Paradise News

Category: Politics

  • Gov Ayade Promises To Reduce Maternal Mortality To Insignificant Levels and Achieve Universal Health Coverage In Cross River State

    Executive Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Senator Professor Benedict Ayade assured Cross Riverians of the reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate to insignificant levels at the just concluded maiden Multi-Year Operational Plan (MYOP) at OBUDU Mountain Resorts which carried the theme; CHARTING A NEW COURSE FOR QUALITY PRIMARY HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN CRS.

    Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) on the  19th of July at Obudu Ranch Resort Conference Hall began a 7 days multi-year operational plan with the theme, “Charting a new course for quality primary healthcare delivery in Cross River State.

    The Governor of Cross River State Sen. Ben Ayade represented by the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, said the operational plan meeting for the Primary Health Care (PHC) is very vital to the developmental strides of healthcare in the state. Noting that the state has achieved a lot in Health sector. The Governor noted that the state was amongst the first to begin the implementation of one functional PHC per ward with the renovation and equiping of over five (5) Primary health care centers in the state. His Excellency, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade equally said medical doctors have been employed to boost the quality of health care delivery in PHC’s. He further stated that the MYOP could not have come at a better time than now especially with the provision of the Save one million lives funding by the federal Government, where revitalisation of primary health care is one of the key requirements from states to continue to access funds.

    He said working with the energetic health team,

    “I am confident that we will be able to reduce maternal mortality to insignificant levels as well as achieve Universal Health coverage in CRS within one year”

    Speaking, the chief host and DG CRSPHCDA, Dr Betta Edu said there was need for the Agency to draw its blueprint to achieving universal health coverage and sustainable integration by providing a document with 8 thematic areas which includes leadership and governance for health, health service delivery, human resources for health, financing for health, national health management information system, partnership for health, community participation for health and research for health all in support of the” primary health care under one roof policy.

    She said the rigorous exercise that will bring about the multi year operational plan document will amount to almost nothing if the agency tasked with the mandate of coordinating all primary health care activities in the state does not have a target, benchmark and standards of operation as well as an administrative system that ensures the maximum utilization of available resources for maximal performance and productivity. She said the Multi Year operational Plan will be a useful resource mobilisation tool for PHC in the state.

    According to her, the Annual Operational Plan for 2016 is part of the decision of his Excellency, Senator ( Prof) Ben Ayade and His Wife, Dr Linda Ayade who through her Mediatrix Development Foundation has supported the revitalization of PHC’s in the State and has ensured the provision of quality healthcare to the people.

    She poured encomium on the Governor of Cross River State Sen. Ben Ayade for enabling the agency to reach out to comminities that had no access to health care before now. She also appreciated deeply, development partners who in one way or the other have contributed to the successful take-off of the Multi Year Operational Plan.

    Also speaking was the Chairman of Obanliku, Hon. Ashua who welcomed everyone to obanliku LGA assuring them of their security and calling on all to savour the wonder ambience of the Obudu Cattle ranch resort.

    Also speaking, Rt. Hon. Mrs. Marjorie Asuquo the chairman of Calabar South, stated that her LGA’s will continue supporting the delivery of primary health care to her people  because it is the closest sector to the people in the rural areas. She said the Local Government will support the effort of His Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade to provide quality healthcare.

    Finally the House Committee Chairman on Health, Hon Ekpo Ekpo Bassey representing the good people of Bakassi reiterated the support of the legislature to the creation of agency and passing of the amended law for its full repositioning.

    Many developmental partners from UNICEF, USAID, UNFPA, CUSO, WHO, Pathfinders International, FHI360, UNAIDS, INTRAHEALTH, CHAI all shared their presentation and commitment to the development of the MYOP document that will guide PHC operations in the State.

    See more photos from the event below…

    The program went well and ended on the 22nd of July, 2016.

  • 7,000 Barrels Per Day Capacity Refinery To Be Built By Russian Firm In Calabar

    The Chairman of a Russian firm, Safinet Group, Mr. Arsen Mudonov, has stated that his company wants to take advantage of the conducive and peaceful environment of Cross River and Calabar in particular to establish the refinery of 7,000 barrels production capacity a day which will be increased to between 60,000 to 65,000 barrels a day in the near future.


    Mr. Arsen Mudonov disclosed this during a meeting with the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade in Calabar recently. He said that his group decided to come to Cross River to establish the refinery because of the peace and tranquility that the state is known for in addition to the hospitable nature of the people. Mudonov added that, his company has been expanding its operations to different parts of the world including Africa in the last five years, and that company is into construction, oil and gas with advanced technology in the construction of oil and gas equipment and machines.

