Socio-political groups in Cross River North, have stressed the need for Ogoja to complete their terms in the Senate through the incumbent Senator representing the district, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.
The group made this known in separate statements made available to the press in Calabar on Sunday.
The Coordinators of Movement for the Restoration of Good Governance (MFROGG) and Northern Senatorial District Youth Renaissance Assembly, (SSDYRA), Emmanuel Agba and Raymond Takom, subsequently endorsed the reelection bid of Agom-Jarigbe.
The groups noted that the reason for their endorsement was for justice, equity and fairness in Cross River North.
They said that for over five decades, the Ogoja people had been marginalised in the political scheme of things even when it had served as the old Ogoja Provincial Headquarters which included the present Ebonyi State.
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Mr Agba of the MFROGG, said all other four local government areas of Obanliku, Obudu, Bekwarra and Yala all had their turns in the Senate.
“Late Joseph Wayas from Obanliku had his between 1979-1983, Kanu Agabi from Bekwarra won and stayed for few months before he was appointed the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
“Adede Musa from Obudu took over from Agabi and was in the Senate between 1999-2003, also Prof. Ben Ayade from same Obudu took over from his kinsman in 2011-2015.
“Similarly, Greg Ngaji from Yala served in the upper legislative chamber between 2003-2011, while late Rose Oko also from Yala served between 2015 – 2019.
“Jarigbe, from Ogoja who won the bye-election after Oko’s demise, has only been in the Senate from 2021 till date and now seeking reelection,” he stated.
Agba said from the statistics, it was clear that Ogoja had been marginalised and therefore Jarigbe should be allowed to continue in the Senate in line with the spirit of brotherhood and equity.
According to him, All Progressives Congress (APC) should have also zoned their Senate slot to Ogoja, instead of Obudu that had taken its turn, to avoid the bad blood being generated in the zone.
He said the zone had given Gov. Ben Ayade four years in the Senate and eight years as governor of the state.
He pointed out that they had expected him to retire after 13 years of political sojourn and not to aspire to return to the Senate again.
Meanwhile, Takom of the SSDYRA insisted that no vacancy in the Senate until Ogoja completed their term through Agom-Jarigbe.
“It is not just being in the Senate, the current occupant is doing well and the people are solidly behind him. For now, we don’t have any vacancy in the Senate.”
