 We're glad to know you're still there and watching the run-up. And we're here with our guest today. And our guest is a teacher, a journalist, an author, a broadcaster, dramatist, and even a sportsman. There are so many things rolled into this one body. But today he is here as a politician, gunning for the highest position in across the state. Please join us to welcome Mr. Effion Nguyen. Welcome to the program. Yeah, great pleasure to be here. Okay. It's interesting because in the introduction, I talked about you being a journalist and a broadcaster and all that. So you have been in the media space in Lagos and in Kalabao, across the state generally. And you are literally the person who makes the hot seats for people to sit in. But today you're sitting here today to talk on some issues. How does it even feel? Well, I think it feels great. You see the life working from the newsroom to talking politics and being a politician can be very interesting because in the years, in my years as a journalist, I've had to cover plenty, plenty, plenty governments over three decades of such coverage as a reporter, as an editor, as a producer, as everything. I've had to see a lot of government people from the perspective of a journalist. So it's also good to look at it from the inside. What does it feel to run a state? Or what does it feel taking decisions that being the one to be on the seat to be criticized, sometimes it can be very interesting to see how it balances out. Okay. But then you were the reporter. Now you are the politician. And sometimes we say that when you're at table with the kings, because of table manners, you don't talk anymore. Have you been bitten by this bug that it seems once you enter politics, a lot of things that you wear before you drop them for you to become a good politician? Well, if it were for those kind of table manners, I would not be aspiring at all because having risen from the reporter on the street to sitting on several editorial chairs, I cannot say that I have not seen or have not come across the temptation of wanting to join them and not joining them and standing aside to see how can we correct the system, takes more than courage, takes grace of God to be able to face these issues and say, let's change this because it is not working. And of course, you can see what's happening around the Nigerian country today. What's happening particularly in crossover states today is to ask yourself, is it working for you? If it's working for you, how about other people? How does it feel to be the big man in a community where every other person is poor? How does it feel to imagine that you are the big man when you cannot sleep with your eyes closed? How does it feel to be the big man when all around you is poverty and pain? I mean, it doesn't sit well with me. Okay, you happen to come from Bakasi that was in the news, still is in the news and all that. I don't know how it feels to come from Bakasi after the seeding of the oil wells. What place does Bakasi really have now in the scheme of things in crossover states? Well, I think for Bakasi it's pitiful, painful, and I don't know what other adjective I would use to describe Bakasi before and after the seeding. It's like the pains of the people really started after the seeding because before the seeding people were free to fish, they were free to live, because people are basically fishermen to exploit the richest, one of the richest continental shelves in the world. But right now you don't have access to that continental shelf because you go out there, the gendams are there, and there's so much insecurity, banditry has taken over, cultism has taken over, kidnapping has taken over and all that. More painful about the Bakasi theory is the fact that up till two months ago the government of crossover state has been lying to people, lying to people that there is no money, that the federal government has not paid any money, that all of the talk about the green tree agreement was a hoax, it wasn't true at all. But the chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Committee of the Federation came out to say that they've been paying crossover state government since 2008 the sum of $500 million every month. And the moment he said that the next day, the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr. Christian, came out with a release that it is not $500 million, it is $500 million, which goes to confirm that yes in truth such money has been going to crossover state 12 and it's called Bakasi Stabilization Fund. Now if you take 500 million Naira every month times 12, that gives you 6 billion Naira, multiply that by 14 years, that is from 2008 till date, it gives you 84 billion Naira. And when you go to Bakasi, there's no water to drink. When you go to Bakasi, there's no school. When you go to Bakasi, there's no health center. When you go to Bakasi, the boys are in gangs, they cannot fish, they cannot farm, the boys have become something else, gangsters. And the women now become free women, 5,000 Naira, it's a whole lot of money for a people who gets a location of 500 million Naira a month for stabilization fund and that does not include the local government allocation that goes to Bakasi. So what goes on in Bakasi today is a huge rape of the people, of their intellect, of their heritage, of everything that is positive about humanity. I think it's a human that such things go on in this age and time. This is the 21st century for God's sake. And you see, and I come from there, even if I'm not from, I wasn't from Bakasi, it also does not sit well. And these are the people that have perpetrated all of this are the so-called leaders, are the so-called governments. I mean, the former governor of crossover state, former governor of crossover state cannot say he does not know. The traditional rulers council cannot say they don't know. I mean, it's hotting. Any time you think about it, it's nightmarish to say the least. My colleague is also standing by to ask a lot of questions, but let's just finish with some kind of introduction that we are doing before