    Delighted to the new development, Governor Ben Ayade said his administration has turned the state into an investors’ haven by creating a conducive atmosphere for investment. The governor also reiterated that the peaceful and hospitable nature of the state and its citizens were recently attested to by the outgoing United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr John Erntwhistle, who picked the state as his most favourite place in Nigeria.

    According to CrossRiverWatch, Governor Ayade informed the delegation that Cross River state is always the first port of call and choice for investors and that the state is on the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean in the South, which makes it a good candidate for oil and gas business.

    “If you are putting a refinery and your sources of shipping in the crude is by barges then the refinery being located by the waterside becomes easy. Even if you want a solid land location, we also have solid earth where you can have access to bring in your crude by barges and then have pipelines to take the crude to your refinery.
    “Cross River is close to so many oil wells, so building your refinery here is like eating your cake and having it. We have good roads, we are building a super highway and a deep seaport at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. Again, Cross River is closer to Russia than any other place in Nigeria in terms of seaport”.

    Also speaking was the Chief Executive officer (CEO), Hkzain Corporation Limited, Mallam Muhammad Attahiru, who said that, they were in the state to present technological innovation in the area of oil and gas that will provide job opportunities to the people in line with the vision and policy thrust of Governor Ben Ayade’s administration.

    Mr. Attahiru assured that Safinet has the experience, capability and the expertize in the areas of construction, oil and gas and that they have established in North Africa and South Sudan and that they want the government of Cross River to give them the opportunity to establish their presence in the state, and assured that they will not disappoint the state.

  • Calabar flood and incessant erosion, what Gov Ben Ayade must urgently do to arrest the situation

    Of recent calabar a one time beautifully designed state and an internationally acclaimed tourist destination is gradually turning into a state replate with flood and erosion. A little rain makes the entire state, it’s road and street flooded; because all major water ways and erosion channels and drainages have been blocked by dirt.

    Increasing dirt in calabar is occasioned by the waste carried by water during rain. With increasing heap of waste that dot all part of calabar, it becomes easy for rains to empty such dirt in the erosion channels thereby causing flood; and consequently erosion and the destruction of life’s and properties. These dirt are product of solid non decomposable waste in the form of sachet water, bottles, nylon, pure water containers and other product made out of rubber.

    However bad Liyel Imoke may have been, his government especially in his first term in office can be appraised for continuing the good works of Donald Duke especially in the areas of creating erosion channels and managing a more effective system of waste management. Ineptitude may be the reason for the failure in waste management in the late days if Liyel Imoke and worsened by the Ayade’s government. The major problem of the Mr. Ayade’s government according to the opinion of Inyali Peter (an opinion I adopt in totality) is rotted in the fact that Ayade has surrounded himself with inept people as cabinet members and political appointees. These vehicle of waste rather than help the governor with sound suggestion especially as political appointees; surround the governor with gossips and and praise singing as a stock in trade to get crumbs for undeserved appointments.

    With more money put into waste management than the Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke period, ineptitude has blocked the benefits of more funding of our waste management system.

    Since the governor got into power, information on my table from a close aide to the governor holds that the governor has not evacuated the dirt in any of our drainage system. It is unfortunate that well designed drainage system by the previous administration has been made to collapse under few days of Ayade’s government. Instead of efficiency, the governor has often towed the part of nepotism by using the office of his brother co-governor Frank Ayade to haphazardly carry out the project of cleaning the city. The said Ayade’s aides pointedly accused the Frank Ayade as the siphoning tool in the ayade’s administration. This is a case of politics played on the sensibilities of the people creating a situation of man eat man situation.

    For those yet to know, much danger is looming as the continued blockade of drainage system is a potential time bomb that will be as great as a tornado.

    Suggestions:

    A. It is obvious that the Cross River State economy cannot sustain bourgeoise economy, Ayade should stop looking the skies with projects like super high way and deep sea port and focus on immediate problems like  road maintenance, erosion control and management, agriculture etc.

    B. Cut down the number of his cabinet to safe cost and plunge the money so saved for erosion control and management and other critical projects.

    C. Instead of super high way and deep seaport, the governor should rather focus on building a waste management and recycling factory as a catalyst for financial growth and employment

    D. As a matter of urgency the governor should order for the immediate evacuation of waste that has made our drainage systems ineffective.

