By Magnus Effiong
With agitation for power to return to the south far from abating, a governorship hopeful and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River state, Sen John Owan Enoh has warned his party leaders not to sacrifice winning next year’s election on the altar of zoning.
Senator Enoh who represented Cross River Central in the 8th Senate gave the warning in Calabar, Tuesday, during a press conference to restate his intention to take over from Gov Ben Ayade.
Asked to air his views on agitations for the return of power to the southern senatorial district of the State in 2023 in line with an unwritten zoning agreement believed to be in operation, Senator Enoh said winning the election should be a top priority and not controversies on zoning.
“We should navigate the matter of zoning carefully. The most important agenda of the APC should be to retain the governorship in 2023. That retention of governorship is going to depend on the candidate and his appeal across Cross River than zoning. What I bring to the table is my ability and passion. Let us go beyond the issue of zoning.
“In PDP at the national level, for instance, the Committee on Zoning set up could not arrive at any compromise as such it threw the contest open.
“We should not forget that the two main political parties, the APC and the PDP are equally strong. PDP’s first three aspirants are known names in Cross River with capacity to turn the tide in their favour.
“Our party should not take for granted the choice of who flies the party’s ticket in 2023 governorship election for the sake of our people and the ability to retain power.
“I repeat, my party, the APC, must not take a chance because we are going to meet a candidate that has relationship across, a candidate whose name recognition and popular support can be drawn across the three senatorial district.
“The governorship election is the most important one among the rest because Cross Riverians will be more concern on who is going to their next governor. APC would do a good job by presenting me as the party’s candidate because I have a name recognition across the three senatorial districts,” he stated.
Senator Owan Enoh pledged to create at least 3000 jobs within the first three years of his administration, adding that job creation would be one of his cardinal priorities so as to support households, put food on the table, and have money in the pocket.
He said, “The government will incentivize support to community-based trade and agriculture. Rural women and farmers will be advanced soft loansthrough the state-owned micro finance bank. I will take advantage of the industrialization effort of the current administration in line with its objectives.
“These industries will be evaluated to ascertain the support it requires to work efficiently and effectively. My administration recognizes that it cannot create all the jobs alone and will seek to attract private sector investments particularly into the areas of Agriculture, solidminerals, and tourism.”
