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| Sen. Liyel |
As a tribute cast in the mould of a critical analysis and a pat on the back of a former governor who never made a noise over his staggering achievements, despite dwindling resources having been robbed of 76 oil wells by a politically jaded Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), this piece is bound to be unconventional as
anyone casually or intimately close to Senator (Barrister) Liyel Imoke would understand that you cannot pay a tribute that merely eulogizes and vaingloriously celebrates him - as such an effort will both undermine his intellectual fervour, eclecticism and socio-political dynamics.
It is thus with this consciousness that this piece seeks to balance personal narrativity with critical discourse as it contextualizes the man and mien of Imoke in his distinctiveness and uniqueness in the econo- political and social landscape of Cross River State and Nigeria at large.
His Excellency, Governor Imoke has been variously described as a grassroots person who has carved a niche for himself in the political annals of Cross River State and Nigeria. His unprecedented landmarks and outlook was tremendously affected by the decision of his father, the late Chief Dr. S. E Imoke, who was minister on several occasions in the post-colonial government of the defunct Eastern Nigeria , to go back to his village of Itigidi, a coastal and agrarian community in the present Cross River State to nurture and breed this political iroko of our time.
In the slimy terrain of politics, it is possible that anyone can paradoxically play oppositional roles, and the social media can be used to carry out a programme to discredit a power player of distinction and excellence such as Imoke. His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke cannot and can never be denigrated? Whether the stones are being thrown from people who want to take advantage of the growing popularity of Chief Jude Ngaji to sow a seed of discord or from political detractors, it is futile because the individual they seek to bring down is up and standing like the Rock of Gibraltar.
Who is afraid of former Governor Liyel Imoke's political ‘war chest, vast network, administrative sagacity and very effective political structures?’ These are valuable outstanding points that the political iroko of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke has used to achieve results that are being widely applauded today.
Ironically, #TeamJudeOgbecheNgaji have noticed of recent that certain sponsored elements on the social media have unleashed a renewed smear campaign targeted at Liyel Imoke, following his phenomenal role in the political re-engineering project that produced the present political office holders in Cross River State with particular reference to Cross River North Senatorial District. This is a blotch on the campaigners themselves. The timing of the obviously orchestrated hate business suggests that an extreme form of denialism consumes the operators. It is an essentially irrational response to realities that can’t be denied, which are that former Governor Imoke navigated power to Cross River North and can’t be discredited by demonization for significantly steering the process. This approach is unproductive, baseless and useless in the eyes of a discerning public. It is an old trick, and its promoters are obviously ignorant of the wisdom that the best trick is to avoid obsolete tricks.
The re-launched campaign of calumny against Imoke may be more properly situated in the context of oppositional vacuity, whether encouraged by insiders or outsiders against the towering political image of Chief Jude Ogbeche Ngaji. Such is devoid of creativity but merely reeks of spite and malice, which could be the hallmark of the hooded promoters of the failed media plot.
The negative labels pinned on the former governor are unpersuasive and betray the frustration of the unscrupulous powerless. It is revealing that the purpose of the labour is to demystify Imoke by those hidden technocrat turned politicians within the PDP fold and outside it that he has turned to somebody in life. It is no news that Imoke was a driving force in the events that culminated in the emergence of the first ever elected governor from Cross River North. And no envious spirits can erase this. It is a testimony to Imoke's centrality that he has lately earned the tag “game changer" in Cross River State. It needs to be understood that to be a game changer, it takes a game player who is a game planner to change the game.
From the hills of Obanliku to the rainforest of Bakassi progressively to the plain lands of Yala and back to the cosmopolitan Calabar Municipal Area Council, the former Governor Imoke led administration ensured that not even a community is left out in his rural development drive. Under him, it was a case of, if they don't have electricity, they should have an accessible Road, if they don't have a good health facility, they should atleast have a source of good portable drinking water if they can't have all this in a community, a former Commissioner said.
Love him or hate him, take it or accept it, Senator Liyel Imoke sure has a place in the history of our dear state as one Governor who came, saw and conquered with a towering image.
We hereby state and reaffirm our steadfast commendation to His Excellency, Governor Liyel Imoke and his tremendous achievements whilst rejecting any unwarranted social media onslaught to denigrate his hard earned image and reputation, as he remains the political iroko and mahogany of Cross River State.
Signed:
Team Jude Ogbeche Ngaji Media Office.
#TowardsABetterCRNorth2019
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