Barrister Legor Idagbo, a former commissioner in Cross River State is one of the commissioners who left the Governor Liyel Imoke cabinet to seek the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the forthcoming election. He spoke in an interview on his prospects and recent developments in the state. Excerpts:
Why do you think you are best suited for the office of the governor of Cross River State?
I would say that the state has been blessed with some level of leadership, particularly under the leadership of his Excellency, Governor Liyel Imoke. He has been able to build consensus, strong leadership institution, he established a regime of transparency in the state and today, the state has one of the best procurement agencies in Nigeria, if not in the world. Due process and price intelligence of the state is the best in the country. Even some other states have come to understudy what we have been doing here in terms of due process. Cross River State has moved away from being a civil service state to a preferred tourist destination and an investment haven in Nigeria. I want to give credit to the former governor, His Excellency, Donald Duke. He did his own bit in trying to take the state from civil service status to a tourist destination but he left so many things undone. However, His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke has painstakingly crossed the ‘t’s and dotted the ‘i’s. Even though the state was left in huge debt, Senator Imoke was able to wade through the challenges to move the state forward, despite the challenges of the loss of oil wells, the loss of Bakassi, and so many other challenges that we faced. The governor has been able to lead Cross River State to greater heights. So, the question that should be asked is that, moving forward, what needs to be done?
What do you make of some of the recent verbal attacks on Governor Imoke?
The attacks were uncalled for. It was strange! If you listened to what the former governor, Donald Duke said, you would be disappointed. I must confess that I have always admired Donald Duke, but, I was completely disappointed with what he said of his successor, Governor Liyel Imoke. I did not believe that a former governor would condescend to that base level of making disparaging comments about his friend who is also his friend successor. It must be said that Donald Duke has an unfettered access to this administration. If he has any issues with the government, he should have raised them all this while. He does not need to wait to gather crowds, mount the rostrum and wash down the government. As a matter of fact, what exactly did he say that made sense that fateful day? Did he attack the programmes of this government? Did he find fault in the prudent running of the state? What he kept emphasizing was “two monkeys”, Lilleker and Sematech. But it is ironic because it is the administration of Donald Duke that brought Lilleker to Cross River State. That was in 2003. The records are there for anyone to verify. The first job Lilleker did under Duke’s administration ran into billions of naira. The privatization of the Water Board was done by Mr. Donald Duke with Lilleker as the preferred firm. All the streets lights in the state were handled by Lilleker, under Donald Duke. So, Lilleker is a product of Mr. Donald Duke.
Administratively and leadership-wise, how would you describe Governor Liyel Imoke?
Senator Liyel Imoke is somebody I have had the privilege to serve under. He is a fantastic man. In fact, he is fantastic to a fault because he wines and dines even with his enemies, even when he is aware that they are planning to undo him. There are cases where somebody would tell the governor that this man does not like you, that he is planning to destroy you, yet the man would be elevated by the governor. One would wonder the style he uses. It has worked thus far but it has created the present political tension being witnessed in the state. Mention all the people fighting the governor, who among them does not have direct access to him? Senator Ita Giwa for one, has an unfettered access to the governor.
His Excellency, the former governor Mr. Donald Duke has enjoyed immense protection from this administration. I have sat in Exco chamber where the governor said that anybody who raised his voice against Donald Duke did so against him, the governor. And he has made sure that nobody said anything negatively against Donald Duke. There are so many former governors that have been chased by EFCC, ICPC, for acts they did while in government but Donald Duke is perceived by the outside world as a saint. The reason he is enjoying this sainthood is because of the protection he has enjoyed from a man who chose to rather look ahead and not at the past.
Some say you are too young and inexperienced to take the state to the next level?
It is funny that some people are saying that Legor Idagbo is too young to become the governor of the state. Let me take you down memory lane, Clement Ebri became the governor or Cross River State at the age of 39. Donald Duke became the governor of the state at the age of 38. His Excellency Senator Liyel Imoke became the governor of the state at the age of 46. He was a senator at the age of 30. Today, I am 43. In fact, going by this age statistics, I should be the best qualified in terms of the age of my ideas to aspire to the office of the governor because I fall within the age brackets that had produced governors for the state in the past, since the time of Clement Ebri. So, when someone campaigns that Legor Idagbo is too young to be a governor, it smacks of mischief. They are trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. What they are actually scared of is that if I become the governor, those who are older could be retired from politics.
Change is a natural thing. It is only a bad father that would want to remain in charge for ever, without grooming his son to take over. I have not been anointed by anybody to be governor of the state. Even the incumbent has not confided in me that he wants me to be his successor. He may have his preferred candidates but I fancy my chances in the race because I know that I have what it takes to take this state to greater heights. And my aspiration enjoys the support of Cross Riverians across generations.
