The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cross River State

  • Ayade vows to rid Cross River of crimes, seeks FG’s support

    Determined to rid the state of all forms of crimes and criminalities, Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade has restated his administration’s commitment to leave no stone un-turned in other to retain its status as the most peaceful in the country.

    Governor Ayade gave the commitment shortly after the weekly Security Council meeting with all security and service commanders as well as the commissioner of Police held in his conference room, Government House, Calabar, on Wednesday.

    Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting,  Ayade pointed out that “part of the measures the council adopted was to get the state capital, particularly Calabar South Local Government Area, sufficiently lit,” disclosing that the contract for the revitalization and expansion of the existing street lighting network has been awarded.

    The governor also disclosed that the state security outfit, Homeland Security,  will be overhauled and more energy injected with complementary logistics and financial support as well as more personnel drawn from the armed forces and other security operatives in the state to enhance their operation.

    Decrying the impact of the ongoing crisis in Southern Cameroon on the state, the governor narrated: “Let me bring to the knowledge of Cross Riverians and indeed Nigerians that 80 percent of security issues we are dealing with is a as result of the war just by our borders.

    “The Southern Cameroon guerilla warfare is basically the Amazonians trying to secede from  Cameroon.  And as a result, there is an influx of persons into the country through over 27 illegal routes, who smuggle in goods of different kinds, sell them and use the money to acquire arms, recruit our young men and women and use them as machineries to fight back home.

    “As a matter of fact, this is an international issue, completely outside the scope of the governor of a state and should be handled by the Presidency. It is against this background that we are addressing a letter to Mr. President officially soliciting his support to address these security challenges in the state occasioned by the illegal immigrants of Southern Cameroon to the state,” Ayade disclosed.

    Read Also: Ayade: Cross River cocoa processing plant ready soon

    Continuing the governor said: “I will not hesitate to cry out that Cross River State has been left hanging and crying in this crisis. Aside from the humanitarian effort in addressing the issues in food security in the refugee camps and the communal skirmishes, the state has not received any special incentives knowing that a war at your backyard is a war in your house.”

    Ayade further stressed: “Let me say again and again here that the war in Cameroon has direct negative impact on Cross River State and until we receive the needed federal attention, we will remain vulnerable to the daunting security challenges.

    “Let me once again appeal to Mr. President and the National Security Adviser to as a matter of urgency intervene in the security issues in Cross River by ensuring that all military platforms are adequately upgraded  and the police fully funded to tackle the rising cases of crimes in the state.”

    Disclosing further decisions taken at the security meeting the governor stated: “Cross River and indeed Calabar is too beautiful, our people are too peaceful for what is battling us now. It is only from this security meeting that we realize that the only way we can address this issue is to address the illegal routes through which weapons, illegal goods and the rest enter into Calabar. Today, Calabar has become an illegal trading route by the immigrants who use same to acquire weapons as I mentioned earlier.”

    On the inter states crisis, Ayade stated that, Cross River is at war with over four states bordering it, stressing that “these are issues that relate to land disputes long before my own father was born. So, as the governor, while struggling to deal with the internal issues, I am now confronted with international issues beyond the magnitude that the state can carry.

    “So, again I use this opportunity to call on Mr. President to please intervene, not for me as state governor, but to support the service commanders and the Nigerian Police for them to effectively and efficiently carryout out their statutory duties of protecting the country.”

     

  • Why I dumped the PDP, by Cross River senatorial aspirant

    Mr. Kammonke Abam believes he is not your typical Nigerian politician. The youthful media entrepreneur is aspiring to go to the senate in 2019 where he seeks to represent the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State. He recently resigned from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in protest against alleged discrimination and injustice against his people. He spoke to Nicholas Kalu. Excerpts:

    WHY did you resign from the PDP? My resignation is a statement of protest against the stealthy plan to deny those of us from the Old Obubra axis of the party and particularly Ugep, the opportunity to fly the party’s flag. We believe it is historically justified for the position to be zoned to us. We perceive a surreptitious plan to weaken us out of the race and give the ticket to one of their cronies in Old Ikom even though the senate seat has been domiciled in Old Ikom in the past 19 years. Next year, 2019, would be exactly 20 years of Old Ikom producing senators representing the Central Senatorial District. We believe it is unfair for the party to still want to keep it in Old Ikom. It has become very obvious that the political scale is deliberately and unfairly tilted to favour Old Ikom. The way things are going, some of us have decided to leave the party for them while we seek alternative platforms that respect our wishes and provide a level playing ground for all aspirants. This is after a careful study and analysis of the political patterns and recent history. The case of Ugep, where I come from is particularly disheartening. In the last 20 years, there seems to be a gang up against the political development of the people of Ugep. It happened in 1999; it repeated itself over the years and may happen again next year if we do not wake up from our slumber. We are determined to do our best to scuttle that sad history from repeating itself. We deserve to be treated better.

