Gov Ben Ayade, Thursday, launched Operation Akpakwu in Cross River State and donated over 100 vehicles including Hilux, saloon cars, power bikes as well as state of that arts communication gadget to combat crime in the state.
The Police Command in Cross River State has confirmed the killing of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Egbe Edum, by gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday in Calabar.
The command`s Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the death in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar.
Ugbo said that the deceased, who came into the state to see his family, was killed with an axe by the gunmen on the Murtala Mohammed Highway.
According to reports that the deceased was the Commander of the Police Mobile Force Squadron 73 in Magumeri, Borno.
Governor Ben Ayade has reaffirmed his commitment to eradicate infant mortality in Cross Rivers State. He disclosed this during the inauguration of the Modified Integrated Medical Outreach Programme, in Calabar, yesterday, saying a new strategy had been deployed to ensure the project gets to rural areas of the state.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu, the governor said his administration would ensure that no child died of preventable diseases.
“We have developed a new strategy to ensure that those who have not been reached will be reached at all cost. We are thankful the new programme has been founded and hope the purpose for which it was set up will be realised,” he said.
Director General, Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong, stated that the agency’s preoccupation was to ensure that infant and maternal mortality was completely erased in the state.
He said the target was to reach out to about 800,000 infants, pregnant and vulnerable women in hard to reach areas in the state.
Read Also: Gov Ayade Never Gave Us Money ― TUC Reveals
National facilitator for project, Hadiza Jubril, said over three million children are un-immunized and that the project was aimed at reaching these children.
When it was initially difficult after taking office, some of them tried to protest. But they were soon invited to a meeting with the Chief of Staff to governor Ayade and reminded of how they were hand-picked into office. They were cowed.
Aside from the fact that they still don’t have direct access to their monthly allocations as stipulated in the NFIU rules, deductions are still been made from the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee JAAC account, lawlessly by the governor with the active connivance and collaboration of the LG Chairmen.
A letter titled *”REMITTANCE OF FUNDS: PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES FOR CHAIRMEN, VICE CHAIRMEN AND LEADERS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS”* signed by Mr Jacob Adie, a Deputy Director of Accounts JAAC, for the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs Stella Odey, which has been obtained by *CrossRiverWatch,* reads in part: “In compliance with the guidelines of the NFIU and approval from His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State;
“In line with the above, therefore, I request the Local Government Councils to remit the sum of N67,777,777.78k (sixty-seven million, seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven Naira, seventy-eight kobo) only, being funds for the procurement of the above vehicles to the account details specified below as soon as Council account is credited.
Account Name: CRS Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Common Services Account. Bank: First Bank of Nigeria
Account No: 2033935968.
The letter which did not specify the section of the NFIU guidelines it was complying with, was dated September 2, 2020, with reference number: MLGA/S/JAAC/40/Vol. 1/847 and addressed to all 18 LG Chairmen and the monies, totalling N1,220,000,000.04 Kobo (One billion, two hundred and twenty million, four kobo), have since been remitted as directed.
In a related development, the illegal deduction of N2.5 million monthly, under SECURITY COVERAGE sub-head, which subsisted during the reign of the immediate past Heads of Local Government Administrators HOLGAs, has been edged higher.
An investigation by Crossrivers watch gathered that after some of the LG Chairmen unsuccessfully protested the deduction of N2.5million monthly from their allocations for security coverage, they decided to strike a ‘deal’ with the government house.
The protest of the LG Chairmen according to multiple sources in several LGAs, was because, after the withdrawal of N2.5million from their accounts, the Councils are only given 500k and asked to retire the N2.5million and some felt that security at the LGA is something that the LG Chairmen can do by themselves with the N2.5million.
When the protest didn’t yield the desired result, the LG Chairmen then decided to connive with the Ministry to pad N2.7million into the monthly security coverage subhead, making it N5.2million, up from N2.5 million per LGA.
The N2.7million padding also had a sharing formula. N1million for the Councilors and N1.7million for each Council Chairman, while the N2.5million is said to be remitted to the State House of Assembly, though this claim hasn’t been independently verified by CrossRiverWatch.
But even with this compromised sharing formula, CrossRiverWatch learnt that the Chairmen are up in arms with the Ministry because after remitting N5.2million, the State kept N4.2million and only gave the Chairmen N1million against what was agreed.
Source: CrossRiverWatch.com
Unknown gunmen have allegedly kidnapped three persons, including one Dr. Anthony Egbe, a staff of the University of Calabar in Cross River State.
Egbe was kidnapped on Saturday, August 29, 2020, at Etak Ukana in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state.
Another victim, one Mr. Effiom Edem Asuquo, was also abducted on September 1, 2020, at Akwa Ikot Effanga, in the same Akpabuyo Local Government Area, three days after Egbe’s abduction.
