Paradise News

Category: Opinion

  • Cross Riverians question the whereabouts of Green Police

    By Inyali Peter 


    Five months after inauguration, Cross Riverians are yet to see any Green Police Officer apart from Governor Ben Ayade. Could it be that the governor inaugurated himself alone and deceived others? 
    Governor Ben Ayade during the inauguration of the Cross River State Green Police 
    I was contacted by one of the supposed Green Police officers today complaining that he and many others are very disappointed that five months after, they have not received a dine and have no job description.

    In his words: “Good evening sir. My name is… (Withheld). I am calling you because I have read a lot of your articles on Facebook and you have convinced me that you’re a concerned Cross Riverian.

    “Sir, this is almost five months since our inauguration as Green Police but as I speak, I have not received a dine from government and no job to do. The governor inaugurated us and abandoned us. If you know what I personally went through during the screening, you won’t believe. Oga please write something about this so that even if the governor has forgotten about it, he will remember”.

    Well, I honestly sympathise with him and others who were hoodwinked by Governor Ayade to believe the mirage of the Green Police propaganda.

    I would have loved to write explicitly about this but this is not really the best of times for our dear governor. What is running through him now is the likely outcome of December 9th Supreme Court verdict on the perjury suit filed against him by Joe Agi, SAN.

    So my brother, I strongly advised you to engage yourself in more useful venture and forget about the deceit of Ayade in the form of Green Police. We may never have another officer apart from the governor himself.

  • Sale Of National Assets Is Wicked And Selfish – CRS PFN Chairman

    Few days ago, the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote refused the approach of him buying the NLNG and the National Assests, a situation where Dr. Lawrence Ekwok, the Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Cross River State Chapter, has described the proposed sale of some national assets by the Federal Government as “ Not only a wicked and selfish call, it is evil and devilish”.

    Dr. Ekwok said this while speaking at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria solemn assembly held recently in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    His words, “The first issue I will like to touch is the issue of the proposed sale of national assets. Before taking a position on this matter I would like to enjoin us to recall the past, ask questions about what happened to Nigeria’s national assets that were sold under the guise of commercialization and privatization in the past”.

    Adding that: “The Ajaokuta Steel Company for instance was built then at the cost of 3.3 billion dollars, but was sold at a paltry sum of 250 million dollars to a Russian company known as Rusa. As if that was not enough day light robbery on Nigerians. Only 130 million dollars of the 250 million dollars was paid. Nothing has been heard about the balance till date. Delta Steel Company valued by PBE at 225 billion naira was sold at 4.5 billion naira only”.

    He went on to reveal that, “Of a total of well over 100 companies owned by the Nigerian people otherwise known as national assets that were sold, only a paltry 301 billion naira was realized and out of this amount, 36.1 billion naira was spent on transaction cost”.

    According to the Cross River PFN Chairman, “Based on this scenario therefore, Nigerians must today reject and resist vehemently this planned day light robbery called proposed sale of national assets”.

    Concluding, he urged Cross Riverians and Nigerians at large to depend more on the result their skills can provide and acquire more capacity and also appealed to wealthy Nigerians to give back to the country and not seek to buy national assets that will continue to enrich them at the expense of the country.

    As a Nigerian, do you support the selling of the National assets? Your opinion counts, please drop your comments below…

  • Proceeds of President Buhari’s biography donated to persons displaced by Boko Haram

    The American author of the biography of President Muhammadu Buhari, John Paden, has donated the proceeds of the Book “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria” to charity efforts in the North East of the country. 

    The book was launched Monday in Abuja at the International Conference Centre.

    Mr. Paden, a Professor of International Studies said “let me say that the proceeds of the launch of this book will all go to some select charities including humanitarian aid to the Internally Displaced People (from Boko Haram activities) in the North East.”

    Although the event was well attended by very wealthy individuals, the organisers also announced that no one would be allowed to make huge donations or purchase copies in millions of Naira.

    Rather, one of the organisers, Samaila Funtua, announced that the cover price of the book was pegged at N1500 for the soft cover, N2500 for the hard cover and N10,000 for the leather cover.

    Therefore, the two presenters of the Book, Abdulsamad Rabiu and Tunde Folawiyo, simply announced they were purchasing two copies for each of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    Before the presentation, chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, said Mr. Buhari “deserves all the praises” being showered on him.

    He said Mr. Buhari has always done well both as a soldier and a politician “in all assignments given to him within Nigeria and outside. Hence he catapulted to the top within a short time.”

