Personally, I believe the Governor is doing well and deserves support, but I respect that others may disagree.
The haughty attitude and disrespect shown by some individuals from the South towards Cross Riverians of other descent since the current administration assumed office is deeply concerning. Their attempt to silence dissenting voices, especially from other parts of the state, and the assumption that Cross River State revolves around Calabar, undermines our politics and unity.
Recently, when I wrote an open letter to Governor Bassey Otu regarding his appointments in Obudu, some of these individuals responded with their disrespectful antics laced with ethnicism. They implied that my letter was motivated by the Governor’s southern origin, despite his acknowledgement of the issues I raised and his promise to address them.
Painfully, some of them have conveniently forgotten that during former Gov. Ayade’s tenure, his harshest critics were from Obudu where he hails from. I held him accountable for nearly four years and only supported his re-election bid in 2019 due to my principled stance on zoning. After I withdrew my criticism, Agba Jalingo, also from Obudu, continued where I left off and held him accountable for the remaining four years.
Besides, some of these individuals who bring ethnic colouration to everything and now demand uncritical support for Gov. Otu failed to acknowledge the efforts of those who advocated for power rotation in the state when they elected to remain silent, fearing they might offend someone. I recall a national assembly member questioning my passion for the course when many from the south remained mum.
Today, they want to silence others, insisting that only positive opinions about the Governor are acceptable. The majority of these people sat on the fence when we started the agitation for power rotation to the South because they were scared that former Gov. Ayade was preparing his friend from central to take over from him. Yes, we worked to produce a governor from the South, not a governor for the South only.
Recently, a friend from the South made a derogatory statement about the central senatorial district, claiming that Gov. Otu would restore the state, only for power to return to the central to destroy it again. Although he apologized, such statements should never have found their way to the public domain in the first place. We must learn to respect others no matter how excited we are.
Largely, Governor Otu has enjoyed a honeymoon period compared to his predecessor, with relatively little criticism. Under Ayade, the opposition was vibrant, with many people actively engaging on social media. In contrast, for over a year, Cross Riverians have shown patience and optimism, trusting Gov. Otu to implement his vision. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to criticize; rather, people have chosen to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Those who think it’s obligatory to only speak positively about the administration should refrain from provoking others into distracting the Governor with avoidable criticism. The Governor himself views criticism as motivation to work harder for the state. If they’re truly his supporters, they should take a cue from him. We mustn’t all be clapping for the Governor; constructive criticism is good for the system.
Personally, I believe the Governor is doing well and deserves support, but I respect that others may disagree. Instead of disrespecting dissenting voices, I focus on justifying my stance and highlighting the administration’s positives. Genuine supporters should do the same, rather than issuing threats or making provocative statements. Cross River belongs to all of us, and every voice matters, regardless of where the person comes from.
Inyali Peter (Ph.D) is a journalist from Obudu, Cross River North.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Inyali Peter (Ph.D), and do not represent the opinion of TheInvestigator or any other organization the author works for/with.