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Tag: Cross River State

  • Worker held for stealing trailer-load of textbooks

    Worker held for stealing trailer-load of textbooks

    The police in Cross River State have arrested an employee of the Ministry of Education for allegedly conspiring with others  to steal a trailer load of textbooks, worth millions of naira.

    Police Commissioner Hafiz Inuwa told reporters in Calabar that  the textbooks belonged to the ministry.

    Inuwa said the suspect was arrested on the  Ikom-Ogoja highway enroute Lagos.

    He added that the suspect was arrested with the driver and a Lagos-based businessman.

    “The items included  cartons of  French, Christian Religious Knowledge, Physical Education, Welding and Technical drawing textbooks, belonging to the state government,’’ Inuwa said.

    He said the police discovered a shady deal between some ministry workers and  their accomplices to dispose off the materials.

    The commissioner added that the suspect confessed to the crime and would be arraigned in court.

  • Historical places to visit this christmas

    Historical places to visit this christmas

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  • Ayade has failed workers – NLC

    Ayade has failed workers – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) in Cross River State has given the Governor Ben Ayade a seven-day ultimatum, beginning from yesterday (Wednesday) to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached between both of them on July 2, 2017, else workers would resume strike.

    Addressing reporters, at the end of a State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the NLC secretariat in Calabar, its chairman, Comrade John Ushie, said the governor had failed workers in the state by reneging on the agreement.

    It would be recalled that workers in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike earlier this, which they suspended after coming to an agreement, embodied by the MOU with the state government on July 2.

    Ushie said, “We express our disappointment with the government for failure to honour some critical aspects of the memorandum of understanding that was signed on July 2, 2017. Among them are some of the issues of the failure of government to pay gratuity to retirees from June 2013 till date.

    “We are also aware that the Cross River State Government, after that action that was suspended on the 2nd of July had agreed to pay that week.

    “The 2013 retirees were to be paid off their gratuity without any further delay or pressure. But we are here again to tell the whole world that that agreement was not kept and the government has jettisoned the agreement again.

    “That has led to this meeting today as directed by the National Executive Council meeting, which was held on the 16th of November, where the NEC directed all state councils where the government has not implemented fully the payment of salaries, arrears of salaries, arrears of pensions and gratuities to go back and put into a force a strategy to put into force that is complied with. And that was done on the basis of the fact that the Paris Club Refund has been released to all the state governments and that money was meant specifically to pay arrears of salaries, gratuities and pension.

    “But permit me to mention here that for Cross River State specifically, from 2015 did not own any arrears on salary. But we are aware that they owe arrears of pension and gratuities.

    “And so for us as labour, our thinking was that when this money came, government was to use it to clear the arrears and therefore use others for the payment of salaries as it was agreed initially.

    “But our disappointment is that the government did not keep to that agreement and therefore reneged on it. And today we are still discussing on the issue of gratuity of 2013, which the governor himself told us that the second Paris Club Fund that was coming was to be used for.

    “Today as it stands the government of Cross River is owing gratuity from 2013 till date. And soon we would enter 2018 as the workers continue to retire without their entitlements,” Ushie said.

    Ushie said the government had also failed the workers in terms of the implementation of the workers promotion; regularizing the state payroll system; selective payment of imprest to Ministries, Departments and Agencies; and failure to return the Etim Edem Motor Park to the National Union of Road Transport Workers, which were all part of the MOU.

    He said all efforts to reach the government to resolve the issues had proved abortive.

    “Government has failed to regularize the state payroll.

    “Since October 2016 they employed a consultant to handle payroll and we pointed out that they will not be able to handle the payroll because we already had in place a payroll that was superb and being copied by other states in this federation.

    “Today the state is paying half salaries, distorted salaries, even workers who gain promotion get to earn even lower than what they were earning before, as a result. Also there has been this conflict that the Accountant general’s Office would pay salaries, and in another month, the Office of the Head of Service would pay and this confusion has set it for workers not have their accurate salaries which has brought untold sufferings to the workers.

    “The government should make haste to correct this immediately.