Bio sets in to ask his own questions. Let's start with your ambition now. When we sent out our flyer saying that you're going to be on this program, some people tweeted at us and told us some things that we needed to find out. For instance, there is one chief Stanley Amber that's tweeted at us saying that you are not even a candidate, you are a placeholder. And he went forward to explain that where you are or you where, I don't know what it is, the state chairman of ADC and you called out for anyone who wanted to be the governor of crossover state under ADC and nobody came and then you took it up, hoping that someone will come up. So you are not even ready to prosecute this race and become the governor of crossover state. So he still calls you a placeholder. Let us know what you are in your heart, in sincerity and who now is the chairman of ADC in crossover state if you have an alternative? The chairman of ADC in crossover state today is Felix Atu. For Mr. Amber and people like him, if he wants to know anything about ADC, he should check out with the national headquarters of ADC or should get in touch with ADC crossover state and get informed. You get in touch with INEC and get informed. Okay. But are you not intimidated a little bit about the fact that ADC may not have as much structures and by structures I mean the people to win this race. You see, when I hear structures, I laugh. I laugh because what does it mean? You want to reach out to the people and tell the people that yes, this thing can be done. You can bring about change, you can bring about transformation, you can bring about better living and you sell yourself to the electorate. Let the electorate decide. If they find you worthy, why not? When you say you have structures, what do they do with structures? Structures for rigging, structures for intimidation, structures for getting money and diverting it, structures for sharing our common wealth at all levels of government in Nigeria. That's what the structures are. You go though, this is a big man, this is the opinion leader in so-so area. You go to that area, you meet chief A, chief B, chief C and they take all the decisions at the detriment of the people. I mean, when I hear the word structure, you don't have the structure, you don't have that structure. What structure do I need to tell perseverance that our lives can be better? What structures do I need to tell perseverance vote for me? What structures do I need to tell Nigeria that have we not suffered enough? What structures do I need to tell people are we not feeling so insecure enough that we decide to say let us stop and change our lives and contribute to making life better for all of us? What structures do I need? Okay, but word on the street, maybe because it depends on where you stand, but word on the street from one section of the crossover people is that Ayadee has done so well. He brought in the young ones. He has set the pace in industrialization of crossover state. He has over 34 industries in crossover right now that are just awaiting certification to start working and so many other things. So he has placed a bar so high that somebody else may not be able to surpass. Are these true, or is this the true situation in crossover state right now? I came in from Karabah just yesterday. In all my campaigns, in all my consultations and movements, I've tried not to stand on the path of directly accusing or directly condemning anyone for what he or she has not done right. But let me say here and now that all of these industries, I would like those that feel that way to tell us which one is working. Building lock-up shops or big warehouses and putting signboards in front of them does not make any industry. When industries are functional, they will not be joblessness. When they are functional, you will not find essays of everything that you think of. I mean, all the next thing, we probably have essay, Karen of Crop in the government house. Essay, Karen of Refuse. I mean, so many essays. What would the essays be doing if these industries were working? The truth is that these industries are not working. If you doubt, go to crossover state and verify. That is one too. That the civil service is in shambles. You have structures. You have floors of office at the secretariat that are empty. The curtains are in shreds. There are no seats. There are no people in the office. Since 2014, people have not been employed in crossover state. If there is any employment, it's through the back door. The only employment that goes on in crossover state is the appointment of essays. Essay for everything in this world. And the reason is simply that because the government does not want to pay gratuity. They do not want to pay salaries. And there is so much money left and you can afford to pay essays. Since 2014 in crossover state, gratuities have not been paid to people that have retired. And so many have retired in eight years. Pensions are not paid on time. You will have at least three months of pension. Then one month will be paid. You can go to crossover state and verify. Mr. Alou, okay. I am sure you are itching to say something now. I leave the floor to you right now. Thanks, Yambu. It's a great pleasure to see my friend Big Asiom running for the governorship of crossover state. One of the most important states in Nigeria. The state with the largest with what is left the largest of what is left of the tropical rainforest in Nigeria. The state with an internationally recognized endangered animal species. The white-throated monkey which is found only in crossover states in the whole world. The state with the cataract which has been touted as having the potential to be a major tourism game changer in Nigeria. And a state that boasts having perhaps the largest pineapple plantation. Efion, these are things that are being said about crossover state. But from what you have been saying apparently it's a completely different picture despite these potentials. What plants do you have particularly to transform the tourism sector which without any doubt many within