Politics

Representative member’s aide kidnapped in Cross River

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Kenneth Abang, a legislative aide to a House of Representatives member representing Boki-Ikom Federal Constituency in Cross River, has been kidnapped.

Mr Abang, an aide to Rep. Chris Agibe, was abducted in the Betem community in the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River.

He was kidnapped alongside his relative, Eunice Abang, on January 30.

Mr Abang’s friend, Fidelis Ekpah, in a telephone interview on Tuesday in Calabar, said the aide was travelling to his home town in the Boki Local Government Area when he was abducted.

Mr Ekpah explained that Mr Abang was travelling to prepare for his late father’s burial, scheduled for February 3 and 4.

“Mr Kenneth Abang has been kidnapped along the Calabar-Biase highway while travelling to Boki to make preparations for his father’s burial.

“He was kidnapped alongside his relative, Miss Eunice Abang. They took them away and abandoned his car by the roadside.

“This is a double tragedy for us. We were already planning for his father’s burial before this ugly incident occurred.

“I want to appeal to the police, the army, civil defence and the department of state service to come to our aid and rescue our brother and his relative,” Mr Ekpah said.

The spokeswoman of the Cross River State Police Command, Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the abduction in a telephone interview, said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims.

“The deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations has drafted our men to the area to ensure the release of Abang and his relation,” she said.

Lifestyle, Politics

Governor Ayade Locks Out Civil Servants Over Lateness

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The Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, on Wednesday, locked out some civil servants working in the governor’s office for coming late to the office.

The action of the governor followed his return from a long trip out of the state and on resumption of work on Wednesday, workers who were not on duty at that time were barred from entering their offices.

Lifestyle

Two widows accused of being witches in Cross River beaten to death

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Two widows identified as Mrs. Martina Osom and Mrs. Rose Akom, have reportedly been beaten to death after they were accused of being witches by the youths of Ebbaken community in Boje, Boki local government area of Cross River State.

Vanguard reports that the incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, August 2.

An eyewitness and a son-in-law to one of the windows, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said both women, devoted Catholics, were returning from early morning prayers when the youths accused them of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft.

“They met my mother-in-law within the Church environment. As it was her tradition to weed and clean up the Church vicinity every Saturday immediately after the Morning Mass.

The youths accused her of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft and she denied the allegation.

But they went ahead and beat her severely, ordering her to confess that she is a witch. But her passionate appeal to them that she was innocent fell on deaf ears.”he said

He said the other woman, Mrs Rose Akom, was also dragged to join his mother-in-law and inflicted with same torture, ordering her to confess to allegations that she is a witch.

“They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died” he added He said no arrest had been made and the culprits are walking free in the community.

“That was what happened in this civilised era in this community,” he lamented The state police command is yet to react to this development.

Politics

Ayade rejects APC demand for workers’ sack in Cross River

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The Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, on Friday ruled out sack of any staff in the state.

Ayade was reacting to demand by the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the sack of workers who are still loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The governor, who addressed journalists at his office in Calabar, said: “I do not have the heart to lay off my workers or government staff. Sometimes I will have reports about those that have committed very serious offences.

“I have even personally caught some red-handed doing the very wrong things.

I will ponder over what they, especially their wives, children, and dependants would go through if I sack them. These thoughts would force me to overlook and forgive them.

“It is not morally very right to lay them off from their works simply because they are not in my party yet.

“I play politics with moral conscience. As governor, I am also a father of the state. I can only be forced to sack when it has become too unbearable.”

Politics

NLC charges Cross River govt to meet striking workers’ demands

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday urged the Cross Rivers State Governor, Ben Ayade, to meet the demands of the striking workers in the state.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, made the call in a letter dated October 7, 2021, and addressed to Ayade.

Workers in Cross River embarked on an indefinite strike on October 7 to protest the non-implementation of promotions to workers at both state and local government levels, non-payment of gratuities to both state and local government workers, and non-remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries, among others.

The statement read: “The Cross River State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress drew our attention to a Notice of Industrial Action against the Cross River State Government conveyed through a letter dated October 7, and addressed to Your Excellency.

We understand that the strike action had commenced on October 7. The decision to embark on industrial action as communicated in the strike notice was taken at a congress of all Cross River State workers.

“At the congress, Cross River workers decried the refusal of your government to address their pertinent concerns which include: non-implementation of promotions to workers at both State and Local Government levels.

“Non-payment of Gratuities to both State and Local Government workers; non-remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries; failure to fully implement the National Minimum Wage to both State and Local Government workers.”

Lifestyle

Over 70 public, private property looted, vandalized in Cross River [See list]

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Over seventy public and private property in Calabar, the Cross River State capital have been looted, vandalized, destroyed and burnt by thousands of people suspected to be hoodlums.

As at the last count, DAILY POST listed looted and destroyed items between Friday and Saturday to include: Cross River State Property Investment Limited, CROSPIL Office, Bishop Moynagh Avenue, State Housing Estate, Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC office, Marian Road.

Others are Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency, CTRA office (100 Marian), Marian Road, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR , Atakpa Police Station, Watt Market – burnt down, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC office, Murtala Mohammed Highway – vandalised.

