Warm Congratulations, Sir,
As you mark your second anniversary in office on the 29th of May 2025, I extend my heartfelt congratulations. This milestone presents an opportunity for reflection and renewed focus as you transition into your third year of leadership. I write respectfully to offer a few suggestions that may support your continued success and help enshrine your legacy in the hearts of the people of Cross River State.
Your administration has the potential to leave indelible marks, achievements that will be remembered long after your tenure ends. For this reason, we remain committed to constructive engagement rather than partisan alignment. Our goal is not to oppose for opposition’s sake, but to see Cross River State thrive under transformative leadership.
Sir, history has shown that a leader’s success or failure is often shaped by the people around them. To remain effective, visionary, and grounded in reality, it is critical to be intentional about those you keep close. Permit me to highlight four categories of individuals who, if left unchecked, can derail even the most promising leadership:
- Fake Prophets and Manipulative Religious Figures:
These individuals often disguise personal interests with spiritual language. Their counsel, rooted in deceit or self-gain, can mislead leaders and disconnect them from facts on the ground. Decisions guided by false visions often lead to missteps and loss of public trust.
- Cultists and Diabolical Influences:
Any association with secret societies or individuals who rely on dark, occultic practices poses a significant threat to ethical governance. Their loyalties lie outside democratic ideals and can compromise a leader’s moral compass and public service agenda.
- Sycophants:
These flatterers only echo what they think the leader wants to hear, not what the leader needs to know. They discourage critical thinking and hinder effective decision-making by insulating leaders from reality. Their presence often leads to avoidable policy errors.
- Praise Singers:
While encouragement is important, excessive and uncritical praise distorts perception. Praise singers exaggerate achievements while ignoring failures, creating a false narrative that can lead to complacency and disconnection from the people’s true needs.
Your Excellency, the most effective leaders are those who welcome honesty, even when it is uncomfortable. Surrounding yourself with individuals of integrity, courage, and wisdom, those who will speak truth to power and prioritize the state’s welfare over personal gain, is not just wise, it is essential.
Thank you for your continued service to Cross River State. May your leadership rise to even greater heights in the years ahead.
Respectfully,
Austine Ibok
The balcony man