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Tag: Ayade

  • Governor Ayade’s baptism of fire

    Governor Ayade’s baptism of fire

    Prof. Ben Ayade no doubt came on board as the governor of Cross River State with lofty plans. From his ambitious plans for a new seaport and a 240-kilometre superhighway to massive industrialization and creation of jobs, it is obvious that the governor has big ideas for indigenes and non-indigenes. But the menace of robbery, kidnapping and other crimes are threatening to jeopardise his ambitious programmes.

    Calabar, the Cross River State capital, is generally regarded as the people’s paradise. Besides its serene nature, it has also earned a reputation as the safest and most peaceful state in the country. In fact, some people have wittily turned the city’s name into acronym for ‘Come And Live and Be At Rest’. Until recently, crime and other anti-social activities were near absent in the South-South state. Even during elections when the pressure to keep the peace is stretched to the limits, the state was usually free of the violence that characterised others around the country.

    Unfortunately, the foregoing was not the situation the Ayade administration inherited. The serenity that characterised the city has since given way to a wave of crimes that has shaken it to its very foundation. Now, resident are anxious to see an end to the trend which first reared its ugly head in the middle of the second term of the immediate past administration in the state.

    Some of the problems the new Ayade administration would have to battle with include cultism, robbery, kidnapping as well as the menace constituted by a group known as Skolombo Boys. This dreaded group, whose members actually include young girls, move around Calabar in large numbers with different kinds of crude weapons, collecting phones, money and other valuables from people they run into in the streets. There have also been reports of robbery operations carried out by members of the group, the oldest of which are teenagers. They consist mainly of homeless children who had previously been roaming the streets.

    Also worrisome has been the audacity of some of the perpetuators of these criminal activities. For instance, a couple of months ago, the city was held hostage by a gang of daredevil robbers for about two hours as they robbed in several locations in broad daylight. More recently, a pastor with Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), located on IBB Way opposite the Margaret Ekpo Airport in Calabar, Pastor Seyi Adekunle, was abducted by gunmen who stormed the church while Adekunle and other pastors were having a prayer session in preparation for Sunday service. Not long after the incident at the Living Faith Church, the news broke that suspected militants had attacked facilities of the Marine Police Station located on Marina Road in Calabar, to steal weapons.

    The Ayade administration, realising that the trend needs to be halted before it gets out of hands, has sent an executive bill to the Cross River State House of Assembly, seeking death penalty for convicted kidnappers in the state. He has also set up a security task force codenamed Operation Skolombo. The outfit, an addition to the already existing Quick Intervention Squad and Rapid Response Squad,

    is saddled with the task of ridding the state of criminals. Ayade appointed Brig-Gen. Mannix Nyiam (rtd) as the Chairman of the task force, with Lawrence Alobi, a retired Commissioner of Police; Col. Ekanem Ikpeme (rtd); Bassey Inyang, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police and Inyang Yibala, a security consultant, as the other members.

    Ayade, who said the state prides itself as the most peaceful in the country, said the reports of incidents hitherto unheard of in the state informed the constitution of the task force and other measures taken to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

    Addressing officers and men of the state’s Quick Response Squad, the governor emphasised his war on criminals, vowing to strengthen the security agencies in the state. He assured that the state government would provide all the logistics needed by security agencies to ensure that the state remains the safest in the country.

    State Security Adviser, Mr Jude Ngaji, said the Ayade administration was re-jigging the security architecture in the state to specifically deal with some of the threats already identified.

    Ngaji said: “He has set up a security task force to go after all the criminals that have been creating problems across the state. The composition of the task force speaks volumes of the intentions of the government. It is headed by a retired general and others with cognate experience in crime fighting.

    “The governor understands that he needs security to realise his promises. Until recently when we started experiencing this little challenge, Calabar and Cross River were described as the safest.

    “So, besides nipping this issue in the bud, we also want to maintain our status as the safest and most investor-friendly state in the country.”

    “In the short time that this administration came in, we have engaged with the service chiefs to improve security. We are working with a pool of personnel from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police and other security agencies. They are to be given special training approved by the governor.

