A stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State, Dr Peter Inyali, has challenged the chairman of African Action Party, AAC, in the state, Mr Agba Jalingo, to field candidates in the forthcoming local government elections.

According to Inyali, Jalingo should field candidates in the poll instead of perennially criticizing and setting a benchmark for the next council chairmen, particularly that of Obudu LGA where both hail from.

In a statement issued in Calabar, Inyali who is also the national president of Cross River State University Alumni Association said, “Instead of setting agenda for others, let AAC and Agba Jalingo produce candidates like other parties and let people decide who they want.

“As a participant in the business, I think it’ll make more sense to look inward to find a solution to the leadership he thinks is best for our local government rather than expect parties he doesn’t believe in to do that.”

Inyali reminded Jalingo that he had once promised that his party would be ready for future elections.

“I look forward to seeing AAC candidates for chairmanship and the councilorship in the ten wards.

“I am always excited about the standards he sets for candidates of other political parties during elections. It is now time for him to demonstrate all his ideas of leadership into action.

“As a state chairman of a political party, instead of looking outside, why not present a candidate he thinks has the ability to be that ideal chairman and allow the people to vote?

“I have always yearned for the opportunity to scrutinize the AAC candidate like he does to candidates of other parties.”

Jalingo, a civil rights activist and journalist, has declared that he will keep Cross River LG chairmen, particularly the one from his LGA, on their toes, so that they will not have opportunity to squander public funds.

He said, “If indeed, the allocations of the LGAs begin to go directly to the councils as directed by the Supreme Court, I wish to earnestly beg those who know nothing about governance, but want to enrich themselves from Council allocations, particularly in Obudu LGA, to desist from wasting their money on consultations and campaigns.

“The reason is simply that you won’t be able to steal. Even if you succeed in stealing, what you will pilfer won’t be much to make you rich. Because we will hold you accountable inch by inch.”

He said he will use the Open Governance Project, OGP, which the state signed in 2020 to scare them away from stealing.

“LGA chairmen do not have immunity. They can be sued while in office. They can even be jailed while in office.

“We will track all income to the LGA from Abuja. All that information is available from the Federal Budget Office and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. All financial receipts to Obudu Council will be tracked diligently and meticulously.

“We will officially write under the Freedom of Information, FOI, law and demand for details of monthly FAAC allocations, monthly Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, record of expenditure vis-a-vis salaries and allowances of LG workers, political appointees, health and primary school workers, traditional rulers.

“We will officially write under the Freedom of Information, FOI, law and demand for forensic examination of the total number of people on the LGA payroll and what their statutory pay is.”

Field candidates for LG polls – Cross River APC chieftain challenges Agba Jalingo