BY: Vitalis Ugoh,Calabar
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Effiong Nyong, has vowed to resign within two years if his administration fails to transform Cross River State.
During the same period my administration will strive to create 22 local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to decentralize rapid development to the grassroots.
Nyong stated this in Calabar while presenting his development plans to journalists.
He said, “I have a social contract with the people where things will work within two years and if it doesn’t work i will resign within two years”.
“We can turn Cross River State around in two years and I will resign within two years if things don’t work”.
“This administration says there is no money but the simple truth is that they do not know how to generate revenue. The easiest way to deal with the issue of Cross River State is to open it up and this will be done by creating 22 LCDAs.”When you do that it means that where you have Odukpani today, and Akamkpa will be divided into a minimum of four local development authorities.”
According to him, “what will happen is that you will create jobs, the contractors will make money and the money that comes from the Federal will be shared into fourty places and each one will use it to develop their council areas.”
“When you do the layout for these areas, they will have a school, health centre, prototype houses that should be developed and individuals that come from there will go home, he added”.
“In two years, people will not crowd around Calabar because with local government autonomy, there is nothing you will be coming to do in Calabar been the state capital, Nyong stated “.
He noted that “by the time these places are developed, you will discover that there will be security, jobs for the youths, jobs for the contractors and people will have reasons to stay in their home town”.
Nyong cited instances where we had Abi Transport Service in Abi called Abi Trans which traversed the whole country and also Anantigha Warriors Football Club in Calabar South which played up to the Semi final of the challenge cup.
Furthermore, he said that this happened because the local government were autonomous but this was however shut down.
On youth employment, he said the 37 industries at the Calabar FTZ are working at less than 15% capacity but have the potential to employ over 2,000 workers each.
He attributed this to the malfunctioning of the power turbines at the complex and promised to work with them to ensure the three power turbines are functioning and over 74,000 jobs will be created therein.
Nyong said the jobs are there but the initiative is not there because the people running the state don’t have capacity and described the maritime policy in the state as the worst in the world and this will change because they will do what needs to be done.
The gubernatorial candidate promised to properly structure the educational system and align it with sports development because we are fighting our youths by neglecting these sectors.
He regretted the state of our library, adding this is part of the deciet in the system and promised to change the narrative if elected as governor.
“I will restructure the civil service to ensure that career civil servants are brought back and end the culture of special advisers in the state as “SA ship” constitutes a serious security problem and my administration will explore ways of engaging people.
Each Senatorial district will have a stadium to harness young talents and the UJ Esuene stadium will be upgraded to an Olympic stadium to encourage sports development in the state.
According to him, “there is no reason why the sports hostel should not be developed to a standard hotel saying it’s either the idea is not there or something else, noting, these things can work and are workable. As governor i will not be giving reasons why things don’t work”.
He declared “I have the capacity to assemble a team that can make a difference in governance and turn around the state for good.