Why do you think you are best suited for the office of the governor of Cross River State?
I would say that the state has been blessed with some level of leadership, particularly under the leadership of his Excellency, Governor Liyel Imoke. He has been able to build consensus, strong leadership institution, he established a regime of transparency in the state and today, the state has one of the best procurement agencies in Nigeria, if not in the world. Due process and price intelligence of the state is the best in the country. Even some other states have come to understudy what we have been doing here in terms of due process. Cross River State has moved away from being a civil service state to a preferred tourist destination and an investment haven in Nigeria. I want to give credit to the former governor, His Excellency, Donald Duke. He did his own bit in trying to take the state from civil service status to a tourist destination but he left so many things undone. However, His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke has painstakingly crossed the ‘t’s and dotted the ‘i’s. Even though the state was left in huge debt, Senator Imoke was able to wade through the challenges to move the state forward, despite the challenges of the loss of oil wells, the loss of Bakassi, and so many other challenges that we faced. The governor has been able to lead Cross River State to greater heights. So, the question that should be asked is that, moving forward, what needs to be done?
What do you make of some of the recent verbal attacks on Governor Imoke?
The attacks were uncalled for. It was strange! If you listened to what the former governor, Donald Duke said, you would be disappointed. I must confess that I have always admired Donald Duke, but, I was completely disappointed with what he said of his successor, Governor Liyel Imoke. I did not believe that a former governor would condescend to that base level of making disparaging comments about his friend who is also his friend successor. It must be said that Donald Duke has an unfettered access to this administration. If he has any issues with the government, he should have raised them all this while. He does not need to wait to gather crowds, mount the rostrum and wash down the government. As a matter of fact, what exactly did he say that made sense that fateful day? Did he attack the programmes of this government? Did he find fault in the prudent running of the state? What he kept emphasizing was “two monkeys”, Lilleker and Sematech. But it is ironic because it is the administration of Donald Duke that brought Lilleker to Cross River State. That was in 2003. The records are there for anyone to verify. The first job Lilleker did under Duke’s administration ran into billions of naira. The privatization of the Water Board was done by Mr. Donald Duke with Lilleker as the preferred firm. All the streets lights in the state were handled by Lilleker, under Donald Duke. So, Lilleker is a product of Mr. Donald Duke.
Administratively and leadership-wise, how would you describe Governor Liyel Imoke?
Senator Liyel Imoke is somebody I have had the privilege to serve under. He is a fantastic man. In fact, he is fantastic to a fault because he wines and dines even with his enemies, even when he is aware that they are planning to undo him. There are cases where somebody would tell the governor that this man does not like you, that he is planning to destroy you, yet the man would be elevated by the governor. One would wonder the style he uses. It has worked thus far but it has created the present political tension being witnessed in the state. Mention all the people fighting the governor, who among them does not have direct access to him? Senator Ita Giwa for one, has an unfettered access to the governor.
His Excellency, the former governor Mr. Donald Duke has enjoyed immense protection from this administration. I have sat in Exco chamber where the governor said that anybody who raised his voice against Donald Duke did so against him, the governor. And he has made sure that nobody said anything negatively against Donald Duke. There are so many former governors that have been chased by EFCC, ICPC, for acts they did while in government but Donald Duke is perceived by the outside world as a saint. The reason he is enjoying this sainthood is because of the protection he has enjoyed from a man who chose to rather look ahead and not at the past.
Some say you are too young and inexperienced to take the state to the next level?
It is funny that some people are saying that Legor Idagbo is too young to become the governor of the state. Let me take you down memory lane, Clement Ebri became the governor or Cross River State at the age of 39. Donald Duke became the governor of the state at the age of 38. His Excellency Senator Liyel Imoke became the governor of the state at the age of 46. He was a senator at the age of 30. Today, I am 43. In fact, going by this age statistics, I should be the best qualified in terms of the age of my ideas to aspire to the office of the governor because I fall within the age brackets that had produced governors for the state in the past, since the time of Clement Ebri. So, when someone campaigns that Legor Idagbo is too young to be a governor, it smacks of mischief. They are trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. What they are actually scared of is that if I become the governor, those who are older could be retired from politics.
Change is a natural thing. It is only a bad father that would want to remain in charge for ever, without grooming his son to take over. I have not been anointed by anybody to be governor of the state. Even the incumbent has not confided in me that he wants me to be his successor. He may have his preferred candidates but I fancy my chances in the race because I know that I have what it takes to take this state to greater heights. And my aspiration enjoys the support of Cross Riverians across generations.
Source-Vanguard
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