By Ekanem Whyte/Emmanuela Ezin
The proverbial journey of a thousand miles starting with one step aptly describes the generally acclaimed effort of Governor Bassey Otu to restore the battered socio-economic image of Cross River State within one year in line with the pact he entered into with the people when he took the oath of office on May 29, 2023.
Notable politicians, community leaders, market women and students of higher institutions, who PillarToday interviewed, unanimously agreed that the Governor has performed above their highest expectation in just one year.
Speaking, a community leader, Chief Lawrence Duke of Efut Akwa Ikot Ekpe community in Calabar south local government area, said “looking back to where we were a year ago and now, the Governor deserves kudos for taking bold steps to restore the people’s hope and confidence in the act of governance within a short period of just 365 days.”
Chief Duke lauded the Governor for the construction of intra-city Streets including the abandoned Clarks Alley Street, off the popular Watt market roundabout, pointing out that the street is one of the oldest streets in Calabar that has never been asphalted right from time.
He expressed delight that “these days one hardly finds anyone covering his nose while walking pass a refuse bin as was the case before the present administration came on board. That the Governor declared war on potholes in our major roads in the metropolis, which became our lots in during the last administration, is historic”
Speaking also, an Ikom-based lawyer, Barr Alphonsus Nzie, said “The fundamental obligation of government as enshrined in section 14 (b) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 as amended, states that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’.
“Governor Prince Bassey Otu has always kept this provision of the constitution a front burner in the course of governance since he assumed office as Governor of Cross River State in May, 2023.
“When the streets are swept clean and are glowing with street lights at night, and cars can drive smoothly on the roads, and salaries are being paid promptly, and there is relative law and order, no harassments by area boys, kidnapping is at its lowest level, there is no doubt that there is a steady hand on the wheels.
“With all these, certainly Cross River State is being recovered, its glory is being restored and our hope as Cross River citizens is being regained. Kudos, to the people’s governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu.”
”In his submission, a prominent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Chief Emmanuel Bassey of ward nine in Calabar South LGA, said irrespective of party affiliation, he is satisfied with what he has seen so far, especially with the restoration of street lights and traffic lights at major road junctions.
Chief Bassey said with the construction of the deep gully at Yellow Duke street, which posed a serious threat to the inhabitants of the area, “the Governor has demonstrated that he is in touch with the yearnings of the people.”
Students are not left out in the encomium pouring. Speaking, a 300 level student of the University of Cross River, (UniCross) Mr Ndifon Ayuk, who also bared his mind on the Governor’s scorecard for the past one year, said, “the level of infrastructural development projects being simultaneously executed across the three senatorial districts is a thing of joy to the people.”
He noted that “the Governor has justified the upholding of the sacred power rotational policy which resonated during the last elections as a back to south agenda.”
Mr Ayuk quoted from the classics of an age long popular political philosopher Machiavelli, as he described the Governor as a politician who is influenced by the dictates of the philosopher who stipulated that ‘a prudent man must follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding.’
He however appealed to the Governor to extend democratic dividends of the era of sweetness to the payment of bursary to enable indigent students find succour in the light of high cost of daily living.
In her reaction, a market women leader at Watt market, Madam Grace Effiong Ekpe was full of praise for the Governor but wanted him to intervene in the area of high cost of transportation fares which she noted is responsible for high cost of basic food items in the market on a daily basis.
She explained that the cost of transporting food items from the hinterland, most of the time from the northern part of the state, due to the high cost of petroleum products, is responsible for the daily increase in the prices of food stuff.
“The only way to solve the problem is for the State government to introduce public mass transit buses to cushion the effect of removal of subsidy. But the truth is Governor Out has become our rescuer,” she stated.
Troubled Market Women Send SOS over Multiple Levies, Harassment
The strides notwithstanding, our reporters gathered that the season of sweetness seems not to be the lot of many market women due to harassment, multiple levies and seizure of their wares by people who claim to be ‘agents’ of government.
Speaking with our reporters, they unanimously called on the Governor to come to their help, and described their experience in the hands of Shylock ‘agents’ as hellish.
Recall that in 2015, the government of Cross River State came up with a policy aimed at providing tax rebates to the poor and vulnerable. To further consolidate this policy, the Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS) issued a public statement regarding tax exemption Law No.13.
The law excludes from paying tax all persons whose monthly income is below N50,000, including petty traders, wheelbarrow pushers, taxi drivers, and other similar categories of workers.
To demonstrate its commitment to this policy, the state government established an agency called ‘Anti-Tax Agency’ to enforce the tax legislation.
However, despite these efforts, multiple taxation in the guise of ‘market levy’ is still on the rise in several markets across the State with the poor market women daily shedding tears of frustrations as they contend with being harassed and intimidated by ‘agents.’
Our reporter learnt that the level of extortion under the guise of market tolls and taxation has pushed many women out of their petty businesses.
Latest findings indicated that due to severe warning and threat from government, some markets, from January, reduced their levies to a maximum of N500 daily but even at that, analysts said the levy is on the high side considering the quantity and value of wares most of these women go to market with.
The local government councils claimed they collect N50 daily while taxing N200 weekly. Contrary to that claim, our investigation – based on interviews and receipts/tickets cited by this reporter – revealed that traders still pay at least N200 daily and N500 on Saturdays. This amount could be collected by many groups daily, some without any form of receipt.
Narrating her ordeal, a petty trader, Blessing Ekpenyong said, “I usually take my goods on credit and pay after selling them. And when I don’t sell as much as expected, the ‘matching ground’ collectors keep coming. Sometimes we don’t even meet our target after paying for tickets.
“Before now, we used to pay up to N700 daily, and on Saturdays, we paid up to N1,600 to different groups but since January, we started paying N200 daily while on Saturdays, we pay N500.”
In Ikom and Akpabuyo, the situation is similar to what traders are experiencing in other markets, though slightly different in the pattern of collection.
Frustrated by the multiple levies, Mama Ayu, a palm fruit seller in Ikom main market said, “If you don’t pay, they snatch your goods and, in the process, destroy some. They take it to their office and before you get it back; they ask you to pay N5,000 for bail.
“The other day, I came with just N2,000 worth of palm fruits to sell, as usual, they came to collect money for the ticket, I begged the woman to allow me for that day and pay the next day, but the ticket officer refused, carried my palm fruits and my daughter’s umbrella, I couldn’t raise N5,000 to collect goods of N2,000, that was how I lost that money.”
In Okonoyom Market in Akpabuyo, 17-year-old Etido Peter hawks vegetables called Editan in Efik language in a transparent container. She moved in with her grandmother and two siblings when they lost their parents in a ghastly motor accident two years ago. Her grandmother prepares the leaves every market day for her to hawk.
“Before now, thugs used to harass traders in this market but now, the market is calm since the new government of Prince Otu came on board but we are not totally free. The only thing we have here is people that collect N100 for tickets daily, but the ticket collectors still intimidate and harass you when you don’t pay on time,” the teenager said.
All the petty traders who spoke with PillarToday ended their interviews with a call to the Governor to intervene especially as the poorest of the poor were the victims.
Speaking, Mma Theresa, who hawks fresh pepper and tomatoes by Calabar road side of the Watt market said “Our Sweet Prince should help us. Let him set up a tax force to stop the madness.
“We are not refusing to pay levies but they are multiple and high considering the small things we sell to keep body and souls together. Most times, the collectors would harass and threatened if you delay”
It is believed that these anomalies, when tackled frontally, would allow everyone to be beneficiary of the season of sweetness and it is only then would the infrastructural interventions of the Prince Bassey Otu-led administration become more meaningful.
