Austin Ibok
By Anietie Akpan
Forever Aide to former Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Mr. Austin Ibok has denounced the celebration of his former boss back to the state after more than two years of political obscurity.
He said Ayade’s eight years in office as governor was a colossal failure but because of hunger, he could not resign.
On November 7, some groups in the state and the All Progressive Congress (APC) members converged at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar to give Ayade a heroic welcome but this did not go down well with some people in the state .
Even the recent crisis in the APC where some Chapter Chairmen and others protested and locked up the APC secretariat calling for the resignation of the State Chairman of the party, Barr. Alphonsus Eba may not be unconnected with the prominent role he played in the November 7 rousing reception Ayade
received at the airport.
It was also alleged that Eba was plotting to foist Ayade on the party as its Cross River North Senatorial candidate for 2027 elections hence the agitation by the 18 APC chapter chairmen and secretaries to remove him alleging corruption and others.
All the fanfare and razzmatazz for Ayade did not go down well with some persons and his former Special Adviser, Ibok said, “I see people posting and celebrating my former boss, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of disappointment”.
Ibok who holds high resentment for his former boss said, “I served under that administration for seven years, and from firsthand experience, I can say it was one of the most unproductive and directionless governments Cross River State has ever had. It’s truly unfortunate.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency (HE) Ben Ayade and Dr. Frank as CO-Governor, there were no meaningful programs, no impactful projects, and no sustainable developmental initiatives, we were a total failure.
“Virtually nothing was started, completed, or effectively functioning to improve the lives of the people. The administration was marked by misplaced priorities, abandoned ideas, and a complete lack of tangible results”.
Ibok who is now a top member of the PDP in the state said, “it is a pity that despite the huge potential and resources available, that government will be remembered not for progress, but for its failure to deliver on its promises to the people of Cross River State, except moving to the failed APC”.
Many people have asked Ibok why he didn’t resign from Ayade’s administration earlier as a non-performing government, he replied: “Why I chose to stay for seven years, enduring the meager salary and all that came with it, the truth is simple, though not easy to admit. Hunger, poverty, and lack have a way of breaking a person, stripping away pride, principles, and even self-worth.
“When you are faced with uncertainty about your next meal or how to provide for those who depend on you, your convictions begin to tremble. Desperation can silence your conscience and make you endure what your heart knows is wrong. I have lived through that struggle. I have felt the quiet pain of compromise, the weight of staying when every part of you wants to walk away. But survival can be louder than ideals. And when the opportunity finally came, when I found a different path, I chose to leave, not out of bitterness, but with lessons learned and dignity slowly restored.
“That experience taught me empathy. It’s easy to criticize others from a place of comfort, but until you’ve faced the harshness of lack, you may never truly understand the choices people make just to stay afloat. I don’t excuse my decisions; I take responsibility for them. But I have also learned to judge less, understand more, and never forget what desperation can do to even the strongest of wills”.
