The newly appointed Special Adviser on Skill Acquisition to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, Chief Ray Ugba Morphy, has pledged not receive salaries throughout the duration of his appointment.
He, however, promised to drive his new role equitably, saying the appointment is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the development of Cross River state.
Reacting to his appointment through a statement, Friday, Chief Ray Morphy, who resigned from former Governor Ben Ayade’s administration in 2016 as a Special Adviser, Strategy and National Contact, advised states in Nigeria to adopt the Cross River state model in skill acquisition.
“As a senior citizen of the state, consistently committed to progress of our beloved state, I put it on public record that I will function in this capacity to the best of my ability as a service to our people. Therefore, I will work.
“At this juncture of my life, I believe the renewal of Cross River and its upliftment should be the primary duty of all. I consider this appointment a call to service, not a call to feed on the lean resources of the state.
“I took the job as a volunteer because where we are now, all hands must be on the deck.
“It is important at this point in time, like Kennedy said: ‘Do not ask what the nation can do for you, rather ask what you can do for the nation’. Likewise, I do not ask what Cross River can do for me but what I can do for Cross River.
“Governor Otu, so far, is on the right track and he has assured me that Skill Acquisition will be a major plank of his administration,” the public analyst said.
Speaking on the importance of skill acquisition to the development of the state and Nigeria as a whole, the Cross River politician said: “Practically, skill acquisition is the way to go. Anybody who understands what is wrong with the country today, the crisis of unemployment, the crisis of under employment, will understand that the major cause of all these is inadequate preparation for the market place or inadequate preparation of our young persons for employment, for absorption in the industry.”
