C'River APC Stakeholders Decry Otu's Peace Meal Appointments After 100 Days, Says Gov't Too Slow

By Dominic OKOH

Cross River state All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders have decried Governor Bassey Otu's peace meal political appointments, describing it as unacceptable and demoralising.

The stakeholders made up of elders, support groups and youths, under the aegis of Concerned APC, said Otu's government is not only too slow in the last one hundred days but has been acting without proper consultation with the different segments that make up the party.

They expressed worries that the state is gradually returning to the same style of administration experienced under the former governor,Prof Ben Ayade which took almost one year to release list of appointments of Special Advisers, Special Assistants, Chairmen, Directors-general and members of boards and commissions to accommodate party members who worked for his emergence.

According to them, but for the mandatory constitutional 60 days required to appoint commissioners, Governor Otu would not have appointed commissioners from what we are seeing presently.

A stakeholder from the Northern Senatorial District who identified himself as Emmanuel Agba, expressed dismay at the slow pace of political appointments by Otu's administration, saying it is below their expectations and his promise of hitting the ground running once inaugurated.

Agbor, who claimed he campaigned vigoruosly for APC, disclosed that even the commissionership appointments fell below the expectations as critical stakeholders were not consulted to make inputs, as witnessed under Governor Ayade, adding that the way and manner the Governor is going about it calls for serious concern in subsequent appointments.

He said:" Some of us are not comfortable with Governor Otu's style of appointments. We have heard often times that Otu would soon release massive appointments,"Then the next thing he would release one or two appointments as Special Advisers. Another week, he would release list of one agency or commission and their members as if waiting for peoples reaction first to release another set of appointees.

"We are tired of such style. We all worked for him to emerge and he promised us appointments and now he is foot dragging. He told us during campaigns that when monkey-work, monkey-go-chop," stated Agba.

Another stakeholder from the Central Senatorial District, Vincent Ojong, expressed worry at the piece of information emanating from government house which has it that Governor Otu is not in a hurry to release list of more appointments especially that of the boards, agencies and commissions.

Ojong said Otu's inner cabinet member has confided in him that other appointments may not come soon as they are made to believe, adding "the Governor's body language does not show he is prepared to release list of names of more appointees even though he has been promising to do so just to calm angry Stakeholders. We are not happy over the development because we did not bargain for what we are seeing now.

"Look around our neighborhouring states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and even Ebonyi things are moving on fastly. The House of Assembly approved list of 40 Special Advisers before Governor Otu was inaugurated and till date the Governor has not appointed up to 10 Special Advisers.

"On coming in, he dissolved all boards and commissions and nothing is heard about replacing them with APC members who toiled day and night for the party. We are discouraged and hungry. We cannot wait again to beg for appointments."

Disturbed by this development Okokon Ita Asuquo, from the south said: "Even some people appointed as commissioners were not seen in the field during electioneering and only for their names to surface as members of State Executive Council. Such gives a false impression about his intentions towards those of us who worked for the success of the party at the 2023 general elections.

"There is so much to be done and give to Cross Riverians in terms of empowerment and appointments. The party had sent names of members from wards to the Governor, but surprisingly nothing is being heard about it. 

"Rather we are being told every day to be patient when we are dying of hunger and lack of patronage by the politicians we worked for. Even the law makers in the state and National Assemblies have all turned their back on us and have all resorted to working with their family members and fiends that were not seen when the going was tough. We only hope it would not be a 'family affair' government as witnessed in last regime."

Expressing fears about the local government administration, a member of APC state executive committee, who don't want his name in print, said the Governor's muteness over holding local government election in November as scheduled by CROSSIEC shows where he is headed to.

"From the grape vine, it is likely he may tow the same line with former Governor Ayade and may not hold election in his first four years in office, claiming to be cleaning the Augean Stable.

"But that would be unfair to party members who would have been accommodated at the councils and then reduce tension and pressures on other elected office holders. This is an exact opposite of what the Governor made us to believe."

However, The Beagle News has it on good authourity that baring any last minute change of heart, Governor Otu would release list of several appointments into boards, commissions and agencies as well as Special Advisers and Special Assistants.

The various lists, The Beagle News gathered, are undergoing final scrutiny to ensure that square pegs are put in square holes.

The Governor is said to be consulting with some top party members to accommodate various interests and be made public as he marks 100 days in office.