Nigeria have said crossover state has the potential of turning into a money spinner? Well Bio, nice to see you after so many years. But let me quickly jump on to answer these questions. Now the Obudokatu Ranch for instance is dysfunctional at the moment. The cable car that used to be there not working for you to get to the ranch arrived up the ranch before Donald Duke all of almost if I would say 80% of the innovation that was brought in by Donald Duke to the ranch is not working. You can go to crossover state and verify. The potential is still very strong in crossover state and one of the reasons I'm running is to say that in crossover state we have the highest number of masquerades in this world. The southern crossover state where I come from has more than 120 masquerades each one with the different different dance steps. In crossover state you have the old residency the office of the former administrator of the southern protectorate of Nigeria that resident is still there that it houses the National Museum in Calaba and since the prison cell where Overamwa of Benin was kept after the invasion of the Benin Kingdom is still there for people to see if you go to that place now you cannot even enter the museum because it's a barrier that does not allow people to enter you stand from a distance you cannot enter. During the days of Donald Duke as governor of crossover state any visitor that comes to crossover state is taken to go and see the museum. You will not even have the courage to go in that direction because you have gone 13 policemen all keeping barriers all over the place. That's one. Two, if you see the dances of crossover state are many the music is many, the food species of crossover state is second to none not even the Chinese can compete because in crossover state we can produce this our goosey soup in more than six varieties same for Ogbono same for Okra same for Afang. Kasaba is produced and presented on the table in more than six different ways and varieties and all of these things are all still there still talking about potentials. The new YAM festivals YAM festivals in crossover state range from the moment you get to Akanpa, to Geb, to Abu Brat, to Ikum to Goja to Banliku all of it you have different festivals that are there for people to take now the pictures and photography in crossover state was long, long, long developed in 1926 Fernandez had a studio on Egerton street and today when you talk photography you probably would not even mention or remember crossover state in 2019 I organized the colors of crossover state exhibition and during the course of that research for that work we found out that there is some artifact that is 1500 years old older than the knock culture which is said to be about the oldest in Nigeria. Now the Portuguese came to Calabar in the 14th century this is the 21st century long, long, long there was development and civilization long before the Europeans came to that part of the world in sports the very first UK tourist team of 1949 had four members from crossover state. The very first Nigerian to be a world champion was Hogan Kid Basie in 1957. So if you took crossover state apart from the world conservation foundation that keeps the forest virgin in crossover state which is also another potential that the world wildlife foundation pays money to crossover state government to preserve and none of these things are being exploited and shown to the world. And so when you go there and see all you see is potential potential potential and I say that if I take over the reins of government in crossover state Bakasi will be a Dubai in Africa will be a Dubai in Nigeria when you sit and look at the natural vegetation you look at the terrain you look at the topography you look at the what nature has given to crossover state even the best film village should be in crossover state in 2002 we shot Mutanda I played King Mutanda in that movie and the journey to producing that movie was quite an experience and I thought that by now would have a Hollywood somewhere in crossover state but no our film producers still want to go to Asaba we go to Inugu we go to all places that do not have the topography or the landscape that is comparable to anywhere in crossover state that tells you that the people that are running their affairs of crossover state either deliberately are keeping it down or they do not know and because everything is man no man everything is about a structure or no structure these things remain a potential but we can get away from all that crossover state used to be one of the most secured places in Nigeria I could recall that during the heat of the Niger Delta crisis a lot of oil workers were living in Kalaba I am going to work in Potakot I am going to the to where the oil wells a lot of people were working in Akwaiba and living in Kalaba but today the reverse is the case and you ask what has gone wrong how did we get it wrong that the cable car is not working that the U.N. festival that was primed as one of the best in Africa that has so much of sponsorship the Kalaba carnival is what we are now trying to do another one on Sunday I was in Kalaba to witness the last day the final dry run for the Kalaba festival the masquerades of Kalaba like I said of crossover state like I said is second to none around this world why don't we have a festival of masquerades that will attract Europeans and historians and people from around the world to come and learn and understand how has this how have these people evolved between that time and today so there is so much of potential but it's not working and so you need to just go there and verify okay Efion and there is also the big question following the delisting of crossover states as an oil producing state many issues have been tied around that you mentioned the issue of the 500 million area mostly although that is also Bacassi a stabilization but there is this problem of the oil what is described as crossover suffering the direct impact of oil exploration yeah see like we all know all students of geography the winds blow from the west