2019: It’ll be uncharitable ingratitude for Cross River not to vote Buhari – Ndoma Egba
Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, Board Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged his kinsmen in Cross River State to vote President Mohammadu in the 2019 general election, and that anything to the contrary would amount to an “uncharitable ingratitude”.
The three term senator said president Buhari has shown extraordinary faith and love of the people of the state, granting them seven appointments in his administration despite a paltry 28,000 cumulative votes he received from the state in 2015.
He bared his thoughts during a chat with journalists, weekend in Abuja, declaring that the return of President Mohammadu Buhari holds more prospect for a Southeaster to occupy Aso Rock villa in 2023.
According to him, the Igbos must vote president Buhari if they are to realize their hope of ruling the country in 2023
Senator Ndoma Egba who is flying the Central Senatorial banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s general election also observed that the state has benefited significantly from roads and educational infrastructural via a better funded NDDC under the APC government.
By comparison he said what the State got in the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) administration was a Kanu Agabi ministerial appointment and Liyel Imoke who was a named presidential adviser before becoming governor of the state
While admitting that the entire South South used to be a PDP enclave because of the sentiment attached to the President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, he pointed out that such regional sentiment would no longer be there when the electorates file out to cast their votes on February 16. He argued the Cross River has justifiable reason to vote APC in the forthcoming election.
” In 2015, President Buhari got a paltry 28,000 votes and inspite of the low level of support, see what he has done for Cross River. Cross River remains the only state that he has visited twice. The state is well represented in government. We have the Chief Justice of Nigeria even though he is not a politician. You can’t run away from the fact that he became Chief Justice under President Buhari, but anything could have happened. The Head of Service of the Federation is from Cross River state, the Auditor General of the Federation is from that state, the Minister of the Niger Delta, the Chairman, NDDC, the Special Adviser on Prosecution are all from that state in addition to Chairmen of boards, all for a paltry 28,000.
“It will be the height of ingratitude for any Cross Riverian not to vote for President Buhari and it will be uncharitable ingratitude.
” Any tarred road that was constructed in the last two years in Cross River, 90 percent of the chances is that it was tarred by the NDDC or the Ministry of the Niger Delta. Any renovation of any school in the last two years, the chances are that it was done by either the NDDC or the Ministry of the Niger Delta.
“So, we have benefited a lot from this government. We also have our argument. What was the experience under the PDP government. It was one loss or the other for us as a state. It was under the PDP that we lost Bakassi and also lost 76 oil wells. It was under the PDP that we lost the hosting right of the National Sport Festival. Cross River at a time was paradise game under Donald Duke when we had the Cattle Ranch and the Mountain Range. But it was still under the PDP that the paradise was lost.
For the south east, he said that APC and President Buhari seem a viable route to navigate for the zone to produce president in 2023.
Although he said the ticket may not be automatic for the zone, he however advised the zone to put its house in order to be able t negotiate for power.
They ( southeast)are hoping to produce a President in 2023 and that opportunity can only come through a President Buhari because by the application of the law, come 2023, Buhari will become ineligible to contest because he must end his tenure and that is when the south east can have their turn. Any other person that comes, forget whatever promises they make. The moment they seat on that chair, they must take their constitutional two full terms. So, any other person will delay the chances for the south east. That is why I think the south east will go with President Buhari.”
