By Ani Bassey
People’s Democratic Party gubernatorial hopeful and Senator representing Cross River Central in the national assembly, Professor Sandy Ojang Onor says he will surpass the achievement of former governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke.
Professor Onor made this known in Calabar during a media parley with journalists.
“I have worked with the two past governors who made us proud as a people. M.r Donald Duke laid the foundation, Senator Liyel Imoke built on it and also carved a niche for himself in the area of rural development.
“I am determined to follow in their footsteps. Every good father will be proud to have a child who will do better than him. Therefore, I will strive to surpass their achievements”, Professor Bassey said.
On zoning, he said Cross River State has never practiced it and those championing it are ethnic linguists wants to mislead the people.
“Zoning has never, and I repeat, zoning has never been practiced in our state since the advent of the current democratic experience in 1999.
“We cannot afford to sacrifice competence on the altar of zoning, as we prepare to choose a candidate for the governorship or any other election.
“That those who are promoting and spreading the message of zoning are either cowards who do not have what it takes to contest the party’s ticket under a free and fair process, or are ethnic jingoists who are only interested in misleading our people in pursuit of their very personal and selfish interests”, he said.
He insisted that nobody or group of persons should divide our state and its people in the name of zoning.
The people of the state he said share commonalities with deep historical roots and it would be thoroughly unfair for anybody to fan the embers of geo-ethnicity, just to satisfy their selfish ambition.
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He said when elected governor, he will take deliberate steps to restore the tourism glories of our state and will pay specific attention to ecotourism, which of course, is unique to Cross River.
He also disclosed that the local government system will be resurrected and its full autonomy restored.
He said people depend on this tier of government for survival and has been a local government under his watch, the dry bone called local government system in our state will live again.
