Victor Adaha
In retrospect to over the last two years the two governors assumed office they chanted their different mantras, which has one direct resemblance which is good and responsive governance. The two governors were welcomed with mixed reactions, but since they both enjoy one party state advantage they had more good wills, it is also worthy of mention to note that the duo have different political party affiliation, why the latter is affiliated to the APC the former is with the PDP. But once again they are both ex-senators, and served at the same time in the senate.
These analyses became important for us to grade our governors, using their colleagues whose allocation falls almost at the same cadre and from different zones.
The slogan Bindow’s government acclaims to its self is “Bindow is working”, with this one would be forced to ask what exactly is he doing? That question I would leave for the readers to answer at the end of the article.
Bindow’s government has constructed a ‘few’ roads in the state capital and perhaps a few some other places, some people actually thinks he has special love for urban road constructions, as he has made Yola a place to visit. Some other residents argue that road constructions alone aren’t just what a performing government does, as my investigative journalism lead me to the street to talk to a few persons and a woman who simply identified herself as Mrs. Hassan, reiterated her pains in the present administration of Bindow, she accused him of not paying salaries for over four months which has made the primary health care agency in the state go on strike.
My investigation also revealed that the primary school teacher in the state are being owed, they just came back not too long ago from their down tooling exercise, after they came to an agreement on paper, the teachers have equally being owed for more months, as a teacher said “the way the salaries come, we actually don’t know which exactly they are paying for, because after we complain of not receiving salaries for over five to six months we could get two months salaries and there after the next two to three months nothings gets to us again”.
While Cross river state under the government of Ayade can be seen to be promoting tourism, just recently the NORTHERNFEST was celebrated, it was a festival that showcased agriculture and display of rich tradition, it brought people from far and wide to the state, a local government aspirant for the forth coming election in Ogoja described it as an avenue to lure investors both local and foreign to tap from the agricultural sector. The government debatably can be said to have engaged more youths and people in general in government than any other state.
The administration is also being displayed on media is an “industrial government” as it has placed priority on industrializing the state, starting from the rice farm, to the garment industry and on and on, just recently the government was quoted to have told her youths that their oil wells were ‘farm lands’, notwithstanding some leading social media critics have challenged the government to finish one project and stop parading numerous unfinished projects.
Talking about salaries, from antecedence Ayade prioritizes that, that’s why workers ones had their salary very early in a month they just began.
Notwithstanding some argue of the discrepancies which they feel he feigns ignorance to as pertaining to primary school teachers’ welfare. But outside this and perhaps a few skim itches here and there his administration can be said to be good and have gotten a pass mark on salary issues.
On infrastructure, the Ayade’s government just have a couple of mega uncompleted projects around, which many critics even argues are fictitious and others says is not substantial enough, some group even feel it is a personal property and not state property.
One area the writer still has great concern on, is the issue of un-employment for skilled labour, every year thousands of Crossriverians are graduated from higher institution within the state and outside, from what is presently on ground the government cannot boast to have employed ten thousand skilled youths since the inception of this administration, which leads to the question which way forward?
A state with its youths’ population redundant and jobless is heading for destruction, data from the National Population Commission shows that the nation as a whole has almost half its population to be under thirty, at their prime, full of energy which if not channeled into productive activities could become destructive.
Which forms the next question which way forward?
My humble submission on the overview of both Ben Ayade’s government and Bindow’s government is that, yes I recognize the impacts they have made especially Ayade’s primary health care agency, which is one of the best in the country without mixing words, and that of Bindow’s infrastructural projects which has placed the state in the map of cities with best road network in the country, Adamawa state can boast of a six major road linked roundabout, well designed and stands out to be the only in the country and West Africa as a whole, I stand to be corrected.
With all these and many more, the both governors still have so much to do, if and only if they desire a second term in office, which is glaring already that they do. But if they don’t step up the pace of development in their states and create tangible employment opportunity, their aspiration might just become a mirage come 2019.