    “SEC also views with dismay the selective payment of imprest to the MDAs. We have said it that no MDA would function properly without imprest and one of the things that would make MDAs work hard and deliver is the imprest, and where there are selective or no payment at all, it therefore means the civil service is gradually grinding to a halt.

    “Also failure to return the Etim Edem Motor Park to the National Union of Road Transport Workers, which is their jurisdictional scope of work is another issue discussed here and SEC has directed that government should without delay release the park to this statutory body, who are the only people recognized by the constitution and labour act to load and offload in a motor park.

    “SEC also wishes to inform the public that all efforts made to reach the government on the resolution stated above have proved abortive. We have done that severally through writing letters to the governor and through many other means without any response and this has led to this point.

    “SEC has given the state government a seven day ultimatum with effect from December 13, 2017 to fully implement the MOU. Failure to this, we shall resume our strike action which was suspended on July 2,” he said.

     

  • Four feared dead as suspected herdsmen invade Cross River community

    Four feared dead as suspected herdsmen invade Cross River community

    Four suspected Fulani herdsmen are feared dead in a clash when they allegedly attempted to invade the Mbiabong Ito Community in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State.

    A source in the area said the herdsmen in their numbers had attempted to enter the community with a large herd of cattle on Tuesday night, but were resisted by the community people.

    According to the source, the herdsmen, who were armed, started shooting, but the community people did not back down and attacked them leading to the death of four of the cattle rearers.

    It was gathered that the herdsmen retreated and returned with some soldiers to help them get back their cattle, which had scattered as a result of the clash.

    According to the source the soldiers came in and were firing sporadically and the villagers had to flee their homes.

    “The situation created panic and most of the villagers had to escape into the bush. Most of them are yet to return as we speak as they are afraid for their lives,” the source said.

    Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, said policemen had been deployed to the area and calm restored.

    She did not confirm if it was a Fulani herdsmen invasion. She said they learnt of disturbances in the area and had to deploy men to ensure that there is calm.

    She also did not confirm the fatalities.

    “We have heard about it and right now we have sent men to the area and the area is calm. It is not a bad situation. There are men on ground to make sure nothing happens. We have not been able to confirm yet. That is what we heard,” she said.

    She said she was going to get back to our reporter if she got confirmation but did not until press time.

  • Appeal Court declares Albert winner of PDP senatorial primary election in A/Ibom

    Appeal Court declares Albert winner of PDP senatorial primary election in A/Ibom

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, on Thursday overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Uyo and declared Senator Bassey Albert of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) as the winner of the party’s primary election that held in December 2014.

    In February this year, the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, had sacked Albert, who is the incumbent Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District.

    One Mr Bassey Etim, who claimed he was the real winner of the party’s primary election, and was wrongly substituted with the Albert, had dragged incumbent senator to court.

    In delivering the judgment, Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High Court in Uyo, had ordered Albert to refund all salaries and entitlements so far collected as Senator, as well as asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue the certificate of return to Etim as Senator representing the district.

    Albert had challenged the decision in the Court of Appeal in Calabar, and delivering judgment Thursday, the Presiding Judge, Justice S. J. Adah, with Justices Iheme Nwosu and J. O. K. Oyewole, declared that he was the winner, as his challenger Etim, lacked evidence to support his claim.

    Mr Mba Okweni, SAN, who represented Etim, hinted they would be heading to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.

    The lawyer said, “They have nullified the judgment of the Federal High Court which declared Bassey Etim as the actual winner of the PDP primaries that was conducted on the 7th day of December 2014, and then that Albert was properly the candidate of the party.

    “Incidentally, Albert is still sitting in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so he will continue until we test it further and know what the position of the Supreme Court will be. Sincerely within me, I feel that the judgment should be tested further until the Supreme Court makes a pronouncement one way or the other on the issue and some of the points that have been raised, which we feel are not properly placed. Then we can have a final statement on it. We believe strongly that if things continue the way they are going, impunity in our political parties would continue. A situation where elections were properly conducted and because somebody has the strength and government behind him, they sit down in government house and fill another result and remove the name of the winner cannot be allowed to remain like that. So we feel that until the Supreme Court, which is the apex court and final court in the land, review the evidence and take a position on it. The matter has not yet been laid to rest. We thank the Justices of the Court of Appeal for being able to come up with the decision early enough,” Okweni said.

