various figures the dead party bandied in their well-worn regurgitations are not only outlandish but patently false.
It is obvious that the PDP has begun playing politics too early, even before the whistle is sounded ahead of 2027. But truth must, however, be told that, it is time for governance and not politics. So the famished party and its diminishing clan can wait until 2027.
If anything, the press statement by the PDP, is no doubt a glaring testament to the party’s diminishing relevance in the political landscape of the state. It is equally evident that the party is resorting to baseless accusations and sensationalism in a desperate attempt to regain political traction.
This explains why the figures presented in their statement are not only misleading but also seek to deliberately ignore the significant achievements of Governor Otu\’s administration in just one year.
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Putatively, PDP’s claim that Governor Otu failed to account for over 70 billion Naira received as intervention funds and N150billon as monthly allocations is not only unfounded but outright hogwash with fiendish intent to stir public angst against Governor Otu. For a state that has consistently placed second to last among the 36 sub-nationals in revenue allocations, PDP can do well to tell Cross Riverians the magic or mystery behind the upsurge in the federal allocation to the state.
While Governor Otu’s administration has been transparent and accountable by implementing measures to ensure that funds are utilized effectively for the benefit of the people, It is rather sad that the focus of the gripping party is merely on the figures, and not on the tangible outcomes of his interventions.
In just one year, Governor Otu has prioritized infrastructure development, healthcare improvements, and social welfare programs, which have positively impacted the lives of many residents.
Moreover, the assertion that the administration has not adequately utilized the NG-CARES program funds is a gross misrepresentation of reality. On this, the PDP as always, displayed a rather crass and monumental ignorance about what the NG-CARES is all about. It is a REIMBURSEMENT scheme which Cross River, like other states had earned following an independent verification process.
That the administration of Otu transparently and successfully directed these resources towards critical areas, including cash transfers to vulnerable populations and community development initiatives clearly underscored his unwavering commitment to bettering the lot of the citizenry. The PDP’s claim of only 1,700 beneficiaries is also not reflective of the broader impact of these programs, which have reached thousands of Cross Riverians.
The PDP\’s criticism of the budget allocations is also misplaced. Investments in the governor\’s office and other administrative sectors are not merely frivolous expenditures; they are necessary for the effective functioning of government. A well-equipped office fosters efficiency and productivity, ultimately benefiting the citizens.
On the PDP’s hypocritical stance on local government funding, it is ludicrous that the same party that unconscionably haemorrhaged funds meant for councils for nearly two decades is suddenly playing the role of an Ombudsman.
It is on record that under their watch, local governments in Cross River State faced stagnation and neglect. Since assuming the reins, Otu’s administration has been working strenuously to revitalize local governance structures and has made strides in ensuring that local councils are adequately funded and supported.
Like a drowning man struggling to perch on a straw, the PDP, in its febrile attempt to announce its convalescence, is merely seeking to croak in order to be heard. It is the only way its allegation against the First Lady could be contextulised.
Accordingly, the unfounded and baseless claims against the governor’s wife are not only defamatory but also reflect the PDP’s frustration at their inability to regain lost ground.
No doubt, the PDP, no matter how it struggles to croak, remains a walking dead in Cross River State, and one desperately clutching at straws to justify its long waned influence.
In submitting, The achievements of Governor Bassey Otu in his first year—including infrastructure development, improved healthcare access, and social welfare programs—far outweigh the unfounded and sinister criticisms from a party that has lost its way. As Cross Riverians continue to savour the positive changes under Otu\’s leadership, it is clear that the PDP\’s attempts to undermine and distract his administration will only further expose their irrelevance in the current political narrative. The governor’s eyes are firmly fixed on the ball and no rickety PDP or its misguided and confused members can rivet them.
Obogo is Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Media and Publicity
