Why I pity next governor of Cross River

A former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, said on Saturday the next governor of the state faces an uphill task to reinvent governance in the state.

Duke stated this at the inauguration of the 1,080-member campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The former governor, who had been saddled with the task of leading the campaign council, said the essence of good governance had been lost in the state in the last eight years.

He said: “I never bargained to be governor of the state, but was driven by passion and commitment to positively change the fortune of the state when I eventually became one.

“However, I am worried about the recent development in the state, a whole generation had been lost. I feel sorry for the next governor of the state.

“We know where the state ought to be by now. The plan was that we would have been governing the state without relying on federal allocation by now. The plans were all laid out.

“Whole paradise had been lost. This is certainly not the best of time to govern Cross River State.”

Duke, however, said the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, has the capacity to restore the lost glory of the state.

He stressed that Onor’s past experiences in government had adequately prepared him for the uphill task of reinventing the state.

“As a former Local Government Chairman, Vice Chairman, and at a time Chairman of the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON), in addition to being a former Commissioner for Environment and Agriculture and now a Senator, Sandy has what it takes to right the wrongs.

“I am glad that it is Sandy that will bring back the state that we have lost. I can stake for him because I know who he is,” the ex-governor added.

In his remarks, the Onor said the state had lost direction as everything about the state had been abused and debased.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now