    Mr. Gowon said Mr. Buhari had been told several times that he would not see the inside of the Presidential Villa as a president. He said after four attempts, Mr. Buhari finally succeeded.

    “2015 was an affirmation that persistence pays,” Mr. Gowon said.

    The former Head of State said Mr. Buhari is doing his best as a president “to restore the economy and alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

    Shortly after the presentation by the chairman of the occasion, four persons were called upon to review the book.

    The first to mount the podium was a former Governor of Lagos state and leader of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.

    Mr. Tinubu praised Mr. Buhari for what he termed his “heroic role” in the formation of the APC which he said led to the “rescue of Nigeria”.

    He also recalled the failure of the major opposition parties to form alliance on the eve of the 2011 election. He, however, said efforts made were consolidated after the election which saw the formation of the APC in 2013.

    On his part, a former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, said even though he has spent an appreciable length of time in Nigeria, he was speaking from an American perspective.

    He said the US has always been paying attention to Nigeria, especially in the area of oil and gas as well as peacemaking efforts across Africa. He said Mr. Buhari has always been involved in both projects.

    Mr. Campbell said the book should be widely read not just by Nigerians, but “in Washington, New York and London”.

    He also commended Mr. Buhari for his “deep concern for female education” and his consistent patriotism both as a military officer and later Head of State.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, who also reviewed the book said Mr. Buhari is one of only two Nigerians to serve both as a Head of State and a President.

    Mr. Onu said Mr. Buhari is the first person to defeat an incumbent president and that he is the first one to win an election and have his opponent call to congratulate him and without going to court.

    He also said Mr. Buhari is the “first to Command three of the then Four divisions of the Nigerian Army “.

    A former Nigerian permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Gambari who also served as Nigeria’s foreign Minister under Mr. Buhari, took time to brief the audience about the humorous nature of the president.

    Mr. Gambari also said contrary to perception, Mr. Buhari always succumbed to superior arguments during cabinet meetings.

    He said Mr. Buhari as Head of State withdrew memos due to superior arguments from cabinet member who were “bloody civilians” .

    He also said it was erroneous for some to consider the president as a religious bigot. He said if he was one, he would not have chosen Tunde Bakare and Yemi Osinbajo accomplished pastors of some of the largest Christian congregations in Nigeria as running mates.

    The Special Guest of Honour at the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his brief remarks also eulogised Mr. Buhari.

    He said he has had a lot of “encounters” with the president due to some political differences. He, however, said those differences never affected their personal relationship.

    Mr. Obasanjo said he took time to read the book and that it is “is surely intriguing, inspiring and a mix of history and current affairs together”.

    On the insistence of the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Buhari was invited to the podium for a remark. The president simply thanked the audience for sparing time to attend the launch.

    He said he was surprised by the large turnout given that Monday was a public holiday and many would have taken advantage to be with their loved ones.

    He also thanked Mr. Paden “who tolerated me for the stories I tried to tell him”.

    He said the ability of Mr. Paden to put everything he was told in the way that he did showed his high level of intellectual capacity.

    The presentation was attended by the Presidents of Niger, Chad and Benin Republic.

  • Governor Ayade to the Rescue of APC and matters arising

    By Vena Ikem


    It is interesting that as part of Gov Ayade’s survival strategy he yesterday made a presentation to one unsuspecting very senior member of the President Buhari’s government that his travails are as a result of his dogged support of APC in Cross River State which has pitched him against the Governors of APC in the South South zone and for which reason they have connived against him to the point of conspiring to remove him from office as Governor of Cross River State and so requires support of the federal Govt! 
    As a result he was promised not just protection but a robust program that includes handing over all the structures of the APC in the state to him, on his promise that once he is not removed by the Supreme Court come December, 9th, he will immediately decamp to APC and make the Party even stronger in the state!

    He followed this up with an attempt to visit justice Onoghen with Liyel Imoke, which visit was rebuffed as they could not gain access to see the respected judge for obvious reasons.

    It is remarkable to note that this drowning man is not deterred in his usual tactics. The misinformed official did not hesitate and without any effort to confirm these wishy washy stories of the Gov went ahead to make robust promises he is not in a position to fulfill independent of other party leaders, apparently acting out of the obvious cash inducement that is all the signature of Gov Ayade

    If he had bothered to seek the opinion of party leaders from Cross River State, of course he would have been appropriately informed that the Gov is anything but a liability on any party he joins right now. Having lost credibility on his platform and fearing the worse he has been doing the rounds offering money to anyone who offers to assist him hang onto an office he has so roundly desecrated in pursuit of self aggrandizement. It will interest this official to note that as Gov Ayade is on his knees begging him, so is he on his knees begging all those with access to Gov. Wike of Rivers state to forgive him for betraying the PDP, vowing never to do the same again as he was only misunderstood!

