“Even though Senator Imoke recently made a public pronouncement that I am the leader of Abi LGA, it is impossible for me not to see myself as Imoke’s boy . He is and will remain my leader for life and the story of my life cannot be complete without the mention of Imoke.”
These were the words of Dr Alex Egbona, the House of Representatives member from Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency during a live radio interview programme on Hit FM, Calabar, on Saturday.
Egbona, chairman of the House Committee on Specialty Healthcare, was responding to a question on his relationship with the former governor of Cross River State under whose tenure Egbona served as chief of staff.
In April this year, during the burial of Egbona’s mother, Imoke had declared that Egbona should thenceforth be recognized as the leader of Abi LGA. But on Saturday, the federal lawmaker said as much as he appreciated the honour bestowed on him by the former governor, he remained Imoke’s boy and would see himself as such until his death.
According to him, Imoke was the ‘grandleader’ of Abi and grandmaster of Abi. “Yes, I may be a leader but Imoke remains the leader. He is my boss and will continue to be my boss and it will remain so forever.”
In response to a question by a caller who sought to know why the lawmaker was not in support of the clamour for the creation of an Ogoja State, Egbona countered the caller’s claim, saying he was even the one that prompted his colleague, Godwin Offiono, to take steps towards the creation of the new state.
He said whereas he was not opposed to the creation of the Ogoja State, elders from his constituency had taken a position to the effect that Abi/Yakurr would prefer to remain in the current Cross River State, when the dream Ogoja State comes to fruition.
Saying that he stood with his people on their stance, Egbona also said he would continue to support those who are pushing for the new state, even though he and his people would continue to be part of the present Cross River.
On the reason for his push for the dredging of the Calabar Port, Egbona described himself as the champion of the dredging project, noting that the entire state would gain a lot when the port is dredged.
He said he started pushing for the dredging of the Calabar port during his first term and had to continue with the push as he got back for a second term. According to him, there were high hopes that the federal government would undertake the project in no distant time.
He praised the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu for his foresight in engaging youths of the state not to take part in the on-going #Endbadgovernance protest, considering what the state went through during the last #EndSARS protest.
Egbona also expressed the hope that the legislative steps so far taken by him towards the establishment of a federal college of agriculture and a federal medical centre in the federal constituency would become a reality soon.
He urged the Abi/Yakurr people to remain supportive of the government of Otu and that of President Bola Tinubu, while also urging them to live in peace with neighbouring communities and states, to attract unending presence of the government.
