By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A foundation member and former member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Cross River State, Ntunkai Grace Eyo Ita, has criticized the ‘Back-to-South’ agenda adopted by the All Progressives’ Congress, APC, in the state in a bid to find who to govern the state in 2023.
In her opinion, the agenda is not based on justice, equity, and fairness, insisting that that was the reason for her not to align with the agenda.
She made the remarks while reacting to a video which showed a former federal lawmaker castigating a certain individual purported to be former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River State.
The former National Assembly lawmaker, Florence Ita-Giwa, had in the said video alleged “that our man, that our son, who has been going round talking, when he arrived here to campaign for the governorship election, he arrive here with only a brief case, no house, they were sleeping in one house at White House Street, in somebody mother’s house.”
Ntunkai Ita wondered why people will talk about ‘Back-to-South’ without considering people in the Akamkpa/Biase axis of the state.
Ita said, “When I was approached to support the ‘back-to-South agenda, I told them that I will support the idea, provided they are micro-zoned to the Akamkpa/Biase axis.
“We cannot be talking about justice and equity without applying the same principle to our brothers here in the South.
“As you can see, the ‘back-to-South’ agenda is really a back to Efik agenda, if not, how come Akamkpa Biase was not even considered for the Senate position in terms of zoning, talk-less of governorship position?”
Eyo Ita faulted the statements credited to the former senator representing the Southern senatorial district of the state, Ita-Giwa, where she allegedly disparaged two former governors of the state.
To Ita, it was wrong for any one to accuse former Governor Duke of selling Bakassi to Cameroon when she herself was deeply involved in everything that happened to Bakassi from the federal level at that time.
Eyo Ita stated that as a mother, grandmother and elder stateswoman, the one time senator representing Cross River South senatorial district at the upper chamber of National Assembly ought to had call people to order, settle issues and make peace, rather than castigate Duke, who they had both being together in the past.
About the forthcoming 2023 general election in Cross River State, Eyo Ita expressed support for the ambition of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Professor Sandy Ojang Onor, who she said was also a son from the South by extension, because Sandy’s mother is an indigene of Mkame community in Akamkpa Local Government Area
in the South senatorial district of the state.
She said, “Onor stands a chance, he is a very sound young man.
“I’ve known him for a very long time, he is very sound and has a good soul.
“You can see him transparently when he is talking to you. And apart from that, Sandy is a thorough person, who will be able to change the situation in this state.”
She stressed that Onor is as well from the South because his mother is from Mkame in the Oban axis of Akamkpa.
“As you are well aware, in our matrilineal tradition, a child is first from where his mother comes from.”
