LETTER TO OUR GOVERNORS

TONY ITA ETIM



LETTER TO OUR GOVERNORS

Our dear governors, congratulations for clocking one year on the saddle! I decided to write you through this medium because it would not be possible for me to have one on one interaction with you, remember you are a busy person, and even if you would like to see me your “loyal aides” may not make it possible. Sir, this period does not call for celebrations, parties and popping of champagne and other exotic wines. This is a period for sober reflections and honest self analysis. Don’t mind the various congratulatory messages and the supplements on your “achievements” in the past one year. These are just to massage your ego and to attract your attention and patronage. Even your enemies can do these just to show their “loyalty”. In the midst of all these fanfares, please find time to look back on what you have done or have not been able to do in the past one year. Sir, listen to your inner man and in all honesty accept what it tells you. Be sincere enough to tell yourself the truth and accept the truth from your inner man. Only the truth can make you free from bad advisers and praise singers.

This anniversary is also part of our “Democracy Day” celebration; please think deep, are we really practicing democracy? In the past one year have your actions and decisions meet the democratic norms. Democracy, they say, is government of the people, by the people and for the people, which means people of your state are supposed to be the centre- point, focus or concern of your administration and policies. Permit me sir, in the past one year; did the interest and voice of the people supercede that of your political god fathers and party caucuses? The elected councilors and local government chairmen in your state were they really products of the people participation in the electoral process? Did the various party congresses conducted during your administration really a reflection of what your party members desire?

During your electioneering campaigns, you promised our people that dividends of democracy would surely get to them, one year after we are still waiting for the dividends. This celebration is supposed to be like an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of our state where you will declare the performance of your administration and tell us whether we are entitled to dividends. Please, kindly play according to the rule and don’t tamper with the account books, we would like to know how healthy our state is. Like in every company’s AGM, each share holder is suppose to go home with dividends no matter his political leaning, if you have manage the state well in the past one year. Yes community A or B did not vote for you but you are now the governor of our state and not of your party. You took an oath of office to serve the entire state and not members of your political family.

My Executive Governor, there is hunger in the land. We, the people who supposedly elected you into power, are caught in a potentially dangerous food crisis. May we know what you doing for us to have, at least, two meals a day? People no longer desire three square meals. They are praying for just two. Many in your domain have not eaten a good meal in the past one year except in their dreams. What, in tangible terms, are the content of your agricultural programmes and how sincere and committed are you to their implementation? Who are the beneficiaries of your subsidized fertilizers, are they the genuine farmers or the political and portfolio farmers? Does the fertilizer gets to the people at the right time or is it a case of “medicine after death”? Sir, are your people able to feed themselves or do they look forward to the night seasons to have their dream meals? Do you sleep well when you realize that your people are going to bed without food not because they are lazy or they are fasting but that they cannot afford the ever increasing cost of foodstuffs?

The people’s governor, you are supposed to be our servant but we are afraid that less than 10 per cent of the entire population of our state is feeling the impact of your administration. Like we use to say, 10 per cent is too poor, your administration is suppose to do good to the greatest number of the citizens, you may not achieve 100 per cent of your promises or meet the need of all the people but satisfying 70 per cent of the populace is simply distinction.

Sir, what about the social problem of unemployment and crime in our society what have gone to reduce unemployment because the devil finds job for the unemployed. We learnt that the Poverty Alleviation Programme of your government have been hijacked by some members of your party. And that those who benefit from the programme are not the poor or unemployed but party stalwarts and even civil servants, who are already on government payroll. Is it a case of taking from those who have little and adding to people who have much?

To say that our schools are in a state of disrepair is to over flogged the issue, what have you done in the past one year to improve the state of infrastructures in our public primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state? Can, His Excellency sincerely send his child to attend any of his alma mater, taking into consideration the state of things there? Sir, education is the foundation for development, growth and progress in life and there cannot be mass participation of the public in politics without education. The various orientation, sensitization, and mobilization programmes of your administration cannot yield fruits without educated citizens. Education makes it easier to mobilize they people and sell government ideas and policies to them. Democracy cannot be government of the people without the active participation of the masses and they cannot participate when they don’t understand what is going on, we need good schools, quality teachers and adequate facilities to prepare our people for future challenges in a dynamic world that is shrinking daily into a global village.

What is the state of our health centres and hospitals? Prevention is, said to be, better than cure. We need more primary health centres in our state to check infant mortality, and other common diseases which can be handle at this level. Because when there is complication and we are refereed to secondary and tertiary health care facilities, majority of your people cannot afford the cost? We need potable water, motorable access road to enhance communication, mobility and the evacuation of our farms products to the city. Sir, as the rains intensifies many of our communities are cut off from the rest of the world as a result of bad roads, erosion and flood. We are not being greedy, we need electricity.

We learnt some people are already strategizing for your second, term and even third term, in office. Sir, these are distractions, please first seek ye the kingdom of good governance and all the terms you need would be given unto you. Power belong to God and he is the one that lifted one up and brings another down, if your are diligent in this first tenure, the second tenure would be a mere walkover. The voice of the people is said to be the voice of God, if the people are happy with your administration, God will be happy with you. Meet the needs of your people and the rest would be history. There are cases of some of your predecessors who concentrated so much on furthering their political interests at the detriment of their states, today in states where they held sway they are now pariahs, the can’t walk freely. The same people who were dinning and winning with them, arranging all manners of awards and honors for them are the ones who now accused them of wasting their state resources. Their former cheer leaders are now at the forefront of laying various allegations and accusations against these former “Most Dynamic Governor,” “Platinum Governor”, “Best Governor in Sub Sahara Africa,” “Best Performing Governor” among many amorphous awards, titles and recognitions.

Please be wise and learnt from the mistakes of your predecessors: follow their good ways and avoid their evil parts. Strive to do the best you can for the highest number of people in your state. Go back and study your manifestoes and electoral promises and work towards fulfilling them. May the Lord give you strength? Happy Celebration! Once again congratulations!