    Albert’s lawyer, Oba Folaho Ojibara, said they had overwhelming evidence that his client was the legitimate winner of the primary election that eventually led to the 2015 general elections, which he won.

    “The issues before the before the Justices of the Court of Appeal were very clearly narrowed down. The kind of evidence that the appellant presented before the lower court was so overwhelming and the Justices of the Court of Appeal latched on to these bits of evidences. You must recall that the first respondent here Bassey Etim was the plaintiff at the lower court and law requires that he who has asked must prove and he was the one coming to court saying that he won the primaries and unfortunately for him, he had nothing to support his claims and that is what their Lordships of the Court of Appeal hammered on very strongly. Their Lordships were guided by their records and they looked at the avalanche of documents that the appellant presented in his matter. You must also remember that the appellant was a defendant and so the burden of was not on him, but he came to court, before the Federal High Court in Uyo and presented documents after documents, facts after facts, witnesses after witnesses, all to establish the incontrovertible fact that he won the primaries that led to the general election which he also won. So their Lordships of the Court of Appeal have affirmed the mandate of the people of that Senatorial District.

    “They overturned the decision of the Federal High Court and in so doing, they held very clearly that the decision of the Federal High Court was perverse because the decision was against the weight of evidence that was before the Federal High Court and that is what we are confronted with today. So it is a celebration for justice and something every Nigerian should be happy about,” he said.

    Akwa Ibom State legal adviser of PDP, Godwin Umoh, also said, “It shows clearly like the Justices of the Supreme Court had said that a political party is supreme. The decision of the party in relation to nomination and primaries, that decision is supreme and final. And we as a party had nominated Bassey Albert and we showed by credible evidence. I thank the court for doing a wonderful job. They were meticulous.”

  • NBC moves to demarcate A’Ibom, Cross River boundary

    NBC moves to demarcate A’Ibom, Cross River boundary

    The National Boundary Commission ( NBC ) has intervened to stop the age-long bloody boundary crisis between some communities and their neighbours in Cross River State.

    Our correspondent reports that the people of Oku Iboku in Itu and their Ikot Offiong neighbours in Odukpani local government area of Cross River have for decades been locked in intractable boundary wars which have claimed hundreds of lives on both sides.

    Security operatives deployed to maintain peace and order have also lost their lives in the fracas.

    Determined to end the killings, the NBC has disclosed that plans have been concluded to effectively demarcate the disputed coastal communities.

    Speaking to newsmen in Uyo Wednesday the NBC Zonal representative, Mr. Archibong Okon, said the commission has advised community dwellers and leaders to cooperate with the Commission in its bid to find lasting solution to the problem.

    “I want to advise that you continue to live in peace and avoid unnecessary fights”, he warned.

    As the farming season approaches, the NBC chief urged farmers in the affected areas to respect ancient landmarks and pledged the Commission’s readiness to do justice to all concerned at the end of the exercise.

    In the same vein, Mr. Nse Akpan, from the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (SGF), enjoined the people to embrace peace and work with the Commission towards equitable settlement of the dispute.

    However, Chief Okon Ansa, a community leader told the officials that “the people of Oku Iboku are living in perpetual fear of being attacked by their Ikot Ofiong neighbours and appealed to the
    Commission to expedite action towards amicable resolution of the matter.

    Ansa, a former Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State lauded the Commission for wading into the crises and appealed to relevant agencies to be part of the exercise to ensure lasting peace.

    To ensure a hitch-free exercise, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Moses Ekpo, who doubles as Chairman of the State’s Boundary Committee, indulged the affected people to cooperate with the Commission in order to end frequent killings in the coastal areas.

    “The Akwa Ibom State government is interested in defending every inch of the land that belongs to the State and believe God that the land that belongs to us will not be taken away,” he assured.