    Could you give us more background on this?

    The background to this development is that the Cross River Central Senatorial District is made up of six local government areas. Three of them, Ikom, Boki and Etung are contiguous to each other and used to be under one local government area called Ikom, while the other three, Yakurr, Abi and Obubra are also contiguous to each other and also used to be under one local government area called Obubra. For political expediency, the senatorial district is clustered into Old Ikom and Old Obubra. That way, political offices are meant to be distributed equitably and fairly. At the emergence of the 4th Republic in 1999, the senate seat went to Old Ikom. Senator Mathew Mbu, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and now, Senator John Owan-Enoh became senators on account of this arrangement. Next year, 2019, would be exactly 20 years that Old Ikom is occupying the seat and those of us in Old Obubra are saying it is time power changed hands so we can also send one of us to represent the senatorial district. Is it a bad thing for us to say we want to share in what belongs to us all? My brother is it bad? The defence they put forward is that Senator Liyel Imoke represented the district in 1992. Funny enough, just for a little over a year. They also argued that Old Obubra has produced two governors in the person of Chief Clement Ebri and Senator Liyel Imoke. While that is true, the office of the governor is a state-wide office. It is not restricted to the Central Senatorial District. So, that argument does not hold water. In any case, the issue right now is that the party that should look at variables that gives it comparative advantage to win the forthcoming election by picking someone from Old Obubra seems to throw caution to the wind by doing everything to favour a particular candidate from Old Ikom. My quitting the party is my own response against this perceived injustice.

    Why didn’t you decide to stay in the PDP and try to fight this from within?

    That is exactly what we have been doing in the recent past. They say it’s a mad man who does the same thing and expects different results. We’ve fought and are still fighting to have these issues addressed but hasn’t received the attention it deserves. That’s why we have changed strategy. You know, it is politics. There are obviously some people benefitting from Old Obubra and particularly, Ugep not having a voice in the National Assembly. It does appear as if there are sworn enemies determined to keep the Ugep man out of the power loop perpetually. And from the look of things, if we don’t put our acts together and we miss this golden opportunity, we may not be able to do so in the next eight years. I will be satisfied if by this act, the leadership of the party rethinks and an Ugep man is given the ticket of the party. As for me, I shall pursue my future political journey in another platform that will be receptive and respectful of the political interest and views of our people.

    What effect do you think this will have on the polity?

    Politics is about communication and negotiation. We want to draw the attention of the world to the unfairness against the people of Old Obubra and Ugep in particular. We believe that the people of Old Obubra and Ugep in particular deserve a better deal in the politics of Cross River State and there is no better time to make that statement than now. My interest is to bring this long agitation to the front burner of the political discourse of Cross River State. Attention must be paid to Old Obubra and particularly, to Ugep more than it currently is. We have the numbers to make a difference. Truth is Ugep has been taken for a ride for a long time because our political leaders do not seem to realise the huge political capital that Ugep has or they simply aren’t negotiating well enough. And this just must stop. We have the energy, the numbers, and the resources to take this through

    You seem very upset by this?

    Yes, why not. Anyone in our shoes as a people will be. It’s as if there is a deliberate calculation to put Ugep down politically. Since the days of Dr. Okoi Arikpo, those with the privilege of calling the shots of power have deliberately choked my community, Ugep, of political breath. At the level of Ugep, we have been meeting for some time to chart a new political course and order that will restore the political glory that Ugep once had. It’s a move to restore the voice of the Ugep man and woman. We’ve been taken for granted for too long and we cannot continue like this. The fact remains that once we put our act together, Ugep will continue to decide where the political pendulum of the Central Senatorial District will swing.

    Do you think that your people will support you on this?