Asuquo, according to sources, was kidnapped in the evening by some gunmen who took him to an unknown destination.
DAILY POST learnt that an unnamed Pastor was kidnapped on the night of September 1, 2020, at Atu Street, Calabar South Local Government Area.
This is the fourth time a case of kidnapping has been reported in Cross River State within one week after the abduction of a female pediatrician, Dr. Vivien Otu, last Friday in Calabar, the state capital.
When contacted on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Irene Ugbo, lamented the rising cases of kidnapping in the last few months.
She said the command was aware of the kidnap cases in Akpabuyo, “We are aware of the recent kidnapping in the state, the Commissioner of Police is very sad about it because before these recent ones, the state has been quiet and calm since he came a month now and wondered the sudden increase,” the PPRO said.
She explained further that the Commissioner of Police, CP Abdulkadir Jimoh had a meeting on Wednesday with all the senior officers in the Command and had been having series of meetings to ensure that strategies are put in place to curb the kidnapping issues
“Of course, you know that the year is coming to an end and the ‘ember’ month has come and the hoodlums would want to use the opportunity because of the festive period to launch attack but not to worry, we have put strategies in place and we have gotten some vital information, which we are working on. I am very hopeful that the kidnappers will be arrested and the victims rescued,” the PPRO assured.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested five suspected cultists in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, found with human skulls.
Danjuma Elisha, Cross River state commandant of NSCDC, said the suspects were apprehended following a raid on a compound in the Ogoja area.
He said;
“This is a case of suspected cultism, ritualists in Ogoja Local Government Area. They were found with all the items they used in their activities.
“We raided the place because it is a compound. Eventually, four of them were found to be the people involved. So we are targeting them this time for the public to see.”
The suspects will be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, Elisha added.
Eleven Suspected Cultists Arrested During Initiation
Anaedoonline had reported a few days ago about Fifty-six suspected cultists that have been arrested with human skulls in Calabar and Ogoja, Cross River State. 51 suspects, who were intercepted at the 8 Miles area of Calabar on their way to Akwa Ibom State, were paraded on Wednesday by the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh.
In a related development, five suspected cultists were arrested with a human skull by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Cross River State.
According to him, the suspects, comprising 46 males and five females, were arrested with three human skulls on Monday, August 17, 2020.
“On Monday, I got information that suspected cultists were driving dangerously, hoisting the black and red flags, and disturbing the peace on the Goodluck Jonathan Road, and driving towards 8 Miles.
‘They were seriously pursued and intercepted at 8 Miles. “When they were arrested and brought to the headquarters, there were 51 of them. Forty-six are males and five are females.
The suspects confessed to be cultists from the Akpabuyo Local Government Area and were on their way to Akwa Ibom State. And when they were searched, three fresh human skulls were recovered from their masquerade regalia.
“Two Hiace buses with number plates KAM 541 XA and XA 668 UGB, two motorcycles, five machetes, and three red flags with human skulls drawn on them were recovered from the suspects.
They all confessed to being members of the Nnabor Confraternity and they are the people responsible for the series of kidnapping and other vices in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area, and by extension, some parts of Calabar municipality.
“The command will undertake a forensic analysis of the skulls to determine whether they belong to some of these people that have been declared missing or some of the victims they killed. The suspects have been profiled and they will face the full wrath of the law.
“I was born to see the regalia from our great-grandparents. I don’t know anything about the human skulls.
We took this masquerade regalia from our community town hall. We rented it from the owner. The masquerade is a tradition of the Efik. We went for burial at Obot Akara in Akwa Ibom State,” he stated.
The state Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Danjuma Elisha, while parading the suspects on Wednesday in Calabar, said they were nabbed on Tuesday in the Ogoja Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the suspects were arrested following a tip-off that suspected cultists from rival groups had a confrontation.
“On August 18, 2020, our attention was drawn to a cult confrontation at No. 50 Mission Road, Igoli, Ogoja. “Upon arrival at the scene, our men found a human skull and other bones believed to be human bones.
The team decided to swiftly pick the items and the persons found within the vicinity for scrutiny. “Ten persons were picked up and after interrogation, five were identified as having questions to answer in relation to the items found.”
Fifty-six suspected cultists have been arrested with human skulls in Calabar and Ogoja, Cross River State. 51 suspects, who were intercepted at the 8 Miles area of Calabar on their way to Akwa Ibom State, were paraded on Wednesday by the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh.
In a related development, five suspected cultists were arrested with a human skull by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Cross River State.
According to him, the suspects, comprising 46 males and five females, were arrested with three human skulls on Monday, August 17, 2020.
