” It’s political,; bait to woe voters- Onor
By Abasi Ita , Calabar
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
governorship candidate in Cross River State, Senator Sandy Onor
governorship candidate in Cross River State, Senator Sandy Onor
, has opined that the on-going civil service recruitment exercise embarked upon by the State government, is designed to woe electoral sympathy for Gov Ben Ayade and his cohorts ahead the 2023 elections while ensuring a bloated wage bill for in-coming adminstration.
Onor, who spoke at a press conference in Calabar, on Friday, queried the Ayade-led government for the multiple last minute appointments barely few months to the end of the administration, stressing that the whole concept is a gimmick to woe voters and expose desperate job seekers to multiple extortions
In his words “this exercise, if it holds, would end up laced intensely in nepotism, favouritism and sectionalism just as it is purely political and would not address the genuine needs of the civil service”
He averred “The exercise is meant to rally troops for the 2023 elections and make the next government look bad by inflicting upon it a wage bill that is unpayable. The timing is wrong and the motive is completely mischievous and wicked, to say the least”
“Come to think of it, this government has not implemented promotions since it came on board in 2015. Primary school teachers have not been promoted; there have been no incremental steps since 2016 and many primary school teachers and magistrates he employed are still being owed backlog of salaries. Pension and gratuity arrears have mounting Ayade took over”
“It is common knowledge that public primary schools in the state do not even have imprest; which is why the teachers use their money, and sometimes find ways of getting money from the pupils, to be able to buy lesson notes and even chalks”
“At best, this is a voodoo exercise meant to curry favour from unsuspecting members of the public. It is one of the antics concocted by the present administration to buy the hearts of the people but unfortunately for them, our people are getting wiser”
He continued “the outgoing government has deceived our people enough. We have, for instance, spoken many times against moves by the governor to embark on last minute programmes and projects.”
The governorship hopeful expressed dismay the current aesthetic condition of Calabar, the State capital, adding “Calabar was hitherto declared the cleanest state capital in Nigeria for many years, adding that as the former commissioner for environment, he received several delegations from state governments, far and near; all of whom came to find out from us as a state, ways and means of keeping Calabar clean.
“Today, the reverse is the case. Our state is now known for mountains of refuse. We can truly, hardly breathe. The shame is becoming unbearable. Let the government please do everything to rid our state capital at least, of these heaps of dirt and disgrace.”