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At this point, all men of goodwill who still have the ear of former Governor Ben Ayade have a responsibility to whisper to him that his tenure is over, because the man himself doesn’t seem to realize the fact.
After eight long years on the saddle, with the political calendar hanging everywhere like a signpost, the former Governor should have packed his personal belongings out of Perigrino House at least a week before the inauguration of the new Governor, to allow him redesign the place after his own taste.
To still return to the official residence of the Governor of Cross River, to still hold unto the convoy of official cars and throw himself about as if he was still Governor belittles the office and offends the culture and tradition of that respected institution. It also unfortunately personalizes the office in a way that seems to suggest that Governor Ayade believes that he owns the place or does not understand the democratic transition of power.
Only yesterday, there were unconfirmed rumours in Calabar that the former Governor and his Man Fridays were still haemoraging Cross River State bank accounts, still pillaging, still plundering the scanty bank balances that were still left there and the IGR instruments were still in the hands of the former Governor, three clear days after his tenure ended.
It is shameful and pitifully disgraceful that we are talking about one of the most paper-learned governors Nigeria has ever had who should be counted among people like professor Ambrose Ali and professor Zulum who became governors from the apogee of the intellectual tree. To continue to act in the way that former Governor Ayade has done creates deep suspicions about the depth of his much vaunted intellect and sophistication.A word is enough for the wise.
