Governor Ben Ayade has justified his decision to appoint 38,000 political aides.
He said it was his strategy of helping to combat the scourge of poverty in the state.
In an interview with Arise TV, on Friday, the governor explained that the appointment would give him the “emotional and social temperature” he needed to carry out his duties.
“In politics talk is cheap. I have history. I know clearly that poverty is extreme and I decided to bring 38,000 young people into the dining table to allow me the emotional and social temperature to take advantage of my business connection to bring value to Cross River state.
“These people are bringing values. I have several projects ongoing. All of these need people to manage. Besides let’s deal with it; if you look at the principles, section 14 of our constitution: the primary purpose of government is the welfare and security for the people.
“Of what use would it be to build a super highway or a deep sea port when 4.5 million people are dying out of hunger? It’s better to put food on a table than to put food on concrete. These 38,000 people have not only brought value, they’ve reduced poverty.”
Ayade, who just defected from the PDP to the APC, said that the change was inevitable because his state could not afford “extreme opposition.”
He stated that joining the governing party would help him ramp up his demands in the national debate.
According to him: “Cross River state is challenged. We’ve lost oil wells; we’ve lost our territory. We seem to come from a minority section. We can’t also afford extreme opposition and I’ve always believed that moderation is the rule.”
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