Liyel Imoke’s gentle style of governance has won him enthusiastic fans and two elections in Cross River State. This is one governor that is not given to spin and sound bites yet his cachet has not dimmed. He has been able to charm his people not with rhetoric of political slogans but with sound and solid achievements. There is a wave of change in the way things are done in Cross River State. It is no longer business as usual. The state has gotten to the stage where the government is providing jobs, building roads, raising the quality of education, improvement s to infrastructure, and so on. The beauty of Cross River now is the predictability of the process. Imoke has been able to prove through his administrative style that small efforts could be more powerful than a few big ones. His achievements are quite penetrative and impactful.
I am not a fan of the People’s Democratic Party but I sure admire Governor Imoke. History will not record his administration as a fluke. Intelligent observers have continued to express great optimism and confidence in the reform programmmes of his administration. He is building a strong and sustainable economy, with prime investments in tourism, education, health care and youth development. As a successful Governor, Imoke believes in discipline, determination, and perseverance. He works very hard at knowledge and personal competence development, as well as creating a culture of personal and institutional integrity. The desire of this gentle man is be an indispensable partner in the journey of everyone whose lives he touches. The growth in the state is built on real structure as well as the personal successes of many Cross Riverians.
In his recent speech to the people of Cross River State, Imoke reminded them of tremendous achievements the state has made since the advent of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. He stated: “Since then, we have seen significant investment not only in infrastructure but also in the people. We are beginning to see the consequent changes in our culture and collective psyche. Changes which we hope will put paid to the divisive and destructive use of ethnicity as a social construct for defining our identity as a people.” He equally disclosed that with increasing investment in not just roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other physical infrastructure but also in youth workforce, what will become more important will be the quality and efficacy of the education and healthcare. “Today in Cross River State, we are witnessing this qualitative investment being matched by qualitative development. Our social and economic empowerment programmes in healthcare, education, environment conservation, agriculture, information, communication technology, tourism and youth entrepreneurship are perfect complement for the significant investment in the urban regeneration and rural development which will herald state-wide development.” This is the essence of governance. It is all about how to affect the lives of the governed positively.
Just in 2012 alone, the government of Imoke built 200housing units in Akpabuyo to provide low cost, affordable housing to the civil servants in the state. There also a phase that will see the construction of 410 units and it is interesting to note that this very project is nearing completion. Imoke also said that his administration has completed plans to build another 220 housing units in Odukpani, 166 in Ogoja and 130 units in Ikom.
Other sectors are not left out as well. The most outstanding is the healthcare sector. His innovation in this sector is not only on the urban areas. He made sure it permeated down to the remotest parts of the state. Interestingly, he has encouraged private sector participation such as the international Specialist hospital under construction and the concessioning of the management of the General Hospitals in Bekwarra and Obudu.
Imoke’s support for grassroots initiatives such as the Growth Enhancement Scheme, Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, Commercial Agriculture Development Project, the Songhai Farm Initiative and Project Awake is quite commendable. According to him, these initiatives would have the cumulative effect of generating mass employment, skills development as well enhancing the overall capacity of the agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of participants. To also prove that his government policies are people focused, the people’s governor pointed at the Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre established in Calabar. This centre is solely for the purpose of developing the capacity of 2,000 Medium and Small Enterprises and unemployed youths from the South-South region. He also disclosed that over 3,000 Cross Riverian businesses and entrepreneurs between the 18-45 years have been assisted by the Micro enterprise Development Agency, working in collaboration with the Investment Promotion Bureau.
This young and amiable man is powering the state to greatness. What he needs is a successor who will be committed enough to continue with his laudable projects. We need more of such quiet achiever on the federal level. Imoke has really made a mark on the lives of an average Cross Riverian. That is what governance is all about: He has inspired his people and opened them to the possibilities of governance.
By Ikechukwu Orji
Orji is a Media Consultant and a Freelance Journalist
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Ikechukwuorji@yahoo.com