THE DELUSIONS OF A DISCARDED MERCENARY: A FITTING RESPONSE TO ALPHONSUS OGAR EBA’S WHINERS

The attention of well-meaning Cross Riverians has been drawn to a long, winding, and emotion-laden diatribe authored by one Ogban Sampson on behalf of Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba. In a desperate attempt to rewrite history, the writer employs grandiloquent prose to paint a picture of betrayal, but fails woefully to address the core issues of character, greed, and the rapid developmental strides currently reshaping Cross River State under His Excellency, Senator (Prince) Bassey Edet Otu.

To describe Barr. Eba as a “ladder” or the “engine” of Governor Otu’s victory is not just an insult to the collective will of Cross Riverians; it is a clinical manifestation of political megalomania. No single individual can play God over the destiny of a state.

How can Cross Riverians trust a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth? Barr. Eba’s political career is a tragic comedy of shifting loyalty, dictated entirely by where his bread is buttered at any given moment.

The Wike Somerault: We have not forgotten how Eba aggressively abused and vilified the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, calling him all sorts of unprintable names. Yet today, in a shameless display of survivalist sycophancy, Eba is seen kneeling, bowing, and groveling before the very same Wike he once condemned.

The Otu Flip-Flop: Just yesterday, Eba was on his knees offering dramatic public prayers for Governor Bassey Otu, singing his praises to high heaven as the savior of Cross River State. Today, simply because the key to the state treasury has been secured from his grasp, Eba turns around to call the same Governor a “wicked man.”

A man who kneels before his enemies of yesterday and curses his benefactors of today has no moral authority to speak for the masses. His loyalty is not to any ideology; it is to his stomach.

Before Barr. Eba and his writers attempt to masquerade as the “voice of the voiceless,” they must first answer to the people of Yala Local Government Area.

The Betrayal of Yala Sons and Daughters: It is an open secret how the homes of poor Yala families were demolished under Eba’s supervision. Millions of Naira intended as compensation for these grieving families were reportedly diverted, leaving them homeless and heartbroken. The cries of these betrayed families cannot be washed away by a hastily written press release.

The Deliverance of Yala Infrastructure: While Eba used his influence to grab land and enrich himself, it took the intervention of Governor Bassey Otu to actually fix the roads in Yala (including taking on the long-abandoned 42km Ukelle-Benue border road), open up new rural corridors, revive abandoned local industries, and create genuine jobs for the youth.

To ask “where is the development?” is to display absolute political blindness. Governor Bassey Otu’s administration is systematically rebuilding the broken backbone of our state’s transport network.

The Calabar–Odukpani–Akamkpa–Biase Corridor: For years, this vital federal gateway was left to decay into a nightmare of death-trap gullies and crater-sized potholes. Commuters spent grueling hours stranded in transit, paralyzing trade between Calabar and the northern flanks. Governor Otu did not give excuses; he immediately stepped in with critical, massive-scale remedial interventions and sustainable engineering designs. Today, this corridor is fixed, saving commuters several hours of transit time and restoring seamless movement to the state capital.

Massive Road Network Expansion: From the urban renewal of Calabar’s township roads to the opening up of rural agricultural belts in the central and northern districts, Otu’s “People First” agenda is visible in asphalt and concrete.

The claim that Governor Otu “kicked the ladder away” is a classic narrative of a politician who is angry that the state treasury is no longer being treated as a private ATM. Under Governor Otu, the state’s resources are being managed by a seasoned banker who understands fiscal discipline.

Astronomical IGR Growth: By plugging revenue leakages, ending aggressive double taxation, and deploying automation, Cross River’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) surged from a meager ₦20–22 billion in 2022 to nearly ₦60 billion.

Zero Reckless Debt & Improved Purchasing Power: While the previous era was marked by massive debt accumulation and non-functional paper factories, Governor Otu has achieved this progress without sinking the state into fresh, suffocating debt. By ensuring stable, timely payment of salaries and pensions, he has directly injected liquidity into the local economy, boosting the purchasing power of everyday Cross Riverians.

For eight years, Eba and his cronies rode on the corridors of power. Can Eba honestly explain to Cross Riverians how he amassed the resources to build multi-billion Naira mansions in Calabar and Abuja while our educational and civil structures crumbled?

Governor Otu has redirected that wealth directly back to the children and workers of Cross River State:

SSCE/WAEC Fees Payment: The Otu administration has consistently paid the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for indigenous public school students. This includes approving ₦440 million for 16,301 candidates and continuing the intervention with a recent ₦339.9 million release for 12,589 students, drastically lifting a massive financial burden off struggling families.

Mass Employment & Recruitment: Rather than keeping positions vacant, the Governor approved structured recruitment into the State Unified Local Government Service, alongside critical hiring of teachers and health workers.

Pensions & Gratuities: Regularizing and diligently clearing backlogs of pensions and gratuities that had been cruelly neglected for years.

The opposition’s analogy of a drifting ship is laughable. The reality is that the APC ship in Cross River State has never been lighter, more stable, or more focused.

By shedding the excess baggage of self-centered, “monomaniac” politicians who believe the state owes them a living, Governor Otu has steered the ship of state into calmer, more productive waters.

No amount of twisted scriptures, emotional blackmail, or long-winded press releases will distract the current administration from its mandate. The people of Cross River State know who built mansions for themselves, and they know who is building roads, schools, and opportunities for everyone.

The day of reckoning indeed approaches, and on that day, the masses will choose progress over pretentious, double-tongued evangelism.

By Ifop Abang