Rift Between Ayade, Otu Looms in Cross River … Looting of government offices by appointees must be probed - Civil servant
"Apart from last-minute bizarre approvals and withdrawals of public funds, the looting galore which trailed the exit of the Ayade-led administration thereby leaving the Governor's official residence and most government offices in shambles is said to be heightening Governor Otu’s anger"
By VICTOR UDU
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I |
ndications are rife that the fragile cord sustaining the perceived bond between Governor Bassey Otu and his predecessor, Senator Ben Ayade is straining to snapping point following unfolding events already causing ripples within the political circle.
The widely known position exhibited by Ayade over the emergence of Senator Bassey Otu who was projected for the All Progressives Congress APC's governorship ticket against his anointed choice coupled with the glaring reluctance to fund the governor's elections until the dying minutes after losing his Senate election are allegedly fueling the acrimony.
Apart from last-minute bizarre approvals and withdrawals of public funds, the looting galore which trailed the exit of the Ayade-led administration thereby leaving the Governor's official residence and most government offices in shambles is said to be heightening Governor Otu’s anger.
Findings by The Beagle News revealed that the continuous occupation of Diamond Hill Mansion, the official residence of the successive governors by Ayade despite the expiration of his tenure is not going down well with Otu's kitchen cabinet
Already, the refusal of Ayade to vacate the government house and the deplorable condition of governor's office aggravated by massive looting of government offices by political appointees is causing uproars across the state.
The situation has confined Senator Otu to the makeshift Dan Archibong Lodge hurriedly renovated to accommodate the newly sworn in Governor.
Besides, the litany of huge financial setbacks owing to the backlog of gratuity spanning from 2014, promotion arrears, bloated contracts and astronomical debt profile have purportedly constituted a serious impediment to the smooth take off of the new administration.
Speaking on the looting galore which trailed Ayade's exit, a staff in the governor's office who preferred anonymity described the ugly scenario as unprecedented. According to him "this is the first time a government is winding up without anything on ground to facilitate a smooth take of the new administration.
In what is yet to be made public, Civil servants returned to their Offices after the inauguration of the new government to discover that overnight cars and office furniture were carted away by their previous occupants.
Further investigation by The Beagle News revealed that in some cases office inventory had been altered to accommodate this illegality. The already decaying and stinking
Principal Staff in the Government Establishments affected who preferred to be anonymous said the administration of Governor Otu would have to wait for a longer time than anticipated to find a place to operate from.
One Jennifer Okpa who spoke to The Beagle News regretted that the former governor did not only allegedly go with the number of cars he is officially entitled to but also went away with all the cars in his convoy disappeared overnight adding that members of the executive council were not left out as they too went away with all official cars attached to their agencies.
Benjamin Owali, staff of one of the Agencies affected described the looting as shameful and that with the poor state of the economy of Cross River the burden it would put on the administration will be too much for it to bear.
Reacting to the allegations one of the appointees of Governor Ayade denied the allegations describing them as a figment of imagination.
However, The Beagle News findings revealed that the furniture and other property carted away were purchased with funds duly approved and released by the state Government.