to the east and Bacassi is in the east so oil exploration and secondly many plans to get exploration because people believe that cross river has oil people believe that cross river has oil it's just that exploration isn't happening there so two questions what will you do to make sure that the population which is affected by oil exploration is compensated and then what efforts will you make to attract oil exploration in cross river again you see you need to know see our politicians from cross river state those in the national assembly what kind of politics they play their level of depth of capacity how they are able to exploit this to the benefit of the people now let me quickly digress a bit during the campaigns of the presidential campaigns the former minister for the Niger Delta said he paid the former governor of cross river said 18.3 million error he settled him for the oil wells that were taken to Kwaibom whether that was political talk or not it's something that one needs to revisit but I must say that did he settle the former governor or did he settle cross river state where does it sit in the accounts why would he pay or settle anyone if cross river state was not entitled to money statutorily but let me also say that there is need the politics where I talked about is that there is need to revisit that case as a whole for it to be a fresh geographical map to be checked by independent sources because there is so much of politics that went on during that time we hear that some monies were paid or some monies exchanged hands some of these things I cannot verify that's why I didn't start by talking about them but there is need with what happened during the political the political campaigns during the primaries for all of these things to be revisited to see whether or not cross river state should be compensated that's on one hand on the other hand talking about the winds blow from west to east and cross river state is on the east side of the winds so when winds blow the oil spills towards cross river state damaging the vegetation damaging the marine culture damaging everything that's on that side and they say you are not supposed to get the benefit of the oil exploration exploration because you are not drilling oil from your from your land as the politics have determined so that's quite interesting I would say because that's why I say the politicians are not playing the correct kind of politics to be able to draw the attention of relevant authorities to see reason why we are most affected by the devastation that is caused by oil spillage and the effects of oil exploration in the Niger delta that's on one hand yes I can tell you that there are speculation strong speculation that oil still exists in that area in the area of in cross river state and it's not been exploited exploration is not taking place there that also makes it very interesting especially when you look at the fact that for how many years for all of the years that I have lived we have kept looking for and thinking money in the lecture to look for oil in the glating areas where oil is easily available that's also part of the politics let me also say part of this politics is the marine the marine the maritime sector of cross river state they tell you that ships cannot enter the Kalaba channel because it is shallow but these are the same channel this is the same channel from where over 60% of slaves were carried out of Nigeria this is the same channel from which all the dams that was shipping people this is the same channel we are going to live up to before and during colonial times and afterwards and each time they want to move in goods in the night and move the goods through the Kalaba ports the channel gets opened and ships berth but when it's supposed to be for regular maritime activities commercial activity then they will tell you that it's not working but let me also this also goes back to the issue of the sector of tourism all of the sand that the kind of dredging that goes on in the Kalaba river people dredge the channel and pour the same sand back into the ocean so when wind blows the channel gets blocked again and you ask why would this channel not be dredged and use the sand used to create a beach that will enhance tourism in cross river state one of the things I will do very differently creating beaches along the Kalaba river using the sand that comes from the channel so the channel will always be deep enough to accommodate ships but in the meantime it will also balance out by creating beaches for people to have proper tourism I mean when people want to have the beach experience in cross river state they go to acquire them they go to even a beach whereas there's every potential to create a beach not just a beach beaches in cross river state if we can reclaim Babich and people now live inside the Atlantic in Lagos why would people not take advantage of a natural presentation that exists in the cross river okay I was concerned because we are talking about exploring and exploiting some of the potential that we have in cross river state and one of them the very strong factor or potential that we have in cross river state is in the area of agriculture for instance you talk about rice planting is produced so much so that another state a neighboring state Ebonia is said to be enjoying the benefits of a rice producing state now so Casava in Obubra and so many other places like you have mentioned already so what are the plans to make sure agriculture in cross river state becomes a money earner in such a way that cross river may not need to depend on maybe the federal government cap in hand every month for a location close to the persons that run our government now at the peak of Nigeria's celebration as the oil palm headquarters of this world cross river state where my mother comes from my mother comes from Iqbalubaba and when you go there till today all of the governments of cross river state from the military to this time to this day have not thought it wise to replant the oil palm you still find the very old very tall trees of oil palm