    We understand that bursting from the euphoria and excitement of this promise Gov Ayade rose from kneeling down to confess that for the first time since the last supreme court sitting over his matter he will be able to sleep without the aid of sleeping pills!

    Not so fast your Excellency! Whatever arrangements reached with this senior official of govt seems to have taken for granted the teeming supporters of the Party who risk isolation if the Gov is given privileges he does not deserve. In the first place who will guarantee his support within the APC? At a time when his own party members are already celebrating his imminent departure, is it the APC members he has been trampling underfoot that will provide the buffer for him to land after destroying everything the state holds dear? This certainly will not only be counter productive to the very fundamentals of democracy but the very idea of the change Agenda that the APC represents.

    It is no longer news that Gov Ayade pocketed the money the federal government provided as bail out of salaries of public servants, a fact the President himself is well aware of, and the state govt is currently owing local govt staff 4 months salaries arrears while pretending in the press that he is not owing any salaries. It is an open secret that he diverted several months of federal allocation to his brother’s personal account for which his brother, Frank Ayade, popularly known and addressed as Co governor in Cross River State is being investigated by the EFCC.

    It is also common knowledge that this is a Gov who hoodwinked the president into going to flag off a fraudulent super Highway with fanfare only as a prelude to scam unsuspecting foreign and local investors into a punzy scheme of multi million dollars while degrading our forest reserves by exploiting the timber resources in this virgin forest for personal commercial interests.

    Is this what the CHANGE agenda will turn out to be? It is one thing to attempt to make the masses of our people to reason with the change Agenda and the problems of delivering on our promises. It is another thing entirely if we start embracing fraudulent political actors who believe that they can buy their way in all circumstances by buying up officials of govt with access to decision making no matter what financial crimes they commit.

    Clearly Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State is a character to watch carefully. From the inception if his administration since 17 months now, nothing he has done has not been shadowed by fraud : the superhighway( which was dead on arrival) the garment factory( whose ownership is shadowed in mystery between private directors and state funds and no single staff contrary to claims of employment ) , the Green police (which existed only for the flag off as there is no sign whatsoever of such a force in the state) . In short in Cross River State today his uncommon convoy is greeted with “one chance governor”! , which insinuation is rather unwholesome, for the image of this administration, to say the least. You can please verify my assertions here.

    Governor Ayade stands appropriately to be removed from office as governor if it is found that he falsified his basic documents like age declarations, not just once but three times!, as his Party has confessed before the Supreme Court that he was fielded in error, given the serial falsification of documents before the court!

    What on earth would it profit APC to take over such a liability when he would not even qualify to recontest the election in such an eventuality? Are we so lacking in confidence in our own party members that we must take every and any rogue candidate instead of building our own? It is a prospect too mind-boggling to imagine.

    In the last nine months the APC in Cross River State has grown from strength to strength, building daily and has attained great heights too dear for a fraudulent hijack of this nature! If anything, Gov Ayade will drive more people out of the Party, who ran away from him, back into PDP than he can ever attract or even carry over from PDP because of his signature in failure and opaque leadership that has been a litany of financial impropriety, maladministration, even fraud, to say the least.

    Kindly investigate all claims being made here and you will only come up with the inevitable conclusion that they are all understatements to say the least.

    Yes, it is good to have governors move into the party but, all governors are not just governors. Some are a shame to the name. Ayade unfortunately is one of those that no party can be proud to call one of its own, most of all, not the APC!

    If we must even lose election, let us by all means lose with dignity!

  • Cross River’s Growing Tribe Of Political Holigans by Obasesam Arikpo

    By Obasesam Arikpo

    It is becoming increasingly embarrassing, especially to sensible and conscionable citizens of Cross River State, how political wannabes who always want to be heard for the sake of being heard have elevated social activism to the height of debauchery in the state. I have tried all this while to ignore these hustlers who in their sheer murderous fantasy and abjectness do not see anything good in any government in the state to continue to wallow in their sentimental political hallucinations. But since ignoring them would seem as though they are above reproach and since their antics might adversely affect the smooth operation of government in the state through the sentiments and disaffection that they wittingly and unwittingly plant in the hearts of the good people of my dear state, I have no choice but to address these limpid ingrates in their true and original titles.

