The Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Monday said he would create 50, 000 jobs as well as appoint 6, 000 new aides from January 2017.
He said the appointment of the new aides would expand governance and put food on the tables of residents.
The governor said this at the U.J. Esuene Stadium during a reception in his honour following the December 9 Supreme Court ruling which validated his election.
Ayade also announced N50m and N30m donations to the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim communities in the state respectively.
He said, “I am appreciative of all the support given me by the women of the state and the youths and in this light, I will ever remain grateful. To ensure that nobody goes to sleep in an empty stomach, I shall appoint 6,000 more aides, create 3,000 jobs for the youths and in January 2017, create 50,000 jobs to make sure nobody in the state is unemployed.”
Governor Ben Ayade Ayade who announced a donation of N50 million to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and N30m to the Muslim community in the state, said it was God who removed shame from him by giving him victory at the Supreme Court.
“I kept asking myself why me and if I said I truly believe in God, why should I be put to shame? But as it turned out, it is only God who has the glory and nobody else, not even the Supreme Court.”
The governor said that the victory has given him more verve to more towards the transformation of the state and hence, he would be dressing in jean and t-shirt while he traverses the state to inaugurate more projects and programmes for the people.
“I should say it without mincing words that if you come here in 2019, you will not recognise that this was not the Cross River State you used to know because I shall carry out a complete transformation of the state.”
He extended an olive branch to his opponent, Mr Joe Agi to sheathe the sword and join him along with his group in working for the state because there was a lot of work to be done.