    “When they are done with it, some of them would be at our signature projects, airports, boundaries and city centres for quick intervention and rapid response to any security issues. Basically, we are ahead in terms of security.”

    The Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo, said the force was doing everything possible to ensure that peace reigns supreme in the state. Speaking through the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Hogan Bassey, he said the job was however not for security agencies alone but the entire populace.

  • How I will transform Cross River -Ayade

    How I will transform Cross River -Ayade

    Governor of Cross River State, Prof  Ben Ayade, on Monday met with reporters in Calabar in his inaugural press briefing as governor. The governor who has already promised ambitious signature projects as a new seaport and a 240km superhighway, among others, in his first tenure as governor, explains how he intends to achieve them. He also commented on his plans on Tinapa, the Summit Hills, and the Obudu Ranch Resort. Correspondent Nicholas Kalu was there. Excerpts:

    How would you go about the funding of your signature projects? People are happy about them but are concerned how you would fund them given how difficult things are financially for the state?

    Every time in life I keep saying this, what really has made a difference between me from the family I was born to where I am today is because I always dream than is possible. At any point in life you put your soul above your problems, your body would follow. You only go down when you acknowledge problems that are within your capacity to overcome. Where there is a vision there is always a provision, particularly when it is inspired by God and when it is intended to serve mankind and to add value. No matter what enterprise if your intention is to make money and enjoy your life, you have missed the point. The true essence of life is when you add value to mankind. That is why when questions come that government is over bloated and there is no cash; they ask if I am going to shrink the government, my answer is always very strange. The announcement I will make very soon is that I am going to expand the government. The psychology is that in reverse theory in romantic economics, when the foundations of government are supposed to be the building pillars that sustain the structures and systems. When society has an economic structure that is weak, particularly the sluggish African economy of ours, government must come in to leverage and provide succor and create a society where there is an egalitarian redistribution of wealth.

    What would you do with other projects you inherited like Tinapa that has not been fully realised, the Summit Hills that is just springing up and Carnival Calabar?

    On the issue of Tinapa, I have had extensive meetings with the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) who had actually tried to acquire Tinapa, so that we can convert its liabilities to assets. Actually Tinapa in conception was designed to provide leisure and business in one place. A wonderful concept which otherwise would have given us the opportunity to kick off as the Dubai of Africa. Unfortunately, there were certain legislations that needed to be in place. Those legislations were not in place as at the time the originator left office, which is what the last government worked extensively to see that all of those legislations that would give it toll free status were granted. Imoke has achieved that. In all of these processes; trying to acquire these, Tinapa left behind a debt burden which to me, in relation to the assets, is reasonable and requires proper management. So, at this point in time when the economy of the entire nation is really in shambles, it is difficult for us to sustain a direct investment from the state purse. Indeed, we need to reengage investors who would show interest in Tinapa and that is already ongoing. Hopefully, if all the calculations are right now that we have reengaged AMCON, we hope that AMCON would come back on board and actually give us the drive required. There is a company out of the United States, Triple Five, which has been taken as the preferred bidder to take over Tinapa and run it as a business resort. So, Triple Five would be coming on board very soon and when that happens, you will see the verve will come. The structure of breathing life into Tinapa is such that the state government does not necessarily have to put in money. The only part of Tinapa that we are coming in is that we are coming to build a brand new city. If you remember in my campaign, we promised to build a new city called CalasVegas. It would be the most beautiful city on earth, which would be built here in Calabar. The design is completed. It was made in Korea. So, when that city is ready, it would add another component. Senator Liyel Imoke was smart enough, he loved Tinapa a lot to say the only way he can breathe life into Tinapa was to create traffic to go to Tinapa to shop and traffic for Tinapa hotel. And to do that, you need an international conference centre. And so he built a facility that can house over 5000 guests at a go with provision for a hotel that is overlooking a waterfront. So, he has done his best and brought it here. So, it is my duty finally to breathe life into all of these. So for me, I see them as low hanging fruits and not as liabilities. For every liability there is a potential in it. Just explore and I am an exploration professor, I really know how to do it. So my thinking is that if we all work together, we would get it right. So I don’t see Tinapa or the Summit Hills slowing down.