are what you still find there so it is possible that when we come into government we will replant all of the trees we will make sure that we get the kind of yields that in two, three years you begin to have very fruitful yields to return cross river state and Nigeria back to the map as oil palm producers of the world not only will produce the oil palm oil also comes from oil palm and a whole lot of the yields that comes from the canal is also very resourceful in terms of raw material so that's on one hand each of the ones that have been developed by the pineapple and some of the rice that cocoa that's been developed by a whole lot of local farmers are things that we will support agriculture will support farmers will ensure that we do not go there wanting to acquire everything and take it to so that it becomes government property because in this part of the world the only way we think we can develop is to go take people's land and say government is doing this, government is doing that they take away the owners of the property the owners of the land and implant people who are alien to the land who are alien to the culture and that's one of the reasons why things don't go right so we will work with the local producers we will work, give them make sure that people get facilities for credit to low, very low rate interest credit that they can use to develop their farmland and give support now we will recall that in the days when we had the palm produce boards the lot were achieved why did we scrap the palm produce board why can't we bring, if we have made mistakes what is the reason why we cannot work backwards and say yes we made a mistake here there used to be the all palm produce board there used to be the cocoa board there used to be the rubber board Pamel used to be the leading producer of rubber Dunlop was here they used to buy from Pamel how did we get it wrong so if we have made mistakes we go back, definitely is very clear that we made mistakes but we have some let me not say we have people we have people that have founded their way to the seat of government and power and what they do is the moment they made any mistake it becomes a taboo for them to work backwards and say we made a mistake here, let's revisit it okay but you also talked about and bio mentioned it that we have the forest and you said that even the government gets some revenue because of the forest that we have the forest is being threatened by deforestation do you have specific plans what are there to stop that deforestation that goes on in crossover state is also links to the people in power government people government says there is no logging you must not tamper with the forest and people are still doing it all the law enforcement people the law enforcement people the security agencies we have a green sheriff in crossover state you ask them what they do you say they protect the environment but before everybody's eyes people are still going into the forest people are still logging they used to kite them in the night these days they kite them in containers and the only way that can happen is that there is some person that complicit and the government is quite complicit in all of this that's going on I mean if you want to check deforestation what does it take you have commissioners you have asses, you have the security agents who are the people that are empowered to go there and load containers really not ordinary people like me the people in government they know what's going on let me come see you again for some of the questions interesting paradox and this is something which we find across the country but I want to go to education there is in the past I remember very well because I also have some family in Cameroon many many many years ago my phone came to Cameroon came to Cross River for education for university education because Nigeria is English speaking and the English speaking part of Cameroon they maintain their English as their lingua franca they are proud of it and many many of them used to come to Cross River state so that gave an indication that the university system in Cross River can actually be developed taking advantage of the proximity of Cross River to Central Africa to attract those who would wish to communicate in English I haven't seen subsequent governments in Cross River building on that have you thought of this and is there something you would like to do about it considering that these students will pay in foreign exchange it takes us back I think this takes us back to the issue about the people in government what capacities do they have now talking about education let me start by for you to have a proper picture I wish your crew has some pictures that will showcase the state library in Cross River state if you leave the UJSW stadium the next building to it that is put on the Brickfield prison one of the oldest in the world as a historical monument is the Cross River state library you see that library you probably would think you are somewhere in Damascus or somewhere in Afghanistan or some war-torn place around Somalia you would not believe that that is in Cross River state you would not believe that our governor is a professor our deputy governor is a professor and former vice chancellor it is a sad, sad, sad thing for anybody to think about so it is either they don't want to do it or they are just being wicked or they don't know or all they yearned for was power which they now have and so they are having fun and they have been having this fun for seven years plus it is going to be eight years of fun seeking and having in government house in Cross River state so education is not something that they have paid attention to except lip service so we will pay strong attention like I said we will restructure the civil service we will reconcile a lot of things in Cross River state we will restore a lot of things in Cross River state education is one of those things that will restructure that is our state library and if you go back and look at that state library now it is probably worse than what you are looking at now