By Emmanuel Unah

CALABAR- Professor Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River State is an enigma. He is a man of many feathers: a politician, academic, businessman and an environmentalist. He holds a Ph.D and also LLB in Law. His name did not ring a bell in Cross River State politics until 2007 when from the blues he took a shot at the Senate post for the Northern Senatorial district of the state. He pulled so much stunt in the build up to the primaries for that contest which prompted then Governor, Mr Donald Duke to intervene and save Senator Greg Ngaji, occupant of that post at the time from being displaced.

Gov Ayade

From then he became a force to be reckoned with in the state particularly in Obudu, his local government of origin where he was able hoist office holders like council chairmen, councilors and other political office holders When in 2011 he threw his hat into the ring to contest for the senate slot, it was an easy ride and he won landslide.

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During his four years in the Senate he attracted quite a number of projects to the state including personal projects like award of scholarships, rehabilitation of roads, building of palaces for the kings in his district and empowerment of youths. These alongside with the numerous bills he presented on the floor of the Senate made him the obvious choice for the state number one position in 2015 as Senator Liyel Imoke was rounding off his tenure.

These sterling qualities may have prompted Imoke to overreach other political associates and aides who jostled for the post and made him his successor judging from the opinion of the people and supported him to become governor in 2015

On assumption of office he initiated projects which he called “Signature Projects” meant to fast track the development of the state.

These projects include 250 kilometre Superhighway, Bakassi Deep Sea Port, Rice City, Cocoa Processing Factory Garment Factory and many others for which he has visited countries like Sweden, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, China, India and United States seek for investors and has in the process signed Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with companies and individuals to raise the needed investment and leverage to actualize.

The construction of 250 kilometre super highway linking the new sea port at Bakassi in the southern part of the state to the northern part of the state has since started haven overcome initial obstacles from the Federal Ministry of Environment which insisted on Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, report before it is started.

The Garment Factory has since been completed and is currently employing about one thousand women, particularly widows completed while the Rice Mill, Cocoa Processing factory, Calachica, are soon to be commissioned.

The area the governor has won the loudest ovation is the appointment of thousands of youth into his cabinet and payment of salaries of civil servants in the state. Soon after assumption of office, he ordered for the payment o the backlog of salaries of civil servants which had accumulated for some months during the era of his predecessor. Subsequently, the workers get alert for their salaries between the 15th  and 20th  of each month which culminated in his being award the “Most Labour Friendly Governor” by the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC in the state

‘My choice of signature projects and actions are based on the understanding of Cross River State as a land enormously blessed that has been tottering for so long which we have to make a break from the past and articulate our role in the world through a realisable business model by reducing all those high sounding terminologies to simple basic processes for development,” Ayade often says

He said he sought for elective office to improve lives and has the energy and verve to transform the creative ideas he has accumulated over the years and ensure he adds value to the lives of the people of the state and as well develop infrastructure.

His re-election was a forgone conclusion years before the recent general election. His appointment of over 7,000 aides served as the mainstay of his campaign. Many of them, to retain their jobs, were willing to sacrifice anything to see him back to office.

The key question now is will the next four years be as eventful as the past four in the state? Many are watching.