Calabar Discount Mall (harbouring Valuemat Supermarket and other stores), Ndidem Usang Iso Road, Marian – looted and vandalised, Ministry of Works warehouse, Ekorinim II – looted and burnt down, Cross River State Roll back Malaria Centre, Barracks Road – Looted and vandalised, Bulavaard Joint owned by APC chieftain, Ntufam Hillard Ettah, Etta Agbor – looted and vandalised.

First Bank, 8 Miles – vandalised, West African Examination Council, WAEC office, Murtala Mohammed Highway – burnt down, Federal Psychiatric hospital, Calabar Road – looted and vandalised, Access Bank, Mayne Avenue –vandalised. Senator Victor Ndoma Egba’s House, Asari Eso – looted and burnt down, Senator Gershom Bassey’s House, Asari Eso – looted and vandalised.

Cross River Garment Factory, Goodluck Jonathan bypass – Looted, Ayade Fuel Station, Murtala Mohammed Highway – looted and set ablaze, Senator Gershom Bassey’s House, Mayne Avenue by White House – looted and burnt down, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC Office, Murtala Mohammed Highway – set on fire, Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Murtala Mohammed Highway – vandalised, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, Etta Agbor – looted, Cross River Agric Development Project, IBB way opposite Margaret Ekpo International Airport – looted.

Also affected are IDH Hospital, Chamley area – looted and vandalised, Empowerment warehouse, Henshaw Town – looted and vandalised, University of Calabar, UNICAL Publishing Center, Etta Agbor – looted and vandalised, UNICAL Microfinance Bank, Etta Agbor – looted and vandalised, UNICAL Main Library – vandalised, most banks and shops/transport companies, Ettah Agbor – vandalised.

Politics

Hoodlums loot COVID-19 palliatives in Cross River

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Hoodlums on Friday evening stormed an uncompleted building owned by the Cross River State government and looted some food items believed to be part of the COVID-19 palliatives stored there.

The building, housing the proposed West African Fabrication Academy, was where Governor Ben Ayade last April held a symbolic flag-off exercise for distribution of COVID-19 palliatives.

It was a free- for- all exercise as the hoodlums carted away bags of rice, beans, cartons of noodles and other food items believed to be transferred from the warehouse to the uncompleted building.

Video of the looting on social media showed some of youths shouting: “This is wickedness. This is what they were supposed to give us, they did not. Somebody when and kept it in uncompleted building. Let security come, we don’t care.”

Earlier on Friday, hoodlums had also stormed Calabar South Local Government Secretariat where office of the local government chairman was vandalised.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman, Hon Esther Bassey, said: “Hoodlums attacked the political block in the secretariat premises looting items and destroying structures.

“They started burning tyres in the premises, destroying windows and other property. Staff and limited security that were in the secretariat had to leave for safety before calling for re-enforcement.

“It was when re-enforcement of security arrived and they started hearing the siren sound, then they escaped through the nearby creeks.

“What we are telling our people is that there is no sense in destruction of public properties. People should go stay at home and parents should advice their wards to maintain peace in the community.”

As at the time of this report, youths were reportedly heading to the SEMA warehouse.

In a swift response, Ayade announced a 24-hour curfew from 6pm.

A statement Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Governor Christian Ita, said: “Following the hijacking of the peaceful protest against police brutality in the state by hoodlums, the state governor, Sir Ben Ayade has imposed a 24hr curfew in the state starting from 6pm on Friday, October 23, 2020.”

“Residents of the state are advised to observe the curfew as security agents have been mandated to arrest anybody who flouts it.”

Lifestyle

51 year suspected Indian hemp dealer arrested in Cross River

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Fifty-one (51) year old suspected Indian hemp dealer, Ekeng Asuquo has been nabbed by Police in Calabar, Cross River State capital

The suspect was apprehended with 200kg of the substance (Indian hemp) on Tuesday at Egerton Street in Calabar South local government area of the state.

Confirming the arrest, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Abdulkadir Jimoh regretted the action of the suspect noting that at his age, he ought not to have been involved in this act.

“It was unfortunate for such an elderly man to engage in the wholesale and distribution of marijuana” explaining that the suspect, Ekeng Asuquo who deals in the illicit distribution of Indian hemp was arrested on intelligence made available to the Police.

“He is one of the people that encourage criminals and notorious persons in our community and the entire state because most of them use this substance and illicit drugs to perpetrate heinous crime.

“He is a Baron and a leader of a cartel who has chains of other distributors, with the quantity we recovered, it shows that his chain of distribution is large.

“His intentions are to destroy the lives of the youth and boost the activities of criminals in the state. My appeal to parents is to caution their children to desist from patronizing such people because it will render them mentally imbalance and lead them to crime.

“He will be handed over to the NDLEA and he will face the full wrath of the law because after our investigation he will be handed over to them for further prosecution, a lot of his kind has misled many promising youths and young minds in the society because of their illicit trade in drugs.

“We are working assiduously even with the Endsars protest, we are ensuring that lives and property are protected no matter what,” he said.

Speaking with DAILY POST, the suspect (Ekeng Asuquo) said he doesn’t know the content of the bag adding that he only kept it for a friend.

“I am not a drug Baron, I only received the bag from a friend of mine whose name is Godwin, he told me it was crayfish, I have never been involved in drug neither do I sell it,” he said

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