By Elijah Ugani
As part of the activities to mark his 56th birth anniversary, the Director General of the Caterpillar Movement birthed by Sen Prof Sandy Onor, Chief Joe Obi Bisong returned to God in thanksgiving and held a public lecture to ex ray successive leadership in Cross River State.
The thanksgiving mass was held at the oldest parish in Ogoja Catholic diocese, St Patrick’s parish Kakwagom, on Thursday, August 19th 2021 and presided by Rev Fr Richard Otu Agbor.
The homilist, Rev Fr (Sub-Lieutenant) Simon Bisong, stated that friends and well wishers are gathered here to thank God for granting the celebrant 56 years of good health.
Referring to the celebrant, the priest stated that “there are so many times you have escaped assassination. During this 56 years of your eventful life, you have created so much impact within our community.
There are so many people who have made so much efforts, but they have not made any impact.
We are here to thank God and ask him to keep you to attain the biblical years and even beyond.
“In this life, you have met a lots of people, some who will come into your life briefly and go away.
They are some who have been with you from the beginning to the end. On a day like this, you need to appreciate those who have impacted on you positively or negatively.
“A day where you need to rewrite the agenda of your life. In rewriting your agenda, I wish you to consider these three things.
“First, Work on your relationship between you and your family members. When you speak, everyone including your family members listen to you.
Who will take after you, who will take over from you. Build an empire where your family members will take after you.
“Secondly, build your relationship with those who are working with you. A good leader is the one who want his followers to grow more than him. And that is what we know you for. All you need is to consolidate.
“The last thing is that you need to consolidate your relationship with God. You have to work on your relationship with God. I know you believe in God, maybe along the way, something happened and you backsides, this is the time for you to put God first on your agenda”
On his part, the Priest In-Charge of St Patrick parish, Kakwagom, Rev Fr Victormario Otu, described Chief Joe Obi Bisong as a trailblazing community builder and pathfinder whose echoes of goodwill permeates the entire Kakwagom nation and even beyond. He held that for Chief Joe Obi Bisong to have come to thank God for the gift of life further affirms his love for God.
The parish priest used the opportunity to invite friends and well wishers of Chief Joe Obi Bisong to the centenary celebration of the parish next year.
Eulogizing the DG, Caterpillar Movement during thanksgiving mass, Sen Prof Sandy Onor hinted that “Joe has limitations just as myself, but Joe is a profoundly good man. Very few are better than him, in terms of quality, honesty, commitment and knowledge of the politics.
“When I am not around and I ask Joe to go and represent me, most of the times, people wonder whether it is me or not, you know we look almost the same. I am thankful to God for this community to have a son like Joe.
“When people send you and you passionately commit all that you have to them, God will bless you abundantly, I have experienced this myself, it is too late for me to go back. All the monies available to me for constituency projects, I showed Joe everything, we give back to the people. We will continue to serve our people to the best of our ability.
“In politics, once you have people who give you bad advice, that is the beginning of your fall. On the other hand, when you are lucky and bless to have people who give you good advice, then you will do very well. I am bless and lucky to have Chief Joe Obi Bisong as my DG.
“Many people have had cause to say even to me whether Joe own DG is different and whether election has not finished and I say to them that election has not finished. Joe, as long as we have tasks, he will continue to direct us generally.
“If you want me to be happy with you, speak good of Joe, and if you don’t want me to be happy with you, then speak ill of Joe”
Reacting to the lecture, Sen. Onor berated leadership approach in the state and averred that “Yesterday we were very proud of Cross River State, today we’re ashamed of our state. People must speak the truth; this is no time for elegance. Our state is drifting. Our people are suffering. Our values and morals have been eroded. Young people are taught rubbish. Our local governments have to be resuscitated. Our councilors would have meaning. Our chiefs have to be respected. Cultism has to be given the back seat. There must be value for money. Cross River has to get back to where it used to be. We may not have money, but we have values as a people. People left their places with their wealth and all to come and rest in Cross River State because of our hygiene and propriety, we will get back there”.
Presenting the lecture, Mr Ken Egbas, hinted that Cross River State has no development plan as compared to Lagos state that developed a 50 years development plan during the Amed Bola Tinubu reign as Governor. He lamented and argued that Cross River State does not deserve to belong at the bottom of the ladder of every index for measuring human and economic development in the comity of states in Nigeria. Statistics presented by Egbas, indicates that recently, Cross River State ranks the least out of the lowest 5 states on capital expenditure of a budget of about 1.4trillion naira. The five (5) states are: Taraba, Ogun, Imo, Benue and Cross River. In the same report ranking, physical discipline in state budgets, Cross River ranked 35th, only marginally above Borno State. Borno being the capital of insurgence in the North East would have contributed to Borno occupying that position, but what would be the excuse for Cross River? Egbas held that the answer is lack of leadership! He again stated that “given the precarious situation we find ourselves as a state, a ‘Messiah’ would be needed come 2023 to salvage the state from its current state of decay”
