Time and time again, the men elected to serve Cross Riverians in the house tried to show some level of independence by calling the speaker of the house, Hon John Gaul Lebo to order. Other times, they have tried unsuccessfully to impeach him. In two of such occassions, the house members had described speaker John Gaul as a traitor, betrayer, gossiper, and answering to Frank Ayade.
Speaker John Gaul Lebo has been noted by other house members for trading sensitive information, and house deliberations to Frank Ayade for stipends such as the present Ford Truck his driving which was given to him by Frank.
It is quiet sad that the CRSHA has submitted itself to electing a docile dog as speaker. John Gaul was however a promising leader, but he has failed woefully. He has disappointed not just the members of the house, but his constituents in particular, and Cross Riverians in general.
It is more pitiful to hear that the members of the CRSHA have not been paid their housing allowances. And very sad that their seating allowances and other allowances has not been paid til now. A situation that has caused many of their aides to relocate to either Lagos, Abuja, and some to Port Harcourt.
A walk into a house member compound at the Assembly Village is an eyesore. Tall elephant grasses, reptiles and other crippy creatures are seen running around the compound freely as if one is in a reptile zoo. Inside the house is a different story entirely. Stain walls, broken refrigerators, dead air conditioners, broken ceiling fans, hanging ceilings, leaking plumbing works, and unflushing toilets. One member is even cooking with kerosene stove. I wonder how many others can afford gas cookers.
If these conditions as described above can be this true, how does our assembly men access medicare when they or their family members are sick? It is quite sad that non of these member is insured by the government, nor their family members. These men we call honorable members are living under serious dishonorable, and dehumanizing conditions while the speaker is busy playing friendly games with the governor's brother. That's sad.
It is very saddening too to note that these men sit and discuss the matters of importance to the State without light in the floor of the house. It is disheartening that when they leave the floor that they managed to deliberate in darkness, they retire to their rat holes called homes without light and cooling system. Not even a drop of warm water to bath too. How pitiful!
I wonder what heartlessness of the governor that he has turned a blind eye to the suffering and cries of this men he has so treated dishonorable. Why has the governor adhered to his brother's advice to treat other fellow elected people the way he is treating them?
It is an impeachable offense for the governor to have a co-governor that takes decisions on his behalf instead of the elected deputy governor. I find it quite unpalatable that someone who is not elected or mandated by the government will collect money from government coffers to undertake the construction of a garment factory without first making such a person a contractor to the government.
Is it fair for a governor to directly award a contract to his blood brother under the guise that he is a co-governor? Do we have a co-governor under the constitution of Nigeria? And if the answer is no, why did Governor Ben Ayade announced his younger brother a co-governor? That is also an impeachable offense.
The fear of Frank Ayade the co-governor is the beginning of wisdom. Perhaps that is that reason why he over shadowed the CRSHA members. Perhaps, that is the reason some of them willing submitted themselves to the whims and caprices of the fraudster. How the governor allowed this to happen to a State that is already insolvent is something that beats the imagination of many Cross Riverians.
It is an impeachable offense in the governor for co-governor Frank Ayade or whatsoever he may call himself, to order the release of 700 Million Naira from the Ministry of Sustainable Development Goals as monies needed to woo Chinese investors to CRS. This is an impeachable offense too.
It is quite sad that until now, the house has not ordered the Commissioner of Sustainable Development Goals to appear before it for explanation why such huge amount was released to Frank Ayade. The Commissioner has so much explanation to do. Even this too is an impeachable offense.
It is also true that Frank Ayade's accounts are being investigated by the EFCC. Governor Ben Ayade had diverted half of the 7.8 Billion Naira the State got from the Federal Government as bailout funds. Most of the money are hold up in Frank's personal accounts. I should believe that the CRSHA ought to also investigate these allegations and bring them to the public. However, for allowing his younger brother to divert CRS funds into family wealth, through which the governor uses in running the State is also an impeachable offense.
Lately, Calabar and indeed other Local Government Areas were littered with corpses as a result of arm gangs and cult clashes. Broad day light robberies were the order of the day. To add insult to the sore wound, kidnappers killed, snatch people as if they were snatching handbags, and demanding exorbitant ransoms. Insecurity increased unabated as the governor was junketing for MoU around the world. He shamelessly declared an innocent person who had been feeding the public and security operatives with information as a wanted man. Such illegalities through which the government declared people wanted only shows the State in a bad light. This is an impeachable offense.
It is based on these reasons and many more that I think that Prof Ben Ayade has over stayed his impeachment as governor of Cross River State. The CRSHA should therefore adopt these reasons if they have non, to use and impeach Governor Ben Ayade from office. They should stop deceiving us with speaker John Gaul Lebo caricature impeachment proceedings. If they want the respect of Cross Riverians, they should attempt the impeachment of Governor Ben Ayade.
- By Ifere Paul
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