  • Five killed in renewed Ebonyi/Cross River boundary dispute

    Five killed in renewed Ebonyi/Cross River boundary dispute

    Five persons from Itim-Amagu in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi state were on Thursday allegedly killed and beheaded by  unknown gunmen at the boundary area between the community and neihbouring Adadama community In Cross River state.
    Both communities have been in boundary dispute for decades.
    The beheaded bodies of the victims have been recovered while three persons have been declared missing.
    The Chairman of Ikwo council, Mr John Nnabo  in a statement accussed the Adadama community of carrying out the killings.
    However, it was gathered that the war has claimed hundreds of lives and unquantifiable cost of property destroyed on both sides.

    Confirming the incident, the local government chairman of Ikwo, Mr John Nnabo said he was called on Thursday morning by his Vice chairman
    over the incident.

    The council chairman noted that the victims had gone to the area to uproot their cassava and other food crops because it had been long any sound of gunshots were heard or any sign of danger in the area, only to be surrounded by the warlords of Adadama and unleashed mayhem on
    them.

    Nnabo pointed out that the problem has persisted because the Adadama people would always cross the river boundary to the side of Ebonyi state to humiliate them.

    He said: “it is true. I was called on Thursday morning by my Vice Chairman. Five women were killed and beheaded. We have recovered their corpses. Three persons are still missing. Our people went to uproot their cassava and other crops thinking that the war has subsided without gunshots for a long time”.

    “As they were in the farm, the Adadama people surrounded them, killed and beheaded them. They will always cross the river to humiliate us”.

    Meanwhile, an Ikwo stakeholder and National Coordinator of Buhari/Osibanjo Initiative For Demonstrating Change,  Comrade Chinedu
    Ogah has called on the Federal government and the National Boundary Commission to quickly take urgent steps to delineate the boundary to forestall further loss of lives and property in the area.

    He, however,  commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring them that efforts were on top gear to ensure amicable resolution of the dispute.

    The Youth Leader further charge security agencies to ensure adequate security for the protection of lives in the area to avoid the repeat of the dastardly act.

  • MonkeyPox: Cross River records third suspected case

    MonkeyPox: Cross River records third suspected case

    Another suspected case of the monkey pox disease has been discovered in Cross River State, bringing the number of suspects to three.
    Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu, who confirmed the development to The Nation yesterday, said the latest case was in Ikom local government area, and the suspect is a 28 year old female local government worker.
    The first case and second case in Ikom and Calabar Municipality respectively were discovered early last month.
    Edu said the suspect like the previous two cases had been quarantined and all contacts traced.
    She said the blood sample had been taken and handed over to the disease surveillance and notification officer.
    She said results for the earlier suspected cases which were sent to Dakar in Senegal had not been gotten yet.
  • Ayade ’s critic docked for social media comments

    Ayade ’s critic docked for social media comments

    A social critic in Cross River State, Mr Paul Ifere, known for his strong criticisms of Governor Ben Ayade was Monday docked for comments he made on Facebook and WhatsApp at the Magistrate Court 1 in Calabar.

    Ifere, a member of the All Progressives Party (APC), was reportedly picked up in Abuja last Thursday by policemen and driven to Calabar where he was kept in custody in the State Police Headquarters in a manner that has drawn protests and criticisms from various quarters, who attributed the development to a witch-hunt by the state government.

    Ifere was arraigned in court yesterday in the court presided over by Chief Magistrate E.E. Edogi.

    A four-count charge, two apiece in two separate charge sheets, brought against Ifere by the Commissioner of Police, bordering on misdemeanor where read in court to the accused, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    Lead defense counsel, Utum Eteng, who led five other lawyers moved a motion for bail to be granted his client, saying the charges were not only ridiculous before the law but clearly bailable.

    The prosecution counsel, Barrister Ofem Mbang, leading three others told the court that he has no reasons under the law to oppose the bail application.

    Granting the bail, the magistrate asked the defense counsel to present a surety for the bail and the state Chairman of the All Progressive Congress APC, Chief John Ochalla was presented and he agreed to surety the bail conditions given.

