Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Barr. Eyo Ekpo has dared the incumbent governor, Sen. Ben Ayade to publish the state’s financial records for public accountability.
According to Ekpo, by making public the audited accounts under this administration, Cross Riverians should know the true position of the State’s finances.
The former Attorney-General of the State said this in response to Ben Ayade’s claim that his administration has not borrowed a dime since it assumed office.
In Eyo’s words: “Suffice it to say that a Government that cannot publish coherent budgets (and their sectoral breakdowns) consistently, that plucks figures from the air and makes policy out of such phantoms, that is incapable to hold constitutionally-mandated Executive Council meetings for the regular coordination of government business, cannot deliver budget performance reports and cannot publish audited public accounts is the very definition of a Black Hole.”
Ekpo added that: “The answer is not to abuse me. It is simply to publish the accounts of Cross River State Government from 29th May 2015 to 31st December 2017 and the unaudited accounts of the year to date. Surely, this is easy for any digital Government to do. In the words of Dr. Michael Okpara, Premier of the Eastern Region; ‘First time no be fool. Second time na proper fool’.”
Ekpo concluded by stating that what he presents is a credible and viable alternative where the government will not be run like a cult with government spending and earnings only known to the Ben Ayade and his ‘co-governor’, Frank Ayade, as is the case now.
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