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A senior citizen of this State called me earlier today and insisted that he would love to read my opinion on the trending issue of #500million Stabilization fund received monthly by the government of Cross River State as revealed by the RMAFC recently. Though, a Chieftain of the APC and a close ally of the Governor from the Northern Senatorial District, he had expected me to heap a truck load of coal on the governor over the issue. While I admit that the CPS to the governor tried strenuously to robe the past administration of His Excellency, Mr Liyel Imoke, into the inglorious Bakassi-gate saga, by alluding to the fact that the state have been receiving the #500million since 2008. By making reference to past administration, the CPS aimed to gaslight Cross Riverians and stylistically shift the focus from an issue-based debate to partisan Politics. The aim is simply to share the blame equally between Leaders of the PDP and that of APC, thereby turning a serious matter into Political chicanery.
But then, I feel there’s a dimension to this whole thing that we care less about. The truth is, there’s an organized crime going on in this state, orchestrated by the elites and fueled by their inordinate desire for resource control and one of the conduit pipe for such display of avarice is the Bakassi Resettlement Project. Since the lost of Bakassi peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon and the subsequent lost of 76 Oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, they have been a few elites eating fat from the plight of Cross Riverians, irrespective of their Political Party affiliation. Till date, they are still Cross Riverians amongst the elites whose company accounts are used to launder money and subsequently shared amongst few cartels in this State. Have you bothered to ask yourself why some elites, even those in the opposition Party, don’t have the nerves to speak even if our state is on fire? The answer is simple, most of them are complicit in this heinous crime against our state. I know of one woman that have continued to make a heavy fortune out of the plight of the people of Bakassi, unfortunately, while she continues to milk her own people, she’s lionized and canonize by the same people whose future and destiny she has bastardized.
The control of resources, like in most Capitalist venture, is the major yardstick for Politics in this state. Most of our leaders are not necessarily interested in what becomes of the State. They are only interested in what becomes of them and their pockets. This is why you hardly see or hear them condemn the ills of this current administration, because they are either benefiting from it or hoping to benefit.
By the way, why are we all acting surprised about the #500million as if we are not aware that this current administration is the era of Intellectual Money and Other People’s Money? Is this not the same administration that received 18billion Naira from Federal Government as payment for the Federal Government Roads constructed/maintained by past administrations? Is this not the same administration that received Paris Refund money, Bailout funds and receives ecological funds yet cannot holistically account for it. If they can voraciously gulp 18billion Naira, Paris Refund, Ecological fund, Bail out Funds, what is small sum of #500million that they cannot embezzle?
#500million is it for eba, is it for Garri, is it for Ewa, dodo or Agbado?
May Affliction Never Arise The Second Time!!!
*©Umezulike Desmond-cruz*
