By Ebriku John Friday
…Urges Cross Riverians to socket to the centre with the Governor
In view of the laudable industrialisation drive in Cross River State despite meagre resources, a notable business tycoon cum politician, Hon Barr Chris Agara has scored the Governor, Sir Ben Ayade high, saying he has done “very excellently well”.
This is just as he urged the good people of Cross River State to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) enmass and socket to the center with Governor Ayade by flowing with the tide of the wind that is prevalent in state today for greater benefits.
Barr Agara, who is also a close associate of the governor stated this during an interaction with journalists at the residence of his friend, High Chief Higgins Peters, who hosted him and other leaders after the Yala APC Unity Rally in Okpoma, headquarters of Yala Local Government Area.
According to him, the Governor, His Excellency, Sen Prof Ben Ayade, has done to me, very very excellently well considering the meagre resources the state has at it’s disposable.
He said, “Sometimes you have to measure someone’s successes based on what he has available for him to perform. And considering the fact that the state has the second lowest allocation from the federation account. You can see the numbers of appointees and industries he has set up as against what is happening in other states or what has happened in the state in the past. So we have to give him an excellent result for doing an excellent job.”
Speaking to the people of Cross River on the ongoing broom revolution and tide of defections across the state, he said, “Flow with the winds. God knows has a reason for making the wind flow in the direction the it is flowing now. Flow with the wind. There’s everything good about the wind.
“The flowers are blossoming, the sweet smell of the flowers from the wind is so obvious. So flow with the wind, go with the governor, go with the state, socket with the center and let great things start happening in the state.”
On the just concluded Yala APC mega unity rally, he said, “Well we came here for the Yala Local Government defection rally and Yala is part of me and I am part of Yala. I have a number of acquaintances, friends, brothers and sisters. I see myself as part of Yala that is why I am here to witness and be part of the defection from the PDP to the APC. The unity rally is a good development and from what I have seen today, there is no any other party aside APC in Yala.”
Speaking further on his recent defection to the ruling APC, he stated that, “First and foremost I needed to give solidarity toy friend the Governor, His Excellency, Sen Prof Sir Ben Ayade. And secondly I also believed in the reasons and the principles behind it. Majorly from moving the state from an opposition state to the ruling party that has connection to the center. And of course that has so much advantages to the state and the good people of Cross River. So primarily that is my reason for joining the APC family.”
On what Cross Riverians should expect in 2023 with the gale of defections, party stalwart said, “The difference is like when you work at the center and the branches of any organisation. There are so much difference. So in 2023 for instance, we expect APC to do well in the state and of course everybody can see from the level of defections and from the enthusiasm being expressed by the people with support for what the governor has done.
“Yala today is one of those Local Government with very massive voting strength and very massive support as well. So I feel very good about it and I think quite a number of good things will follow.”
Responding to what the people of central should expect from him in 2023, he stated that the time was not ripe for overfeeding the system now but to let the system function and for governance to be allowed to keep going normally.
He said, “I believe 2023 is still a long time to go and I don’t want to be caught in that web of speculating what you cannot even determine yourself. You can only propose, but God will dispose, so I have learnt a lot that you don’t start to overfeed the system by placing your interest of your first. I think we should allow the system to function well. Let governance keep going on normally.
“So for me Chris Agara, I think it is too early to start wanting to let people know what I want to do. I think God would have to lead my feelings and spirit as we progress.”
Barr Agara is a seasoned administrator, a business man and CEO of many outstanding companies in Nigeria and abroad such as; the Garagam Nigeria Limited, TITAN Projects (an Oil serving company), AA Universal (Agric base company) etc.
He is a philanthropist, politician, peace ambassador, president of various multipurpose cooperatives, a contractor, a Teacher and most importantly, a Christian. And through his Chris Agara Foundation he has been touching lives of the less privileged and orphanages, as well as empowering women and youths in the state.