“On Monday, I got information that suspected cultists were driving dangerously, hoisting the black and red flags, and disturbing the peace on the Goodluck Jonathan Road, and driving towards 8 Miles.
‘They were seriously pursued and intercepted at 8 Miles. “When they were arrested and brought to the headquarters, there were 51 of them. Forty-six are males and five are females.
The suspects confessed to be cultists from the Akpabuyo Local Government Area and were on their way to Akwa Ibom State. And when they were searched, three fresh human skulls were recovered from their masquerade regalia.
“Two Hiace buses with number plates KAM 541 XA and XA 668 UGB, two motorcycles, five machetes, and three red flags with human skulls drawn on them were recovered from the suspects.
They all confessed to be members of the Nnabor Confraternity and they are the people responsible for the series of kidnapping and other vices in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area, and by extension, some parts of Calabar municipality.
“The command will undertake a forensic analysis of the skulls to determine whether they belong to some of these people that have been declared missing or some of the victims they killed. The suspects have been profiled and they will face the full wrath of the law.
“I was born to see the regalia from our great-grandparents. I don’t know anything about the human skulls.
We took this masquerade regalia from our community town hall. We rented it from the owner. The masquerade is a tradition of the Efik. We went for a burial at Obot Akara in Akwa Ibom State,” he stated.
The state Commandant, NSCDC, Mr Danjuma Elisha, while parading the suspects on Wednesday in Calabar, said they were nabbed on Tuesday in the Ogoja Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the suspects were arrested following a tip-off that suspected cultists from rival groups had a confrontation.
“On August 18, 2020, our attention was drawn to a cult confrontation at No. 50 Mission Road, Igoli, Ogoja. “Upon arrival at the scene, our men found a human skull and other bones believed to be human bones.
The team decided to swiftly pick the items and the persons found within the vicinity for scrutiny. “Ten persons were picked up and after interrogation, five were identified as having questions to answer in relation to the items found.”
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode says Nigeria needs more governors like Sir Ben Ayade of Cross River State given his impactful style of governance.
Speaking during his tour of some major projects of the Ayade-led administration, including the fully furnished social housing scheme allocated to the displaced people of Bakassi in Ifia Ayong, Bakassi Local Government Area, Fani-Kayode lauded the governor for changing the narrative of the internally displaced people through the provision of tastefully furnished houses.
Read Also: Gov Ayade Never Gave Us Money ― TUC Reveals
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, who described the apartments as a luxury, said he had never seen their kind anywhere in the country constructed for the internally displaced people (IDPs).
“Having gone round this country, to places like Southern Kaduna IDP camp, the North East IDP camp, there is absolutely no comparison to what I have seen here today. Believe me, you should be thanking God that you have this kind of governor. It is a very different story in those IDP camps.
“No doubt you have a government that is doing its best. The governor could do a lot more if the federal government has been supporting.”
Insisting that the houses in Ifia Ayong have the best of facilities, Fani-Kayode said: “In other IDP camps, you have substantial population of the people that have absolutely nothing, no shelter, no water, no electricity, no food, it is more like some kind of a ghetto or concentration camps. It has taken a lot of effort from people to try and help them, but they are now way compared to what you have here.”
Continuing, he said: “Look at what you have here, you have houses that have been built, a housing estate fully furnished with tarred roads and you can just walk round the estate, you have power, you have water, you have a beautiful and peaceful scenery. It is more like a holiday resort.
Read Also: Cross River Govt Demolishes Mini-estate Owned By Kidnap kingpin
While urging other leaders to take a cue from Ayade and make the people a priority, the former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to former President Olusegun Obasanjo said: “We need more of this types of things in other states, we need more governors like this.
‘We need more people like this across this country who truly love their people. Let this serve as an example to other governors, to other leaders in this country that the priority ought to be the people.”
He decried the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, saying “it should never have been the case because you have been robbed in my view.
“The ruling of the Court was that they (Cameroon) could take the Bakassi peninsula, but once that had been done, it had to be ratified by the Nigerian legislature and there had to be a referendum, a plebiscite for the people of Bakassi to agree to that.
“Painfully, you were not given the opportunity of having a referendum, the matter never went to the National Assembly and consequently in my view, I would argue strongly that this territory that was ceded to the Cameroon was unlawful and therefore still belongs to Nigeria.
‘And if I were president Buhari today, and I remember vividly his promises during campaigns where he said he will look into the issue of Bakassi if elected president. I would urge him to return our honour to us as a nation.”
While speaking, Governor Ayade said: “The former minister, even though not a Cross Riverian, has a deep knowledge of the pains and the sufferings of the people of Cross River State.”
