By Paul Ojeka
Where I come from, the setting, Yache; the era; the mission; and the vision of our existence impose a duty: to confront falsehood and expose inventions created for political gain. Even before my appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State under Ben Ayade, I served as a volunteer media representative of Yache, reporting tirelessly on roads, bridges, schools, electricity, and political neglect. The Akreha, Okporku Bridge, and Yache Road were central to my work, carried out when there was only one internet centre at High Level, Makurdi, and access was limited. Advocacy then required dedication, facts and figures in news media, not noise in the markets.
In 2015, during the Nigerian general election, I challenged ineffective politicians in Yache, disrupting the usual pre-election routine of peanuts and tokens for votes. That moment opened the eyes of our people to political deceit and empty promises. Today, modern opportunists attempt to exploit Yache’s infrastructural development for personal gain. Their lies may linger briefly in village squares, but the global village, with its preserved records, ensures that falsehood cannot endure.
Claiming glory where none was earned is not only absurd; it undermines genuine labour and community progress. The most glaring misrepresentation appeared in a hurried open letter misattributing the 3km Alifokpa Road project to quarters and community members with no known records of contributions to such grandiose community project. That project was neither accidental nor opportunistic. It was secured through deliberate engagement led by Senator Professor Stephen Odey, working with elders, chiefs, academics, entrepreneurs, students, and development partners. Approvals were obtained under Ben Ayade, and today the project is being realised under Bassey Otu.
History is not a stage for reckless claims. Glory of development is not the harvest of those who did not sow. Yache remembers, and falsehood will not endure. As Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Below is the last clarion call and presentation of the plight of Yache Community to the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, by Senator Professor Stephen Odey and Yache agents of development on Wednesday, 29th November 2023, which gave approval to the 3km Yache road construction and Akreha, Okporku Bridge project:
“Your Excellency, the road to Yache is a complete nightmare. As important as the road is, being the only access route to the largely agrarian community and the food basket of Yala Local Government Area, there is little attention given to the road to complement its value. Moreover, the road is the shortest link from Okuku to Abuja through some communities in Benue State. Being a Federal road, a combined effort of the State and Federal Government will provide an enduring solution to this perennial problem. It is necessary to mention that, through the instrumentality of Senator Odey during his short stay in the Senate, he was able to liaise with the Minister of Works to rehabilitate a portion of the road spanning some kilometres. If such efforts had been sustained, this challenge would have been a fait accompli.
Also very worrisome is the Okporku, Akreha Bridge, which has been in a terrible state of disrepair. The improvised structure presently in use is impassable when it rains heavily. The calamity faced by the people as a result of this bridge cannot be recounted. A case in point is when members of the community were traveling home with a corpse for burial but were stuck because the flood prevented access to the bridge. Consequently, the corpse was returned to the mortuary, and another burial date was fixed. This has never happened in the history of Yache Nation. The situation was pathetic, as there was no alternative route.
Aware of this situation, the immediate past Governor of the State, His Excellency, Senator Professor Sir Benedict Ayade CON, moved to intervene by embarking on the construction of a new bridge. Reasonable work has been undertaken, but it was discovered that the bridge needed expansion to contain the flooding element. Your Excellency, the Yache people will remain indebted to you if you use your good offices to expand and complete the bridge to reduce our predicaments.”