    Known all over the state as professional noisemakers, pimps, sociopaths, or political killjoys, these fellows are not driven by any genuine political ideology. Because they are not sellable materials, they cannot vie for any elective office and even when some of them had tried to do so in the past, it was just an attempt to be noticed and to bargain for stomach infrastructure. One of them, Okoi Obono Obla who confessed to have started his public noisemaking in 1992, happens to be one of Nigeria’s dullest lawyers who lacks the intellectual grace for critical elucidation and articulation. The other one, Utum Eteng, who loves publicity more than truth, is even a little better than Obla in the sense that he manages to pontificate on certain issues but lacks the moral high ground to call a spade by its name. The last in the league of the professional hackers is their lackey, Paul Ifere, a well known truant who is neither here nor there.

    In terms of focus, the main thrust of their constant negative campaigns against any government in the state that does not bribe them is the self contradiction inherent in the effort to maintain optimum conditions within the constraints of an artificially imposed hierarchy. It is indeed embarrassing that these newt-headed buffoons who are shamelessly walloping in primitive disdain hail from Ugep, one of the emerging urban communities in the state. The good people of Umor Otutu Kingdom who are largely enlightened due to their exposure and high investment in western education are constantly embarrassed by the activities of these social vagabonds who are ceaselessly dragging their hard earned reputation to the mud. Since the emergence of the current political dispensation in 1999, these apostles of hate and vendetta have only one source of livelihood- the polling down of people in positions of authority. They fought Donald Duke who governed the state between 1999 and 2007 to a standstill. The moment he invited them to help in drafting the agreement for the mindless vending of state assets to cronies in the privatization gambit, they started giving him a breather.

    Then came Senator Liyel Imoke, their fellow Atam from the same Cross River Central Senatorial district, who governed the state between 2007 and 2015. A consummate aristocratic politician with patrician grace, Imoke tolerated virtually all their antics and misgivings and tried to accommodate them in the scheme of things. He placed some of them on monthly stipends and sponsored the education of their children and wards. The moment he could no longer tolerate their invidious shenanigans they retreated into the camp of his political enemies and traducers and launched their campaign of calumny against him. Okoi Obla who used to frequent Imoke’s Abuja home cap in hand to collect money became the former governor’s greatest nightmare especially when his erstwhile benefactor was no longer meeting his bogus financial demands. Okoi wrote over 30 frivolous petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Imoke, and all of them met a dry well. Today, the sitting governor Prof. Benedict Ayade is at the receiving end of their tomfoolery and ribaldry. As I write, they are in a litigation trying to smear the image of the governor over a non-existent sum of N6bn which they alleged was given to him in 2015. And in this era of criminalization of political enemies when people swallow hook, line and sinker any wild allegation of corruption, some would admit that they are making sense.

    If you think that their current hobnobbing with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre is borne out of a strong ideological underpinning, you are dead wrong. It is part of the bandwagon effect of a system in which political patronage attracts the highest return on investment. These people are not just political jobbers, they are political harlots of monumental proportions. If their influx into APC does not yield any material benefits to them at the soonest possible time, they would bulge out to become the worst attackers of the party. That has been their stock in trade. Utum Eteng was the principal secretary to the late national vice chairman (South South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief A. K. Dikibo. The party made him a member of election petitions tribunal for Ogun state where he made so much money. As soon as the cash stopped flowing he became one of the party’s most hostile attackers. Okoi Obla too was with National Conscience Party from where he started jumping from one party to another until their current flirtation with the APC. Even with the ruling party at the centre where they are joiners, they do not want to see the original founders of the party in the state.

    If their new found craze for the APC is not motivated by the desire for personal material gain why won’t they submit themselves to the existing hierarchy of the party in the state chapter? Why don’t they want to see Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, the immediate past chairman of the party in the state and current minister of the Niger Delta Affairs and his team that had been on ground and worked for the party’s victory at the centre? Why are they persistently plotting for the removal of Usani and trying to block members of his camp from being appointed into positions of authority by the Federal Government? That these fellows do not want to change from their shallow and hypocritical pastime even within their new party accentuates the fact that their vacillation has no end in sight. And because president Muhammadu Buhari has carefully blocked all loopholes for easy or unearned money, they think that it is by trying to intimidate Ayade that the governor could part with the meagre income of the state for their selfish ends. It is high time the people of Cross River state waged a war against these braggarts and their sponsors who are planting seeds of discord everywhere just to undermine development in the state.