Chiding the federal government for what he said was a gross act of insensitivity towards the state, the governor quipped: “I am shocked that this country is watching what is happening to this state.
‘We are not part of the 13% derivation, we are like a weeping child in NDDC, we have no say because it is on the basis of the quantum of oil produced that NDDC allocates projects.
“We have lost our oil wells, the N500m per month as agreed is not coming, the N15bn every two years is not coming. We have just been reduced to want in body, in spirit, in soul and in our finances.
Female footballers in Cross River State, the Pelican Stars have protested the non-payment of their 14 month salaries.
Female footballers in Cross River State, the Pelican Stars have protested the non-payment of their 14 month salaries.
Captain of the team, Miss Hodo Williams who spoke to the reporters on Wednesday on behalf of the team, said they would all remain at the entrance of the governor’s office and would not move unless they were paid.
“We are owed 14 months salaries, this month inclusive and we will sleep at the entrance of the governor’s office unless we are addressed by Gov. Ben Ayade or his Deputy.
“We spoke to our chairman yesterday and it was still the same old story of we want to meet the governor to grant his final approval for you to be paid but we are tired of waiting from last year,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Calabar based female football club, Mr Kombor Sam, said every recommendation as directed by the governor had been fulfilled and the papers sent to his office, what was left was his endorsement.
“I am also helpless because we have done all we were told to do, all we are waiting for now is the authorisation of payment and that only comes from the governor,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner for Sports Mr Offu Aya said the ministry had done all it was supposed to do and was awaiting the governor’s approval.
“We started the process of getting their money before the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) state Congress issues started which has taken the governor’s attention.
“All I know is that this congress will be concluded by Saturday, August 15, so, when it is concluded, they have no option than to pay the girls, the cash is there, I can attest to that, he said.
The players of the Pelican Stars Football Club had earlier protested in June over the same issue of unpaid salaries from May 2019, till date.
The leadership crisis that has bedeviled the State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Cross River State in the past five years has continued to linger despite recent Appeal Court Judgement and the subsequent development at the national level which led to the dissolution of the National Working Committee through the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chairman of one of the factions in Cross River state, Chief Etim John Thursday in Calabar issued a statement to party members intimating them that he has been restored as the State Chairman of the party following a directive from the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Committee of APC.
The acclaimed mandate of Etim John has been a subject of various litigations most of which were instituted by his faction against that led by late Dr. Mathew Achibe, whose deputy, Sir John Ochala is now serving in an acting capacity
Over a month ago, the now dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had affirmed Sir John Ochala as the authentic acting chairman of Cross River State Executive Committee of the party.
The party also warned impostors parading themselves as factional party executives in the State to desist or face legal charges for impersonation.
The party’s position was contained in a statement signed by its then National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu in Abuja.
The statement further said that the party’s position was affirmed by a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on 23rd April 2020, which recognizes the Sir John Ochala-led Cross River State Executive as authentic and legitimate.
According to the statement, “In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justices Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, Adamu Jauro and Peter Olabisi Ige, the Court of Appeal affirmed the Sir John Ochala-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Cross River State Executive as the authentic and recognized executive in the state.”
“The Appeal Court also nullified an earlier ruling by an Abuja High Court for lacking territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit brought by a supposed factional APC executive in Cross River State.”
However the recent statement from Etim John is citing the hours between June 24th and 25th when President Buhari recognized Victor Giadom as the lawful interim National Chairman of the Party before he, (President Buhari) presided over the Party’s NEC meeting where the NWC led by Adams Oshiomohle, which Giadom was part of, was dissolved.
Etim John in his claims says, “I have been directed by the National Caretaker Committee of our great party vide a memo on the 1st of July, 2020 and duly signed by the National Secretary of the committee to coordinate with the State Legal Adviser and State Secretary to encourage members who have instituted matters against the party to withdraw the same within 14days from 1st July 2020. Documentary evidence along with withdrawal processes to be forwarded to the National Chairman, Caretaker Committee of our great party.”
He also told the party members in the same statement that he was “officially notifying party faithful’s that INEC is organizing and putting finishing touches for our rerun elections into vacant seats as a result of the demise of Late Senator Rose Okoh of the National Assembly and Late Hon. Godwin Akwaji of the Cross River State House of Assembly all in the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State. May their souls rest in the bosom of Abraham with the Lord. Amen!”
Adding, “I urge and appeal to all aspirants and their supporters to exercise restraints during this period of consultation and other arrangements. I, therefore, admonish them to get acquainted with the present realities in the party and to touch base with the State Party Secretariat at NO. 117 Ndidem Usang Iso Road, Calabar for updates.”
Besides the statement to party members which he personally signed, Etim John also paid a courtesy visit to some security agencies in the state, including the Department of State Security Service.