OPINION
Ekpenyong Isaiah-isababa
Nigerians are used to the word ‘statesman’ and calling a politician or someone that has grown above the age of may be 50 years statesman, seems to be a compliment everyone wants to be associated with now, most especially politicians that have stolen the wealth of the masses and would want to be given a status that befits their stolen wealth. At the receipt of may be about 10,000 Naira, we now see the poor begin to call those that have stolen their future, statesman, without minding who truly a statesman is, or what defines a statesman.
While Nigeria in general, and Cross River State in particular seems to be in a state of quagmire with the dearth of men and women of high moral standard whose Yes, should be Yes; and No, should be No; no matter the financial or political inducement; the recent press interview granted by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, former Senate Majority Leader, where in it he said that the people of Central Cross River State are not greedy people and would support southern Cross River State to produce the next governor of the State, has shown that Senator Victor Ndoma Egba is not only just a statesman by real definition of it who has the capacity and ability to manage public affairs, but he is also a man of high moral standard.
Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and majority of those fighting against the quest by Southern Cross River State to produce the next governor of the State like Vena Ikem, current PDP State Chairman, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, Senator Owan Enoh, etc, were all part of an unwritten gentleman agreement in the PDP that for the sake of peace in Cross River State, power should be allowed to rotate peacefully in the State at the governorship and other levels. It was for this same reason that someone like Senator Sandy Ojang Onor was allowed to become a senator in a zone where he comes from the least of the local governments in the zone and second to the least in the State after Bakassi. In fact, if it were to be by numerical or financial strength, a Sandy will never become Senator in Central Cross River State. His local government Area, Etung, has not more than 35,000 eligible voters in Cross River State of about 1.4miilion voters.
It is therefore very sad that those who benefited from zoning but strongly believe they are close to the corridor of power now and can do anything, caused by monetary or political influence, which is a direct result of the dearth of morality; are the ones telling us how zoning is bad and how more competent they are now.
The Position of Senator Victor Ndoma Egba that Central Cross River State will support her Southern brothers to produce the next governor in 2023 by supporting Senator Prince Bassey Otu, the APC Gubernatorial candidate is a clear definition of who a Statesman is, in thoughts, words and in action. A statesman manages public affairs to allow peace to resign.
Ekpenyong Isaiah-isababa
Commander, Infantry Pen Battallion
isacool4good@yahoo.com