some of these walls are dropping already and somebody that tells you that people from common room or from anywhere come to a state like this to say they want to come and learn now when I was growing up our state library used to be somewhere near the market and I had a library card and used to go there to borrow books and read but look at the picture that we are looking at now that is on the screen now for people to see and tell themselves that this is the state library in Calabar the capital of Cross River state a land that had Hupodal training institution was founded in 1895 and that education has been in Cross River state for a very, very, very long time over 200 years of western education and that is our state library that we are looking at so it is a sad, sad story but let me say let's not dwell on the sadness of it because if it was well I would not be offering myself to serve let me say that we will focus on education we will restore the things that we need to restore the ones we need to restructure will restructure the ones we need to reconcile we will reconcile them to make sure that it is well in what it is in modern education maybe it is something of the Nigerian thing the things that have happened to us in this country as a whole I was reading some material where the king of Saudi Arabia and his family members used to come to Ibadon to come and take treatment because the UCH in Ibadon used to be one of the best in the world but today you now ask yourself when they refer you to the UCH or they refer you to the family members to Luth you begin to shiva because you probably just imagine that maybe from there you will be going to the mortuary you don't want to imagine that you are going there for help it is the same thing that has permeated the entire system in Nigeria but this time is what we seek for men that have the fear of God men that have the interest of the people at heart men that can restore that have capacity to speak truth to power and get things done that can galvanize society that can speak to young people so that young people can join hands because me and some members of my age group and generation we are on our way out and we should stop electing people who have missed childhoods somebody gets into government and remembers that he didn't wear nikkaboga as a young man and decides to wear face caps and turns it the other way and wears a t-shirt and flies his shirt and goes about biking you just see the man that this man is psychologically traumatized and these are the kind of people we put in government or somebody becomes a minister and remembers that he probably would have wanted to join any of the paramilitary service or military service and gets a red beret and begin to dress like a man who wore a Boy Scout when you see people who have missed childhoods the psychology and trauma leads them into office to have fun that they didn't have as children these are the kind of people that we have people that will tell, oh they have structure because they have this big man that big man that wants to railroad them into office and they get railroaded into office and rest of us suffer so I seize this opportunity to speak to not just the electorate in Kosovo but across Nigeria we can really change these things we can really vote for candidates that can bring about this change that can make Nigeria that can make a local community especially across even state that can turn life around how do you think that somebody a community as small as Bakasi gets $500 million every month and you go there there's no borehole there's no water to drink how much does it cost to sink one how does it what do they do with this money and they say they are creating industry they go into office and destroy everything you met and after that you now begin to build warehouses and places and say you are building industries for who? the educational system you're destroying and you say who are those that are going to fill these industries so things are not just working because the persons that we elected into office that will railroad into office don't have capacity they don't have depth they don't have the interest the people they don't have any passion towards uplifting the people they don't understand what humanity is they do not have the fear of God cross river no matter how we look at it you have talked about the potential that cross river has especially in terms of tourism because everything we are talking about is connected to this tourism even the education we are talking about people used to come from other Central African countries to study in cross river state but a key factor that will give you that leverage will give you the tourists that should come into your state is security and now we are hearing that the security situation in cross river state is really not good as good as it used to be at least but anytime the governors come to talk about security they tell us that security is not within their power it is the federal government that has the police the army and everything there is a problem for them to secure the state even though they are the chief security officers we are wondering if you will if you get to that position you are going to give the same excuse or what will you do differently that will bring security to cross river state thank you very much it is just that such answers are very diversionary I am not the chief security officer security is not within my poor view it is in the jurisdiction the federal government but I get security vote what do I do with it when governors collect security vote and put it at the back pocket and spend it as if it is their own allowance that is where you have the problem let me say that cross river state is what I will do about security all of the security agencies in cross river state we will work with them the young people the young boys and girls that will be patrolling the security areas will be paid overnight allowances and pocket money and the young boys of Cameroon because they are our brothers and friends because understand that the people from Osagere who