    E. The governor should keep Frank Ayade out of serious business as he has proved most ineffective in most of his outings

    F. The governor should constitute a committee to under study the extent of damage caused by flood and erosion

    G. Since there is a connect between a dirty calabar and a flooded calabar, the governor should priorities the sanity of calabar as a matter of urgent need.

    H. The governor should check mate the interference of the  commissioner of environment and stimulate CUDA to be more effective. Prompt payment of salaries of CUDA staff will be a boast

    I. The governor should reinstate the over 200 women he had formally sacked because of a protest in demand of their over 7 months salary

    Cross River State belong to all of us. We may be APC or PDP, let’s stop politics and speak the truth so that we can move the state forward

    Joseph Odok
    josephodok@yahoo.com
    Social Change Agent

  • Gov Ayade Intervention at Iwuru, Biase section of the Federal Highway (Photos)

    Yesterday, Saturday, July 23, 2016, the intervention team of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade on Federal Highways in Cross River State worked round the clock at one of the deplorable portions of the Calabar-Ikom Federal Highway at Big Iwuru, Biase Local Government Area of the state to ease the agonies of motorists and travelers who hitherto were trapped there for hours and even days.

    The team led by the Cross River Director of Civil, Engr. Godwin Akeke witnessed massive deployment of human resources including the Cross River Director, Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), Engr. Paul Bepeh and his men, security personnel and a team of Governor Ayade media personnel, Solomon Asha, Beatrice Akpala and Emmanuel Ulayi as well as Channels Television Camera man, Mr. Savior.

    With the gallant and collective efforts of all, especially the security men, the road which was congested for kilometers was not only opened for trucks carrying materials to gain access to the bad spots but also for work to commence, leading to the gradual easing of traffic from the congested road.

    Below are some of the photographs showing the state of the road before intervention, progress of work and how the road road looks after the intervention.

    Credit: Solomon Asha

  • Gov Ayade commences massive intervention work on Federal Highways in Cross River (Photos)

    As part of the deliberate and concerted efforts of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade to ease the suffering which Cross Riverians and other Nigerians plying the Calabar-Ikom and Calabar-Itu Federal highway are daily facing due to the deteriorating state of the roads, the Cross River government has commenced intervention/palliative work on critical portion  on the highway.

    On the spot assessment carried out today, indicates that work is currently on going at the deplorable portions at the PAMOL and Odukpani junction sections of the road as Faith Plant Construction Company was seeing working assiduously to ease the traffic which has built up as a result of the bad portions of the road.

    Speaking, the Director, Civil, Ministry of Works, Engr. Godwin Akeke, said that the intervention measure is a directive from the Governor of the state, Senator Ben Ayade who is pained that Cross Riverians and other Nigerians using Calabar-Ikom and Calabar-Itu highway spend and waste many man hours and that some even sleep overnight as a result of the deteriorating state of the federal highways passing through Cross River.

    Engr. Akeke explained that the state government has through the Ministry of Works, identified those deplorable portions along the two highways and is moving from one point to another, listing the bad portions to include the PAMOL and Odukpani axis, the Iworo and Adim axis among others along the Calabar-Ikom highway and all the spots that have been identified to be in a deplorable along the Calabar-Itu highway up to the Itu head bridge across the River Cross.

    The Cross River Director of Civil, stated that the present administration of Governor Ayade has on several occasions intervened on these Federal roads to ameliorate the sufferings of of motorists and other road users, stressing that past administration in the state had equally intervened and that currently the federal government was owing the state over N20 Billion as a result of the several interventions.

    Engr. Akeke further explained that last year, the administration of Governor Ben Ayade embarked on massive intervention work on some of the critical and deplorable spots of the federal highways in the state with particular reference to Odukpani Junction, Calabar-Akpabuyo-Bakassi road, Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ikom highway.

    “The directive to intervene on the federal highways passing through the state is part of the Senator Ayade’s policy of zero tolerance for potholes. We are intervening not because we have but because we care much as the governor has always maintained”, Akeke added.

    He therefore appealed to the Federal Government to reimburse the state for the monies spent so far, bearing in mind the financial state of Cross River, while also called on the Federal Government to immediately do something about the state of federal roads in the state.

    Also speaking some of the motorists applauded the intervention efforts of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade, and described his consistent intervention on roads that are not the responsibility of the state as unique and masses-oriented, while calling on the Federal Government to give attention to its roads passing through Cross River.

