From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Former governor of Cross River state, Mr. Donald Duke, has stated that alomst a generation has been lost in the state because of the food-on-the-table policy.
Duke, who stated this in Calabar shortly after being inaugurated as chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Campaign Council in the state, said when they came to run, they came with a purity of heart to get our state right, but regreted that things are much worse than it was when he came in.
Duke, who served as governor between 1999 and 2007, advised the electorate not to promote people behind their capacity.
According to him, when we pomote people above their capacity, the state will be shortchanged and everybody will suffer
He said: “In our state, almost a generation has been lost with this food on the table generation.
We now have food on the table generation. So, this is not an enviable time to govern the state and it’s much worse than when we came in.
“Our desire at the time we came was to prove it can be done. We did not campaign on the basis of where you came from but on the basis of what we could do for our state.
“It’s nice to have your brother or sister or clansman in good positions but never promote people beyond their capacity because all of us will suffer for it and you shortchange the entire state.
“We have seen this happen repeatedly in our country and state where people for selfish or almost clandestine reason get elevated beyond their capacity and everyone suffers.
“Very soon, there will be a change of battern. So, is this the kind of state we will hand over to our children? It’s embarrassing, our dolly must come to an end”, Duke stated.
He extolled the qualities of the PDP Governroship candidate, Prof. Sandy Onor, saying he has the capacity to do the job and he has no doubt about him .
On his part, Prof. Sandy Onor said everyone will be carried along and advised “party-men to keep working hard, do good works because their time is coming.”
He commemded the party leadership for finding them worthy to lead the restoration campaign saying it’s a task they must deliver.
Earlier Venatius Ikem, the state party chairman, said their campaign will be based in the polling units, adding that the list will be expanded to accommodate those who feel left behind.
He tasked members to go back to their units and wards and mobilise ahead of 2023 polls.