By Ekanem Wylie/Magnus Effiong
The passage of the 2024 Service Commission Amendment Bill by the Cross River House of Assembly may have succinctly pitched the Honourable Members against the Executive arm, that is, if feelers reaching Pillar Today is anything to by.
The Bill, according to a source in the Governor’s Office who preferred anonymity, is not only offensive as it seeks to strip the Governor of his constitutional powers but was allegedly passed in bad faith.
He described the Bill as “Ill motivated move to oust the Governor’s power to approve who emerges as Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, as the Bill now confers such powers on the Speaker, unlike before.
“With the passage of the Bill, it has become manifestly clear that there is a crack in the relationship between the legislative arm and the executive in the State despite the cordial relationship claims in the public.”
Pillar Today learnt that few weeks ago, the Governor, Sen Prince Bassey Edet Otu, had approved the appointment of Mr Patrick Eddy as the substantive Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, a moved said to have angered some principal officers of the Assembly who allegedly have preference for the person already acting on the same position.
Unconfirmed reports alleged that some members had felt slighted by the Governor’s action and from there, behind the scene moves had commenced with most of the lawmakers unknowingly drafted into the plot.
The planners reportedly succeeded in luring other members to their side by convincing them that their overwhelming support for the Bill would attract the Governor’s attention to their plight which, our source said, has to do mainly with the issue of official vehicles and allowances.
Unconfirmed reports say the lawmakers are claiming that what was provided to them was not official vehicles but utility vehicles meant only for their oversight function, and that to the Honourables, the utility vehicles make them look inferior comparable to what is obtained in other States.
Another bone of contention, it was gathered, was the issue of political appointment. A reliable source in the Assembly alleged that the Executive did not consider the interest of the House members as far as the recent political appointment was concerned.
“The truth is that the guys are not happy. The recent political appointment has further widened the gap as Members are alleging that the Executive did not consider their own interest as their loyalists’ names were dropped.
“The Bill issue you raised is in fact a sensitive matter and may not have been brought up to generate bad blood. While I believe the Lawmakers were just doing their duties, one should also note that they could have resolved to use such Bills and any available tool at their disposal to attract the Governor’s attention,” he told Our Reporter.
However, an immediate past member of the House, who preferred anonymity, found fault with the approach of the Honourable members, saying the Governor has done what is statutory in terms of providing utility vehicles to them.
“Utility vehicles are official vehicles. If they say utility vehicles are for oversight functions, they are correct because that is exactly why the vehicles were given to them in the first place. They help you to navigate the rough terrains and then carry out your oversight functions.
“That is what the government (Executive) is expected to do and which Gov Otu has done. The issue of another official vehicles is actually more of the prerogative of the Executive, that is, if he so wishes, and this also depends on the economy of the State. It is not a right and should not attract a fight or passage of provocative Bills.
“The official vehicles the Honourable members are talking about is more of a luxury which I am not sure the government would involve in buying for now,” he stated.
A Director in the Ministry of Information, who also did not want his name on print, corroborated, and added: “politicians should allow Gov Otu to focus on restoring Cross River. They should not bring up any controversial issues at all.
“In just few months, you are given SUV worth almost N50 million and yet you complain and start raising issues. You want a bigger one, maybe it should be limousine. What about some of us who are still managing one vehicle for donkey years,” he asked rhetorically.
On the matter concerning appointment, he said “political appointment is the prerogative of the Governor and I think it is not right for him to be arm-twisted. Governor Otu cannot appoint every Cross Riverians and cannot please everybody at the same time.
“If the House members are saying their loyalists were not given political appointment, what about a million others who are not close to the corridor of power?
“Let’s tell ourselves the truth, You remove powers to make appointment in your area of authority from the Governor and at the same time you want him to give your friends and brothers political appointment. Whatever you sow is what you reap.
“They should know that it is easy for the carmel to pass through the eye of the needle than for the Governor to give accent to that obnoxious law, and that is a terrible way to start. I advise that everyone should sheath his sword for the interest of Cross River,” he submitted.