Governor Benedict Ayade of
Cross River State, a former senator, a professor of environmental
studies was in Lagos for an interactive session with relevant
stakeholders involved in the forthcoming Calabar Festival. On the
sidelines of the meeting the governor had an interactive session with
newsmen during which he opened up on his style and strategic approach to
governance. Excerpts:
On how he is approaching the tough economic challenges
Well the economy is slowing down and so government is supposed to
downsize, reduce the number of ministries, cut down allowances and
salaries, but that is really not the right way to go. Economics teaches
us that it is as such times that governments that are socially sensitive
are supposed to expand. At this period of cash crunch is when I have
increased the number of ministries from 18 to 28.
So, I am now increasing the number of commissioners, this is because
as more young people get unemployed, as the cash crunch bites harder,
what happens is that when people have no alternative to survival, then
the survivalist instinct which pushes them to criminality begins to
manifest and then you have social tension and so, you spend more on
security which distracts from spending on productive assets and so you
are just going round the clock.
In America today, when things get really tough like that, government
puts more money on people’s pay checks, increases their pay checks for
them to increase consumption.
At this time of cash crunch is when people are supposed to consume
more. So for our own government we will expand within the limits of what
is financially possible to expand government to increase consumption
and that is why Cross River State is going to have a very high number of
appointees at the political level. They don’t add up to the risk and
cost of leaving them unemployed. If you know what it takes for you to be
a commissioner and then after four years you leave office for nothing.
So, we must understand that at the point of financial crunch
government needs to expand until the economy begins to boil as it used
to boil, then government shrinks and private sector takes over and that
is the concept that we have applied in Cross River State.
Today, we are known to be a state which is first in the payment of
salaries. We have never paid since I assumed office below the 25th of
any month.
Yes in the face of cash crunch we are going to manage what we have
more diligently. Cut luxuries that are available to the governor, focus
emphatically on what is required to keep government running and expand
the horizon of opportunities for young people.
Honesty in Office
Honesty in office for me is the greatest test of morality and in
moral conscience you will always use Immanuel Kant, who is a German
philosopher and professor of theology on the argument of morality,
integrity and character on public acceptability and values. I believe
that the greatest asset I brought before the people of Cross River State
is my history, honesty, character and pedigree. It is known, it is
visible and you can feel it.
Is Cross River State not too poor for the ambitious projects?
The state knows what I inherited. In spite of the challenges of the
state, the state is rich and great. If I don’t have ideas, then I can
say that Cross River is poor.
How can Cross River State be poor with 152 kilometres of Atlantic
Coast? How can Cross River State be poor with huge deposits of gold,
bauxite, tantalite, tin, silica, kaolin and on and on? How can Cross
River State be poor when you have the most civilised souls, a people
that are very dependable, people who are not aggressive and materially
crazy?
How can you have such rich heritage, people of such distinctive
character and honour and you say the state is poor? To me I believe that
I inherited a very rich state.
What challenges do you have as a governor?
It is to make the press understand that it is dreams that bring
reality, but the dreams have to die, rot and then germinate into
reality. Everything looks impossible until you put your soul into the
challenges.
For me it is to make the press drum up more support for this project
that looks otherwise impossible. Little did I know that what I conceived
as a dream would have the endorsement of the president, a president who
is focused, a president who is known for his words.
So for him to have given his words that ‘I shall be here to commission the project’ is indicative of his commitment.
Political challenge
This same project has become so popular that today we have at least
$10 billion funding being put aside by a country to invest in the port.
Today, we have letters coming from Chad and Niger requesting for land
for boarded warehouse and industrial parks.
The super highway was beset with a political challenge, the issue of
whether it was going to pass through the National Park. The original
design of the Super Highway had no provision at any time to criss-cross
the National Park, but unfortunately there are some who believe that the
success of this project would automatically provide a second term for
the sitting governor. So, if you have an ambition to be governor the
thing to do is to frustrate the project.
Because the design was clear over 3 kilometres away from the National
Park and that is why the president was so angry when he suspended his
first visit.
We have a firm president who knows the right thing and insisted that the right thing should be done
By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
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