The Cross River State, Ben Ayade, on Friday explained why he appointed 38,000 political aides.
In an interview on Arise TV, monitored by Ripples Nigeria, Ayade said he appointed the aides to reduce poverty in the country.
He said: “In politics talk is cheap. I have history. I know clearly that poverty is extreme and I decided to bring 38,000 young people to the dining table to give me the emotional and social temperature to take advantage of my business connection to bring value to Cross River State.
“These people are bringing values. I have several projects ongoing. All of these need people to manage. Besides, let’s deal with it from the perspective of principles. In Section 14 of our constitution: the primary purpose of government is the welfare and security of the people.
“Of what use would it be to build a superhighway or a deep seaport when 4.5 million people are dying of hunger. It’s better to put food on a table than to put food on concrete. These 38,000 people have not only brought value, but they have also reduced poverty.”
Ayade, who switched to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, said he took the decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling party because Cross River State is “challenged.”
He said: “Cross River State is challenged. We have lost oil wells and we have lost our territory. We seem to come from a minority section. We can’t also afford extreme opposition and I have always believed that moderation is the rule.”