are on the other side of Cameroon the people from Boa who are on the other side of Cameroon a lot of them have relations in us even before the sitting of Bakasi we have people who have their relations and brothers in Cameroon we will work with them we will work with the Cameroon government and the gendarmes will cooperate with them and ensure that marine thievery piracy and all of that will require Boomstate to make sure that the distance between Oroon and Baka and all of those places in Akwae Boomstate and cross river state those places are policed the Nigerian Navy has capacity to be one of the strongest in Africa the Nigerian Navy has all the capacity and the headquarters of the eastern naval command has always been in cross river state NNS and Sardinia has always been in cross river state now why would we not work with the Navy to ensure that our maritime sectors our maritime security is protected there's also the marine police then you also make sure that the boys and girls of Bakasi and all of those areas are educated and are employed now when for instance money is collected to provide jobs and those jobs are not provided schools are not built what would you expect young people to do who are in their prime definitely you have already you as a government you are laying the foundation you are laying the foundation for criminality and most of these criminalities are kidnapping and all happen in those areas and it is simply because there are no jobs simply because there are no there's no development let me say that as governor of cross river state we will create 22 developmental areas development council areas where administration or local government administration will be taken to the limit where there will be expansion development across the state the politics of cross river state is quite pathetic let me say this but before you say that when you are talking about creating development councils the local government system right now doesn't seem to work what are you going to do for the local government system first before you create it is not working because state governors are in charge they are not letting it work yes because whatever funds that come to local government that go to the state government takes it and administers it the way it wants it does not allow it to work and that's why it's not working so we will do things differently and allow larger autonomy for local government so that local government can create jobs and employ people and give contracts to local contractors so that they will get the benefit of what funds that come to the third tier of government so there will be development and money will be available at that tier of government that is one importantly we will let me give this narrative of bad politics that we play in Nigeria local governments is bigger than the whole of Aqaibom state has 31 local government areas cross over state has 18 cross over state is larger than canoe canoe state has 44 local government areas cross over state has 18 pay the look at the mathematics let's say 100 million per month for development to local government cross over state gets 1.8 Aqaibom state with 2 local governments get 33.1 billion cross over state gets 1.8 so the politics have been issue is bad then it's need for the federal government and the national assembly to look at the local government structure of Nigeria and address it the same thing happens here in Lagos Lagos has 20 local government according to the federal government I mean good credit to for creating 37 development council areas and that gave rise to instant development of Lagos which I think is one of the things that I will take back to cross over state to bring about instant development across the area council development area council does not mean local government area it's a development council is a development center where you will create room and create opportunities for people to get jobs and for things to work so there are a lot of these things that can be working let me also quickly talk about the restiveness in Bakasi when we say there are no jobs at the EPZ in Kalaba we have about 37 industries that have the capacity to employ at least 2000 persons that EPZ is not working up to 20% capacity because the power turbines three of them are not working as a government we will join hands with the federal export export free trade zone to ensure that the turbines they work if the turbines are working and the industries in cross over state in Kalaba can employ 2000 people each that will mean 74,000 jobs instantly so the jobs are there the government needs to think the government needs to be ready the government needs to engage people that have capacity that have vision it's about vision it's about capacity it's about readiness to work okay well we've been talking all this while I'm sure you still have questions but the time is really up so we will have time to talk about all the things we've heard here today we can only wish you good luck I know how the politics of cross over state and I know the terrain and it's going to be a heculean task if you happen to enter there from Kalaba to Oban-Likwiz about 7 hours except you have a really good car that will take you there so we know how it is and we just wish you a good luck and whatever else you conceive to do I'm sure that the people will have a hand in it they will have a say in it and you will have a channel to get their complaints and get things done according to how they would want you to do them thank you so much for coming on the show thank you I also want to say that I want everyone to vote for me we can make a change but it's not a do or die matter let me borrow this from good luck in village my ambition is not worth anybody's the drop of anyone's blood is the people needs to decide whether they choose to progress and liberate themselves or they may choose to just be where they are vote for me for there be a change alright thank you very much for coming on the program we'll take a short break now for the news and when we return we'll be talking about other issues stay with us