By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, and his running mate, Mr Alphonsus Ogar Eba, have vowed not to remain silent over what they described as the alleged ineptitude of the administration of Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu.
The duo spoke to journalists in Calabar, the state capital, yesterday, saying they had a moral responsibility to speak out for the sake of the state and its people.
Archibong said remaining silent at this point would amount to a betrayal of the people of Cross River State, who, he said, deserved good and purposeful governance.
The PDP candidate, whose father was a former military administrator of the state, accused Governor Otu of being an “absentee governor” who had become disconnected from the people despite his administration’s claim that their welfare was a priority.
Archibong alleged that Otu hardly spends more than 10 days in the state in a given month, claiming that the governor spends the remaining days either in Abuja or abroad.
“This is because the Governor is hardly in the state. Available, verifiable records show that there is no month the Governor spends more than ten days in the state. Twenty days, at least, on a monthly basis, are spent either in Abuja and/or abroad with nothing whatsoever to show for this absence,” he alleged.
He questioned how the governor could adequately understand the challenges confronting residents when he was allegedly unavailable to interact with them and obtain firsthand knowledge of their concerns.
Archibong further alleged that the governor’s frequent absence had created room for some of his aides to take decisions on his behalf. He also accused Otu of fraternising with cult groups, without providing details to substantiate the allegation.
Eba, who served as chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state before his departure from the party, also accused the Otu administration of what he described as “fake and fraudulent” practices.
Eba alleged that the governor awards contracts to family members and friends without following due process.
The allegations could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report, but special adviser to Governor Otu on public affairs, Gill Nsa has debunked all the allegations.
Nsa said time for politicking has come , and expectedly politicians will speak whatever pleases them.
He said the former state chairman of APC, Alphonsus Eba has no moral justification to accused Otu of fake projects, ineptitude or financial impropriety, urging him to remember how his officials removed him from office.