    The president said he met an empty treasury. At your level, there has been talks that you inherited 30 billion to hit the ground running. Is it true or did you meet an empty treasury too?

    I inherited a state with great potentials. Never measure the wealth of a nation by the naira and kobo in the account. I did not inherit N30 billion and I did not inherit an empty treasury because I inherited a state with great potentials.

    You promised that in your first 100 days there would be a project that would employ Cross Riverians. What is it?

    In my first 100 days in office, I would create a thousand jobs and I would tell you how. If you go to the new bypass, you will see massive work going on there; the location where we are constructing the garment factory. The construction work is going on already. The design has been completed – all equipment procured as I speak. The commitment on that factory started long before the elections. I made a personal commitment that the hardship was too much and I looked at the hardest pressed and saw it was the widows. Nigeria is richly endowed with human and natural resources but we import socks, singlets, T-shirts and other clothing. We almost import everything. Clothing falls in the lowest pyramid of need which means it is a basic need. How can you ignore food, clothing and shelter which in that pyramid form the basic needs? So I looked at that pyramid and said I would focus on it and that would create the real energy that would create a change. If you look at Turkey, 40 per cent of their employment is on garments; same for some other countries. So, what I did is to focus on the garment factory to create at least 500 jobs for widows. The focus is to create jobs for women. The challenge is that we don’t have the raw materials and would have to export. This would be expensive, so we are recruiting the very best in terms of management staff who will think of the creativity to use our African fabric to get out the best. More importantly it creates the opportunity for me to take advantage of my experience at the national level as a former senator to recognize the fact that the Federal Government can do interventions, when they know that the garment centre is aimed at recruiting women.

    Some weeks ago you came down hard on the Anti-forestation Task Force of the Forestry Commission. Some of them were arrested. What is going on?

    The Anti-forestry Commission was dissolved because a United Nations report states it clearly that over 6000 square metres of forests were stolen in the last few years from Cross River State. This happened when it was under the watch of an anti-deforestation task force, which meant that those responsible for watching over our forests failed. Internal research shows that most of them were even part of those compromising the process by operating with those doing illegal logging to move out our trees. For those people they were committing murder of mother earth and that is why I called for their arrest and they are being investigated because the process is clear. We have people who are willing to testify that many staff of the anti-deforestation task force were the ones aiding illegal logging. The forest is being depleted. We were not making money and we were not conserving the forests because they were being stolen. By next week we are announcing a new team of anti-forestation task force.

    The Obudu Ranch Resort is not functioning properly now. Workers are owed for months and traffic there is poor. What are your plans to have it restored as a tourism flagship?

    The Obudu Ranch is in a very bad state. And it is not the fault of management. People don’t get it right. How would you expect the ranch to function when there is a mythical story that the mountains there have magnetic influence on planes? Creating an artificial fear that scares people of flying to the ranch. So going to the ranch by air has become a scare and going by road is a nightmare. So you have a beautiful edifice in the middle of nowhere which is the essence of the 240km superhighway. Essentially speaking, the ranch is in a bad state and cannot function until we fix that super highway to create access to the ranch. So, for me at this point is to keep it at minimal level, do maintenance, introduce a solar programme for 24 hour electricity. So we need a lot of maintenance. But it will not be a key focus of my administration now. My focus is just to sustain it at skeletal level. Emphasis would be on the road. When once that is done, the ranch itself would spring up naturally. By my third year ask me about the ranch and you will be surprised with what you will see.

    Local government employees are embarking on strike because they have not been paid for three months. What are you going to do about this?