    The bail conditions as given included a deposit of one million naira and a surety by a known chief executive of a company or an organization, who should be resident in Calabar and has a landed property.

    The first charge sheet with numbers MC.1140C/2017 was about a Whatsapp message to one Goddy Akpama on August 17, 2017, which was said to be with intent to intimidate and threaten him and his reputation and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 366 (a) of the criminal Code, Cap C16, Vol.3, Laws of Cross River State of Nigeria.”

    The second count of the same charge also bordering on the same message to Goddy Akpama was for an offence of misdemeanor punishable under Section 375 of the criminal Code, Cap C16, Vol.3, Laws of Cross River State of Nigeria.

    The second with two count charges as well with number MC 1141C/2017 bordered on his Facebook post which he made and published on the 8th and 9th of July 2016.

    It read, “Breaking news: More Robberies and Kidnappings coming your way. That is the price you pay where a Governor shuttles the world signing MoUs, meanwhile there was no homeland security or police to fight the robbers”.

    “…Ifere Paul, knowing this to be false, with intent to raise false alarm and cause fear among citizens, residents, inhabitants, visitors and members of the general public in Cross River State and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 59 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Vol.111, laws of Cross River State of Nigeria 2004.”

    The second count on the second charge number also bordered on the same Facebook post and publication by Ifere Paul and said to punishable under section 51 (c) of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Vol.111, laws of Cross River State of Nigeria 2004.”

    The matter was adjourned to November 21st, 2017.

    Read Also: 23 year-old in prison for stealing TV

     

  • Imoke, Owan-Enoh, others brainstorm against insecurity in Cross River

    Imoke, Owan-Enoh, others brainstorm against insecurity in Cross River

    Restoring peace in Cross River State was the crux of discussion when former  Governor Liyel Imoke, Senator John Owan-Enoh,  the Chairman of the Cross River Partnership for Peace and Security (CRPPS), Mr. Lawrence Alobi, and others brainstormed at a Peace and Security Summit in Ikom.

    They sought a way out of the rising spate of insecurity in the state, especially in the central senatorial district in the Summit organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and the Foundation for Peace and Security Education in collaboration with CRPPS.

    The issue of insecurity, according Alobi, arose from the numerous communal clashes and cult wars, among other violent crimes that have claimed the lives of several persons, as well as destroyed a lot of properties.

    Alobi, who declared open the summit, said it was disturbing that the state, which was once rated as the most peaceful in the country, has become a hotbed of insecurity.

    “I served as a police officer maintaining law and order promoting peace and security for 35 years and it pains my heart how my people, young men are causing mayhem destroying themselves in the name of cultism. Communities that are supposed to live together in peace are fighting each other.

    “It is particularly disturbing that Cross River Central Senatorial District has gained an unfortunate notoriety as a theatre of war due to communal clashes, cultism and other violent crimes. We cannot allow this trend to continue because if this ugly situation is neglected it might snowball into an unimaginable level like we are witnessing today in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.”

    Also speaking, Imoke stated that as a former governor he wondered why young people would join cults to become ready tools for politicians.

    He said: “I will just like to say that for the organisers to put this event together means that there must be some concern about the level of peace and security in Cross River State. It is everyone’s responsibility. That has been my own experience. The earlier we nip each challenge in the bud, the better it is for each and every one of us.

    “When I was governor, I was very concerned about young people joining cults and about politicians using these young people or cultists who went in and committed all kinds of crimes and offences in the name of politics sometimes in the name of support for a political party or a politician.”

    He said there was need to urgently address these concerns.

    Owan-Enoh said the six local government areas in the district were experiencing one form of violent conflict or the other.

    He said: “There is about no local government area in the district that has no communal conflict. We are gathered here because the zone has become a theatre of war, which ought not to be.

    “I think things have deteriorated actually and the fact that this summit is holding is the greatest indication of that fact. It’s a response by people and this is not government but people that are concerned about what is going on.”

    Also in attendance at the Summit were former General Officer Commanding, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj-Gen. Moses Obi (rtd), a former Cross River State Security Adviser, Mr. Bassey Rekpene, and Prof.Oshita Oshita, among others.