For Governor Benedict Ayade of Cross River State, next year will bring with it a scorching scorecard. Though it remains doubtful how he will do across all areas, one thing that is clear beyond all doubt is that his defection to the APC from the PDP on whose platform he became Governor in 2015 will continue to stand as a witness to those who would describe him as flippant.
He will also be remembered for the excruciating difficulties under which the judiciary in Cross River State has functioned during his time as Governor. He will also be remembered as the Governor who attempted to sacrilegiously preempt the `leadership of the judiciary’ in Cross River State to prevent someone he did not favour from becoming Chief Judge. He will be remembered for many things.
A perfunctory philanthropy
Nigerians have often been left aghast when their elected public officers attend public functions and go on to play Father Christmas with public funds.
As these ‘donations’ have rolled in over the years, a common question among many Nigerians is where this money often comes from.
Is it from the private funds of the donor or from public funds? If the donation is from public funds, is it in the name of the individual donor or in the name of the public? If it is in the name of the public, are there no more pressing problems than what is usually no more than a jamboree?
Given Nigeria`s history of lack of accountability in public office and the poor fiscal discipline of many public officers, the answer to these questions are fairly straight forward. Nigeria`s cultures of corruption and sychophancy also ensure that at public functions, the environment is always conducive for those who would splash out stolen public funds to curry publicity and popularity.
Thus, on August 7, Cross River State Governor Benedict Ayade was at a catholic church in Calabar. The occasion was the thanksgiving mass of Emmanuel Akomaye Agim who was made a justice of the Supreme Court last year.
With the 2023 general elections at hand, politicians have become strategic about their attendance and performance at public functions. And many organizations, including churches and mosques have come to accept as well as tolerate the fact that such a season is here. But Governor Ayade was in for a rude shock when he got up to make his own donation.
After lavishly praising the Catholic Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Calabar who was in attendance, Governor Ayade went on to announce a donation of 25 million naira. Given the current austerity in Nigeria, many would have licked their fingers at such a donation. But not John Ayaya Ebebe, who after graciously thanking the Governor for the largesse advised him to use it to make up the salaries of civil servants in the state. If the Governor was stunned, he did not immediately show it as he vigorously defended his administration`s record in paying salaries.
But whatever the case was, the message had been passed by the Bishop, and not a few lessons learnt by the Governor.
It has become commonplace in Nigeria that many public officers who do not as much as lift a finger while in office know to besiege churches where under the cover of religion, and flaunting stolen public funds, they seek to pull the wool over the eyes of the people who know that they have simply not done enough but are often too cowed by the occasion of being in church to say much
It is in this wise that religion has become complicit in the rot eating up Nigeria. Also complicit are many men of God who would look the other way as long as the numbers add up for ‘God`s money’ under their care.
Nigeria is where it is today as a result of many factors. If proper accounts are to be rendered and responsibility taken, there will be no escaping the fact that too many people have been complicit in the cancer eating up the country in many ways. Going forward, these people have to shape up and fully commit to the task of building Nigeria.
Kene Obiezu
Twitter: @kenobiezu