    My total number of office today is seven days. When I assumed office, I was here the first five days and for the urgency and activities I had set as my agenda to accomplish key signature projects, I left the shores of this country in search of core investors for my signature projects and so I was away for two weeks. I only returned last week. So today is my second day in office since I returned and seventh day on the desk here. But the two weeks I travelled was all on official visit. In truth, all the times I gave standing orders for salaries to be paid I thought all the salaries where being paid. There is no way on earth you pay the state civil servants and leave the local government servants like that. That is being unfair. I never knew. All that I have been doing since morning is articulating their payments. So, today as I speak, I have concluded all arrangements for their payment this week. Now to be able to pay them, we also looked at all the documentations on the processes. There were so many issues that called for concern. So I needed to show some caution. There were issues of ghost workers, deductions and local government joint account not having the kind of income that used to come from the federation allocation. It has nosedived tremendously. So what comes in is totally insufficient to pay their salaries, which was compounded by the deductions being made. So with the issue of ghost workers and all of that it became clear that if we did a blanket electronic payment, we are going to have the challenges of leakages and insufficient funds. So what we needed to do was a purification of the process and see how we can tidy up.

  • Ayade seeks death penalty for kidnappers in Cross River

    Ayade seeks death penalty for kidnappers in Cross River

    Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, has sent an executive bill to the state House of Assembly seeking the death penalty for convicted kidnappers in the state.

    According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, the bill also seeks to empower the state to seize property belonging to convicted kidnappers and other criminals in the state.

    It also offers rewards to citizens who offer credible information to security agencies on activities of criminals.

    Ayade also set up a security task force named “Operation Scolombo.”

    The task force which has retired General Mannings Nyiam as chairman is saddled with the responsibility of ridding the state of criminals.

    The governor also approved the appointment of Mr Jude Ngaji as the State Security Adviser.

    Ngaji was Chief of Staff to former governor, Senator Liyel Imoke.

  • Ayade: Calabar garment factory to generate 1,000 jobs

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade said yesterday the Calabar garment factory will generate over 1,000 jobs when completed in August.

    Ayade addressed representatives of the host communities at the project site on the Goodluck Jonathan bypass.

    He said: “Upon completion, the Calabar garment factory is expected to generate about 1,000 jobs, the bulk of which would be women, particularly widows.”

    Ayade said the inauguration of the factory was one of the projects he designed to celebrate his first 100 days in office.

    The governor said the equipment for the factory had been procured, adding that the project would be a major employer of labour.

    He said: “Apart from women, the factory will also provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths roaming the streets.”

  • Ayade orders payment of June salary

    Ayade orders payment of June salary

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade yesterday ordered the payment of this month’s salary on or before June 26.

    A statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Tina Banku Agbor, said the gesture was in keeping with Ayade’s commitment to prompt payment of workers’ salaries on the 25th of every month.

    The statement reads: “Regular and timely payment of wages to workers will, among others, enhance their welfare with the overall objectives of promoting efficiency and productivity in the civil service.”

    The governor urged the workers to reciprocate government’s good intention by upholding good work ethics, adherence to rules and regulations and creative discharge of their duties.

  • Can Ayade walk the talk?

    Can Ayade walk the talk?

    The new governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, has made audacious promises to the people of the South-South state. In this report, Nicholas Kalu, in Calabar, reports on the mixed reactions over the promises as some respondents wonder if the governor can walk the talks

    Considered to be suave, smooth and smart, former governor of Cross River State, who was in power from 1999 to 2007, Mr. Donald Duke did well to put Cross River in the spotlight. With his aggressive tourism thrust and style, the state transformed from being a backwater area to a foremost destination in the West African sub-region.

    In spite of accusations of being too cosmetic in his programmes and projects, elitist and leaving a huge debt burden after his administration, stakeholders in the state insist the importance of what he has done for the state cannot be wished away. The belief is that he laid the foundation for the rapid development of the state going forward. “What Duke did for this state is one for which the people would be eternally grateful,” a Calabar resident, Samuel Ekpo, remarked.

    Steering the ship of state till 2007, Duke handed over power to Liyel Imoke, whose own thrust was an aggressive rural development programme.

    Often described as cool, calm and collected, Imoke at the beginning of his administration said his objective was to take governance to people who need it the most, being those in the rural areas.

    A very calculated person, the former governor had gone ahead to provide stretches of rural roads to help farmers evacuate their produces as well as ease movement; rural electrification; improvement of education across the state; primary healthcare facilities in every community among others as he governed the state from 2007 to 2015.