    Arikpo is an Ugep-based commentator on national issues.

  • Ogoja slaying it for Jedy-Agba as he distributes 44 Motorcycles to Ward Chairmen

    The dusty town of Ogoja became dustier on Saturday, the 1st of October, 2016.

    On that day last week, Cars of different types and shade took to this accient town as people from all works of life gathered in the town to celebrate APC.

    First of all, it was a time chosen for the Northern Senatorial Stakeholders of the APC to meet and discuss the growth of the party in the northern districts.

    Hon Jedy-Agba distributing 44 Motorcycles to Ward in Ogoja Local Government Council 

    Secondly, Dr Julius Okpotu finally declared and decamped officially from the Labour Party to APC with over 3000 thousand supporters from Yala LGA, and other supporters from different LGAs in the Northern Senatorial District. Supporters of Dr Julius Okpotu also came from the Central Senatorial District, like places in Ikom, Boki, and Yakurr. Dr Julius Okpotu contested the senate senatorial elections against Hon Rose Oko and fought a worthy battle in the tribunal until the matter was struck out.

    Thirdly, it was a day that Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba kept aside to also use as a point of reaching out thousand of APC Supporters in the Northern District. For anything, it was a show of solidarity for Prince Jedy-Agba to make a statement to the ruling PDP in Cross River State that APC is very much on the ground in the Northern Senatorial District. As expected, the even turned out over 5000 supporters from different villages and LGA in the five LGA in the Northern District.

    More than 500 supporters of Goddy Jedy-Agba travelled with the bus he donated. While the bus could only carry 18 passengers, a larger percentage travelled by their own personal means just so they could identify with his good gestures of uplifting the APC wellbeing in the State.

    According to people who attended the event, they said that the event raised lots of dust and noise. It was one of the well attended APC event since the APC came on board in Ogoja.

    About 44 motorcycles were distributed to ward chairmen.

    Handing out the keys of the motorcycles, Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, as was represented by Rt Honorable Paul Adah, told the Ward Chairmen that the motorcycles were meant to be used as a means of transportation to party meetings.

    He reiterated that the motorcycles were not given as a empowerment for commercial motorcycling by the Ward Chairmen. He advised them to shun actions that will classify the Ward Chairmen as Okada people.

    Receiving the motorcycles the Chapter Chairmen praised and thanked Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba. Many of the recipients prayed God to bless the hands of the giver, especially at this trying times.

  • Cross River State has taken measures to survive recession – Gov Ayade

    Cross River State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. John Gaul Lebo (Centre Left) with Deputy Governor, Prof Ivara Esu (Centre Right) 
    By Ulayi Emmanuel 

    Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State at the weekend disclosed that the state has taken viable economic measures to come out of the present recession confronting the country. Even as he enjoined all Cross river to make more sacrifices today in the overall benefit of the collective future of the state.

    He made the assertion at 56th independence anniversary of Nigeria celebration at the U J Esuene stadium in Calabar.

    The governor in his speech read by his deputy Prof Ivara Esu maintained that his administration has taken bold steps in reducing unemployment and creating a virile environment for all to thrive”. His words:” my administration is hugely committed to entrench change in governance and also aware of the social economic, political Development as a nation.”

    Continuing he said as we pray God to give us the enabling grace to face the challenges of today which l believe are in credence of sustaining democracy and giving true meaning to our independence we must remain resolve in our commitment to build our nation.

    “Cross River State in the past months under my administration has become a notable, visible reference state with the garment factory, the rice city, banana plantation among others viable projects which will help retain the naira against the dollar as soon as production commences. Cross River is setting the pace in terms of diversification of the economic. ” he also observed

    Giving insight on agriculture In her remark at the occasion, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mrs Rosemary Archibing said cross river has taken the bold step going into agro industrial economy with the encouragement of everybody to go into cocoa and other cash crop production. She further noted that the state is going into rice production in an industrial scale

    with maize. According to her with all this Cross River State is positioning itself to tackle the stress of the economic crunch that the nation is going through”.

    To this end, she called for support for President Buhari and Governor Ayade to succeed, ” God has a purpose and has brought them for a time like this, but their resilience and peculiarity of the leaders, the nation will be out of the recession “. Mrs Archibong added.

  • AyadeCare: Chairman, House Committee on Health warns Members to put Beneficiaries above others

    The Chairman of Cross River State House Committee on Health, Social Welfare and Women Affairs Honourable Ekpo Ekpo Bassey has stated that the core implementation committee of the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme owes Cross River State the responsibility of making sure the scheme works.