    One of the motorists, Bassey Akpan Kufre thanked Governor Ayade for his love for the people through his constant intervention to repair bad spots along these highways, and called on the federal government to urgently do something about the state of these roads to reduce the suffering which motorists and other roads users face daily specially this raining season.

    Another motorist, Micah Anam-Ita Awubi, a staff of the University of Calabar commended the every now and then intervention of the administration of Senator Ben Ayade on the Federal roads in the state, recalling that last year when the administration of Ayade was just few months in office, it carried out massive intervention in Calabar-Itu, Calabar-Ikom, Odukpani Junction and Calabar-Akpabuyo-Bakassi federal highways, adding he appealed to the federal government to urgently do something concerning the state of the roads.

    On his part, Eliom Lawrence, a passenger said that the effort of Governor Ayade aimed at easing the suffering which motorists and passengers are passing through as result of the deplorable state of federal Roads in the state is a clear indication that Ayade has the interest of the common man at heart, and commended him for the while calling on the Federal Government to do what is needful as regards fixing the roads.


    BY: Solomon Asha/Emmanuel Ulayi/Beatrice Akpala

  • Cross River State Homeland Security Agency Bill Passes First Reading At CRSHA

    The bill to establish the Cross River State Homeland Safety and Security Agency has passed first reading in the Cross River State House of Assembly.

    The bill which is an executive bill according to the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. John Gaul is to help tackle the issue of insecurity in the smallest of units in the state.

    His words, “The objective of the bill is first to deal with the issue of safety of persons living in Cross River State. Our objective is to get an institution that will deal with safety of citizens, deal with welfare, and then deal with information gathering.

    “Within the law there is going to be a codification and numbering system of all houses in Cross River State, within the law there is going to be a compartmentalization of the various settlements in the State into small homeland groups, made up of fifteen houses and we are going to create homeland guards, who will gather information, prevent crimes and collaborate with the police”.

    He concluded by emphasizing that the law will also permit the domestication of the vigilante group and help in neighborhood security.

    It will be recalled that the Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade had earlier this month while receiving the French Consul-General, Laurent Polonceaux in Peregrino House, disclosed his intention of establishing a non-arm bearing security outfit to help tackle the precarious security situation in the State.

    In a related development, the bill to establish the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency Bill 2016 has passed second reading in the floor of the House.

    ~CrossRiverWatch

  • Gov Ayade Frown At The Civil Service Commission Over The Collection Of N2,000 From Applicants

    Finally, the Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, screening scheduled to hold Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd July, 2016, has been successfully completed. This according the Permanent Secretary to the Head of Service, Mrs. Geraldine Akpet Ekannem will create jobs for unemployed graduates in Cross River State, CRS.

    However, according to Mrs. Ekannem, the state is conducting a Man Power analysis to know the areas of need in that state. She clearly stated that; “It is in that vein that a lot of people had filled the applications forms in the Civil Service Commission. Though, two thousand naira (N2, 000) was paid to obtain the form, but his Excellency, Senator Professor Ben Ayade was not happy about that. That’s why he declared that the forms should be given free of charge. So in due cost, by the time we finish conducting the Man Power activities, forms will be distributed to graduates.

    “Even in the areas of Law presently, recruitment for employment is ongoing for about 45 to 60 Lawyers. They have taken the aptitude test, and they’ve conducted the interview and by His grace they’ll be employed shortly.

    “I do know that Medical Doctors have also been employed, and deployed to the 18 Local Government Areas, LGAs, to help and give the most needed support in the area of health care.”

    The Secretary also stated that The GIS exercise is a commendable one, because it will help the State to get a data bank on the number of unemployed graduates in CRS. Her words; “I believed and hoped that a lot you will be employed and the FG will help us. For whatever number the FG takes, we’ll take note of the ones that will be left out.

    She urged the graduates to provide genuine information such as field of studies, year of graduation, local government of origin, etc. The reasons being because in the constitution, it is necessary that your geographical spread is reflected.

  • Cross River to domesticate Administration of Criminal Justice Act

    Cross River State is set to become one of few states in the country to adopt and domesticate the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

    The adoption of the Act is a demonstration of the political will of Governor Ben Ayade who feels that the justice sector reform in the state should move beyond the criminal procedure code.

    The Act which has ample benefits seeks the prosecution of criminals and offenders to achieve best results.