    Being prudent, even when the state lost resources due to the 76 oil wells, he still managed to drive this programme, even though with a much reduced tempo. Added to this, he embarked on some legacy projects like the Songhai Farms in Abi, the Institute of Technology and Management in Ugep, as well as the International Convention Centre in Calabar.

    Despite hiccups in his tenure (he was sacked a couple of times in office by the courts) as well as misgivings held against him towards the end of his administration, it is widely held that rural dwellers across the 18 local government areas of the state have a lot to be thankful to Imoke for.

    With the baton of leadership handed over to Prof Ben Ayade now, expectations of Cross Riverians are high on the mark he would be able to make as at the time he leaves office.

    Brisk, bold and blunt, Ayade kicked off his administration on a no-nonsense and businesslike note.

    From a humble background in Obudu Local Government Area, his strong motivation to succeed, it is believed, got him to the exalted position he is today.

    Already, he has made lofty promises to people of the state, despite the state’s precarious financial situation, just as he started work with remarkable zeal.

    On his first day in office as governor, workers in the governor’s office got a shock of their lives when those that came late were locked out on his orders. He warned that subsequently, latecomers would be sanctioned.

    Ayade had gone ahead to make some sweeping changes among which included the disbanding of the anti-forestation task force put in place by his predecessor, Liyel Imoke, to check illegal logging of forest reserves in the state, showing he has a mind of his own.

    Some observers have been of the opinion that the governor is too audacious in some of the promises he has made, such as ensuring that salaries are paid on the 25th of every month from internally generated revenues, the construction of a Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu superhighway and a new seaport in his first tenure.

    In a bid to create employment, he also unveiled plans to establish a garment industry, cocoa processing plant, rice mill and a modular refinery in the state.

    Other investments also to be established by him, he said, include Banana Farm to create value chain, tank farm city, marine transport service, dairy farm, poultry farm, pharmaceutical company, maize farm, quarries and cement factory.

    These, skeptical observers hope the zeal, which he has exhibited so far, should be the same till he drives all his projects to a conclusion. However, not everyone feels pessimistic about the new governor, as there are others who feel he has the drive to achieve everything he has outlined for the state.

    A resident of Calabar, Mr. Anthony Effiong, said, “The way he started shows he is headed in the right direction for a state like Cross River. It is the tonic for change. Being gentlemanly would not work. Locking out the civil servants shows he is a man who means business and I hope the drive he has exhibited so far, helps him achieve most of his programmes.”

    Another resident, Mrs. Ekanem Offiong, said, “from all that he says so far that he would put in place, the new governor will no doubt transform the economy and ultimately the lives of Cross Riverians. I have complete confidence that he will do very well. This is a man who is driven. He has a passion to see things work. Skeptics should just wait and see what he will offer at the end of the day.

    “We have seen him sign the quality control deal for the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu super highway which the governor has proposed as one of his signature projects in his first tenure in Germany. This shows he is working and fast. We have faith in him. We just pray God gives him strength so he does not fail us. I must say that if that superhighway is the only thing he will achieve in this administration, his name will forever be written in gold.”

    The ball at moment is in Ayade’s court as Cross Riverians are watching to see if at the end of his tenure as governor, he would have walk his talk.

    “We are watching if he will do something that will improve our lives individually and as a state, that would be attributed to Prof Ayade when it is time for him to leave office. We appreciate all his promises, but we would patiently wait for the real and tangible manifestations.”

  • Ayade faults waste collection contractors

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade at the weekend slammed two contractors handling waste dispossal in Calabar South Local Government Area.

    The governor spoke after the expiration of the three-day ultimatum he gave them to either perform or be sacked.

    Addressing reporters at one of the refuse dumps on Afokang Street, Ayade ordered that the contract for the evacuation of waste be split into smaller units.

    The governor said the decision was prompted by the contractors’ alleged incompetence and lack of capacity to perform efficiently.

    He said: “The two contractors handling the evacuation of refuse in this area are unable to deliver; they do not have the capacity to perform. It is clear that the work is beyond their scope. The only alternative is to split it into smaller units so that they will meet the scope it takes to keep the town clean.”

    Ayade described the attitude of the contractors as unacceptable.

    He said: “For two contractors to handle this huge work with 18 trucks is not acceptable. All this must be brought to an end today.”