    Bassey congratulated members of his Committee for their steadfastness and urged them to put the interest of those vulnerable persons who are supposed to benefit from the scheme above every other interest and concern.

    The Chairman who was speaking during a meeting of the Committee at the Assembly mini-auditorium told members of the Committee that, “You have key important responsibilities to make sure the State Health Insurance Scheme works”.

    He went on to reveal that something similar to State health insurance scheme had been done in the past but failed because of interests praying that the Committee make sure that they succeed this time.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Insurance and License, Godwin Iyalla according to CrossRiverWatch said that he is happy a step has been taken to kick start the scheme, saying “The Governor spoke passionately about his desire to make this work. He pledged his name on God, he pledged his ancestry and we will deliver on this”.

    On his part, Sylvester Akande, Senior Health Finance Advisor, Health Finance Governance Project, USAID said that the State Health Insurance scheme is a bold step of the administration towards tackling health challenges as he expressed optimism that the process will be driven towards its actualization and be sustained.

    He added that as technical partners to the State Government on the scheme, his organization is set to render all the technical support needed to actualize the project.

    As part of the meeting, the Committee broke into sub-committees to interact with the necessary stakeholders and report back.

    The Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme is a replica of the National Health Insurance Scheme with modifications expected to expand healthcare insurance to all and sundry in the State.


    Watch Video Below…

  • Cross River State Bureau of Statistics (Amendment) Bill 2016 Passed into Law

    The Cross River State Bureau of Statistics Amendment Bill 201 has been passed into law after third reading at plenary of the Cross River State House of Assembly.

    The speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, said the amendment of the bill would allow for expansion of the scope of the bureau and benefits to stakeholders.

    The sponsor of the bill, Hon. Hilary Ekpang Bisong, member representing Boki II State Constituency in the Cross River state House of Assembly, described the Cross River state Bureau of Statistics Amendment Bill 2016 as the right step for proper planning of the social needs of the people.

    Bisong who reiterated this to newsmen after the passage of the bill in Calabar, explained that the principal bill which was first passed in 2011 and now amended, was necessitated by the expansion of social services in the state that were not in existence at the time of its enactment.

    The lawmaker said it was worthy to note that the Cross River state Bureau of Statistics was not a duplication of function of the already existing Bureau of Statistics, maintaining that the primary aim of the bill is to help the government have adequate data to aid the provision of social services to the people.

    He added that the amendment does not repel any part of the Principal Law rather; the amendment is to extend section 11 of the Principal Law and add additional functions to the bureau.

    The Deputy Whip of the House, Rt. Hon. Ogana Lukpata commended the sponsor of the bill and said the amendment of the bill will give a statistical structure of the indigenes and non indigenes of the State and will help the Government to know the numerical strength of Cross River State.

    Other members who spoke called for the amendment of all areas that are lacking in the bill to make it effective for security, future predictions of the State which will help predict the future events and proper planning for Government.

    The Speaker, Rt. Hon. John-Gaul Lebo directed the Clerk of the house to forward a clean copy to the law to the State Governor, Senator Prof. Ben Ayade for his accent.

  • Cross River State Appropriation (Amendment) Bill 2016 (Must Read)

    Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo has called on members of Cross River State House of Assembly to consider the importance of the Appropriation Amendment Bill 2016 and also examine the flaws and unprofitable aspect of the bill to avoid a repeat in the preparation of the 2017 budget.

    Reacting to contributions from members, Lebo called on them not to limit their thoughts to just reduction or increase of budget size and whether it is realistic and realizable.

    He maintained that rather, the amendment should among other areas consider issues relating to supplementary budget that could be rolled over to suit the states budgeting need for 2017.

    The Speaker added that Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs should be made to present funding models for their proposed budgets to determine whether their budget proposals could be accommodated in a fiscal year.

    Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Moses Ushie Ucheche, member representing Obanliku State Constituency who moved the motion for the amendment of the bill, stated that the budget needs to be reviewed because all the expectation of the bill that was suppose to yield good income for the state was not achieved and therefore urged the House to review the 2016 Appropriation Bill to enable it yield good income for the State.

    Contributing also, Rt. Hon. Okon E. Ephraim member representing Calabar South I State Constituency pointed out that the amendment of the 2016 Appropriation Bill should be properly looked into in order to elicit the benefit of the budget, suggesting that the 2016 budget should be reviewed downward.

    The bill was committed to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to report back to the House in 14days for further deliberations.