    In addition, it would empower the state to provide the procedure for the trial of corruption cases outside the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

    Speaking on the readiness of the state to domesticate the law at a workshop in Calabar, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly ,Rt.Honourable John Gaul Lebo said the foundation of the laws is the political will of the Governor who feels that his first responsibility is to provide a justice sector reform system that goes beyond the criminal procedure code passed in 1963 for all of the southern states.

    “It is a law that provides criminal procedures for all of the southern states. Now offenses have come that the circumstance and sophistication of societies no longer makes that law tenable, it’s outdated and so Cross River State is moving ahead of other states and we are going to be the first state after the federal government to domesticate this law. But we are domesticating this law with necessary modifications to suit the legal environment of Cross River State,” said the Speaker.

    He highlighted some provisions of the Act to include the child right law, passage of the child rights commission, plea bargain and the provision of the procedure for the trial of corruption cases.

    In his words: “the special features in this law for us are that we have passed the child’s Right law, we are about the first state and we are the first state to also pass the child’s Right commission.

    “And you know when you have the child’s Right commission you now need to provide for a procedure for the trial of children and then providing for custody for children outside of prison or outside of medical asylum. So that provision is there, and we are also going to be the first state to provide for a procedure for trial of corruption cases in cross river state outside ICPC. Like l said ICPC can try certain cases if it comes from capital receipt of our budget or from federal funds given to Cross River State. But for funds that arose out of our IGR or the Appropriation Law of Cross River State, the courts in Cross River by the administration of criminal justice law will have the jurisdiction and powers to try corruption cases.

    “Now for financial cases we have our public accounts committee reports where people are judged to have committed financial offences. Sometimes you have like 300 persons and then 2 or 3 political cases are taken to EFCC .The administration of criminal justice by expectation of his Excellency the governor is to ensure that we also have such courts designated within that. We also have community service. There are simple offences that you don’t have to go to prison, the sentence is to go and teach in a primary school or go and do NGO activities to educate people on how not to commit offences.”

    Speaking earlier on the necessity of the law to the state, the Attorney General, Joe Abang said the Act will be of tremendous importance to the state.

    According to him, the state has been preparing for this “so we have armed ourselves and you will agree with me. Recently the governor gave me the chance to recruit another 30 technocrats into the ministry, the whole essence of adding 30 new hands, getting the computers, E –library is to put us in better footing to be able to administer criminal justice and help in the administration in the state and indeed in Nigeria. We are ready in the ministry of justice to do our work.”

  • APC Chieftains Attacks Gov Ben Ayade Over Manhunt For Paul Ifere In Cross River State

    Our attention has been drawn to a recent announcement by the People’s Democratic Party led government of Senator Benedict Ayade which purported to have declared wanted Mr.Paul Ifere on a fanthom criminal accusation of kidnapping and armed robbery. Incidentally,while we do not sanction the existence of and spread of criminal tendencies in our dear state as a law abiding party,we are equally averse to exploring inordinate and inappropriate methods of dealing with crime and criminality including haunting perceived enemies of the government in the guise of fighting crime.

    That Sen.Ayade would today commence the actual checkmating of such nefarious tendencies that assumed a crescendo in parts of the state in recent times owes immense appreciation to the All Progressives Congress (APC) of which Mr.Ifere is a registered and active member.Pointedly,as a major opposition party poised to offer alternative platform for the actualisation of responsive and responsible governance to the masses, we would not treat with kid gloves attempts to muzzle democracy through intolerance to alternative views as Ayade has displayed in the case of Ifere.It is on this premise that we state that this politically-motivated onslaught and declaration against Ifere is inordinate,inappropriate and only meant to sustain Ayade’s garbage mentality and not the real essence of addressing the current security situation in the state.

    As a blogger and a responsible gentleman Ifere has consistently contributed alternative ideas on moving our dear state from its present doldrum. His avowed commitment to good governance using his blog and Facebook page to reach out to the public on governance issues has enabled the public informed evaluation and judgements about the merits and faults of government. Perhaps it’s the fact that Ayade’s scorecard (in public reckoning )has failed the popularity test with much of this enlightenment especially on the governor’s poor showing on security coming from Mr.Ifere that has informed the onslaught against him by Ayade.

    We see a garbage mentality in this;a mentality that aprobates and reprobates.This mentality will see Ayade in one breath appreciating Ifere’s criticism as he puts it,being a tonic  to restore, cure or invigorate the sensitivity of his government to the plight of Cross Riverians and in another breath casting aspersion on him. It is therefore absurd and unacceptable that this mentality albeit the placing of Ifere on government’s wanted list would be pronounced by Ayade’s Justice Commissioner, Mr.Sunny Abang.