    He urged the chairman of Calabar South Local Government Area, Mrs. Marjorie Asuquo, who accompanied him during the inspection, to find young businessmen from the area to handle the work.

    Ayade said: “I cannot understand why the city is full of dirts while the governor’s route is always cleared. This cannot continue.”

  • Ayade abolishes anti-forestation task force

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has disbanded the anti-forestation task force.

    The task force was the brain child of former Governor Liyel Imoke to check illegal logging of forest reserves.

    A statement yesterday in Calabar, the state capital, by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Mr Freedom Ejom, said offenders would be summarily prosecuted.

    Also, the state’s weekly executive council meetings have been scrapped. In its place would be a monthly meeting, except for emergency situations, the statement said.

    The governor explained that from this month, his administration would struggle to pay workers’ salaries on the 25th of each month, from internally generated revenue.

    He said revenue-generating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are to immediately forward a detailed list of defaulters to the Ministry of Justice for necessary action.

    According to him, all buildings within the Calabar metropolis, which are located on flood plains and without approvals, are to be relocated or demolished.

    On the continued strike by the state’s chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ayade called for a “meaningful dialogue with the leadership of the union with a view to amicably resolve the impasse and the strike called off as soon as possible”.

  • I will fight poverty in Cross River, says Ayade

    I will fight poverty in Cross River, says Ayade

    Governor-elect of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, says fighting poverty would be his priority.

    Speaking in Calabar, he said, “I am the child of a poor man. I know there is hunger and hardship in the land. I know there is unemployment. And so I promise that as God has allowed the child of a poor man to become the governor, it means I know the cry of the poor people and that is why God made it possible to be here today. The people should not worry.

    “The time has come for us to put our hands together. We must take ourselves away from this poverty. We must rescue our generation. Tomorrow will be better. For the sake of our children, I put myself before the people to serve them in truth and faith. At the fullness of time when I am done with my four years, their situation would have changed forever.

    “The time has come for the child of the poor man to rise. The time has come for the downtrodden. They should worry no more because we are here to serve them.”

     

  • Huge crowds welcome Ayade to Cross River North

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, has promised to be fair to all parts of the state.

     He spoke duringa  tour of the five local government areas of Cross River North. He was   received by a record crowd at each stop.

    In each of the campaign stops, Ayade got overwhelming endorsements.

    In Obudu, Ayade was welcome by excited supporters who stormed the Obudu Township Stadium to receive him.

    They chanted “The eagle has landed”, “The best choice for the people of Cross River”, “Thank you Imoke for remembering Northern Cross River”.

    They described Imoke as a man of justice and equity who ensured that all the three senatorial zones took turns to produce a governor, adding that they would ensure a  100 per cent vote for President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidential election, as well as other party’s candidates in subsequent elections.

    While thanking the people for what he called the show of solidarity, Ayade urged them to go out and obtain their voter cards as that was one of the ways to show their support for the party and its candidates.

    Over 500 pupils of Saint Justine’s Primary School, Beten in Bekwarra Local Government Area, were in a jubilant mood when the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), led by the governor and chairman of its Campaign Council, Senator Liyel Imoke made a stopover to inspect an ongoing expansion projects being executed by the state government in the school.

    The pupils, who chanted “Thank you sir, God will bless you, thank you sir”, explained that their action was in appreciation of the party’s Ayade’s donation of exercise books and other instructional materials to them.

    Imoke, who introduced Ayade as the next governor of the state, hailed the pupils for appreciating their benefactor openly, not minding that they were not expected to take part in politics. He urged them to take their studies seriously.

    According to him, “I see in you great sons and daughters of this town so you must study hard. Some of you will be commissioners, ministers, legislators, governor or even the president.”

    The PDP candidate, while addressing supporters at a rally in Abuochiche, Bekwarra Council Secretariat, said he would re-organise the rice production sector, which the people were famous for, to enable Cross River become a major rice producing state as well as reduce its dependence on importation.

    Ayade said the nation spends about N4 billion on rice importation annually, noting that if the sector was properly harnessed: “Cross River will add economic value to the nation.”