    Beyond Ifere,we see the manifestation of our prediction and claim that the surging insecurity was a dress rehearsal perpetrated to target members of the APC in the state with the aim of crippling the party’s fast developing profile.After the failed attempt to use hired assassins to lay off R.t Hon Paul Adah and Barr.Venatius Ikem,the renewed option was to act the kidnapper and the armed robber. Senator Patrick Ani abduction was just a smokescreen with the other party chieftains as target.

    This manhunt for Mr.Ifere is not strange to us in the light of our claim.However,as the law would say the onus of proof over a crime lies on the complainant,our candid advise is that the Attorney General,who is the chief law officer of the state and who made the declaration on behalf of his boss Ayade, should expeditiously substantiate the allegations against Ifere.We can swear with our lives that this again will record another failure for Ayade.

    Our prayers are that as partners in the process of deepening our democracy security operatives rather than kill the goose that lays the golden egg,(in this case Ifere and APC members)should offer maximum protection from Ayade’s onslaught.We must together stop this executive rascality from taking toll on our collective destinies as a people.                                                  

    SIGNED:
    NTUFAM HILLIARD ETA                       National Vice Chairman(SS)                    
    All Progressives Congress (APC)

    Published By
    Joseph Odok

  • SA on Job Creation and Head of Service assures CRS graduates of GIS employment as the screening kicked off in Calabar

    The Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, screening commences Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd of July, 2016 at the UJ Esuene stadium, Calabar at 9:00am prompt. The screening was attended by the directors from the office of the Special Adviser, SA, on Job Placement, Head of Service and other panels, namely; Lillian, and Mr. John. Also conducting and coordinating the screening was Mr. Ita Effiong Okon, Managing Director, MD, Endlink Investment Limited who gave a vivid description of the internship programme.

    Graduate Internship Scheme, GIS, created by the Federal Government, FG, is to enable unemployed graduates to leave their homes, to be mentored for them to have work experience, since most graduates are not taken when they go for interview because of no working experience. Throughout the scheme, stipends will be paid, and it is paid directly to the graduates running the intern.

    What Cross River State Government, CRSG, is doing is to ensure not to lose their slot, for if the state allows the FG to come to conduct the screening; the state might lost some slots. So, the state is doing this to secure whatever number of slots that will be allotted to Cross River State, CRS. Since the FG is the custodian of the project, the state will in time wait for the FG to give the final order. For what the state is just doing a selection to make an appeal to the FG, so to let them know their people.

    Addressing the graduates, the SA on Job Placement, Mr. Ejemot William Esu said, at the end of the screening, whatever the state is vying for, they’ll surely have it.

    Mr. Ejemot in his remarks said; “I’ll like to advice all graduates here that, there’s and Empowerment programme known as N-POWER ongoing, please do try and register for it too. For I got a letter from the Special Adviser to the President on Job Placement that CRS have to register for it too. Though at the end of the day, the GIS may stand or the N-POWER may come up.

    “After now, some of us here might have registered for the N-POWER, so, I’ll advice those that haven’t to try and register, for at the end I believe every one of us here will benefit from this programme.

    “I’ll advice everyone to be very straight forward, very obedient and I also apologise for coming late too. Mr. Ejemot added.”

    Also addressing the graduates was the Permanent Secretary to the Head of Service, Mrs. Geraldine Akpet Ekannem, who said the Head of Service would have loved to come, but he’s attending an official meeting in Abuja.

    Addressing the graduates, Mrs.Ekannem said, the pain of unemployment is a very serious issue that is troubling the state, not just His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade, but everyone including all parents, since they are parents too.

    In her speech, Mrs AKpet said; “Practically all of us have unemployed graduates at home, so we’re concern about it. That is why we have tried in so many ways to bring out projects like the Green Police, Garment Factory, hoping that, at least, through those special purpose vehicles, we can reduce the number of unemployed graduates in CRS.

    “Be that as it may, you know that in the Civil Service, gradually people are retiring from there. But because of the new cost of the State Government and the economic crunch which we’re presently experiencing in Nigeria, it is not easy to employ. However, our conducting a Man Power analysis is to know the areas of need in that state.” She said.

    The final screening will be taking place on Friday 22nd July, 2016 at the UJ Esuene stadium by 9:00am prompt.

    Check out more photos from the event below…