    This matter is not about me. It has nothing to do with my person. It’s a call that well-meaning persons from Old Obubra and particularly, Ugep have been concerned about. I am just accentuating the issues.

    What next now?

    We have concluded plans to move to another political party that is more receptive to our interests and the values we stand for.

  • Two young men killed in Cross River, Ebonyi communal conflict

    Two unidentified young men from Ukelle community in Yala local government area of Cross River State were reportedly killed yesterday morning by people suspected to be from Igbeagu community in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi State.

    This happening just a couple of days after the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, visited both states to find lasting solutions to the problem between the two neigbouring communities.

    A resident of Ukelle who called The Nation on phone yesterday alleged that the two ill-fated young men were riding on a motorcycle at Izzi-Mfuma village, when youths suspected to be from Igbeagu ambushed them and shot them at close range killing them instantly.

    “This latest attack is unprovoked and we do know what to do anymore from stopping the Izzi people from killing us. Right now negotiations are on by all stakeholders, security agencies and even the government at the state and federal levels to resolve this problem, but it appears the people just love killing just for killing sake.

    “About three Sundays ago, while the deputy governor of Cross River State and that of Ebonyi were in a meeting to resolve the problem they were still attacking us. In fact while the meeting was ongoing they invaded some of our communities and killed three young men. One of them was beheaded and we don’t know where the head is till today. One Vincent Ojobo was the unfortunate young man that was beheaded. He was killed at Ijobolo 2 Village. The other two were killed in Ipollo Village.

    “As I speak with you Ukelle is a ghost town. The community has been deserted. Go to our villages like Ijibollo 1 and 2, Ogomogomo, Ogba, Ujama, Mfuma and Ipollo 1 and 2, they are like warzones. They have burnt down our houses. Our farmland and livestock have been destroyed. We can no longer go to our farms again for fear of our lives. The children are no longer going to school. In fact life has ground to a halt for us in this community.

    “We are begging the Government to come in urgently to protect. We are only always forced to defend ourselves, because we are not aggressors. But the Ebonyi people from time to time for no reason attack and kill our people indiscriminately. For how long will this continue?” the source who did not want to be named said.

    Cross River Acting Governor, Prof Ivara Esu, when he received Dambazzau in his office in Calabarexpressed frustration over the conflict, saying they were confused about how to go about the matter as all efforts to stem the problem has been futile.

    He was upset that meeting with their Ebonyi counterparts with service chiefs, traditional rulers, assembly members, the Director General of the National Boundary Commission, among other stakeholders from both communities to resolve the issue, the killing have still continued.

    He had said Cross River loves peace and in conflicts with neighbouring states, they are usually not the aggressors, but only try to defend themselves.

    Esu said state is bordered by Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ebonyi and Benue States which at one time or the other are in conflict with communities in the state over land.

    He begged the Federal Government and the NBC to do all that can be done to restore peace to the people of the state.

     

  • No plan to attack Cross River community – Miyetti Allah

    The Cross River State Branch of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has debunked rumours that Fulani herdsmen were planning to attack residents of Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River.

    The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Hassan Abo, who spoke with our reporter on Wednesday in Calabar, described the rumour as “devilish and wicked’’.

    Abo said that cattle breeders in Obanliku had been living peacefully with residents of the local government over the years, adding that the unity should not be destroyed with fake rumour.

    “It is not true that Fulani herdsmen are planning to attack any community in Obanliku Local Government or any other area in the state.

    “As an umbrella body of the breeders association, we want to state clearly that we are peace loving people, residing here in Cross River State.

    “We urge government and the security agencies to bring any one found wanting to book. I want to applaud Gov. Ben Ayade for his efforts in protecting lives and property of all residents in the state.

    Alhaji Yusuf Usman, the Chief Imam of Obudu Mosque, a nearby local government to Obanliku, told our reporter in a telephone interview that the rumour got to them late on July 17.

    Read Also: ‘Nobody should destabilise Cross Rivers’

    Usman said that the information, which had caused panic in the area, had reduced the distance breeders go with their cattle to search for pasture.

    “Due to the rumour, we are now scared. Some cattle breeders can no longer move freely because members of the community are now seeing them as their enemies.

    “The rumour that Fulani herdsmen are planning to attack them is false. Obudu and Obanliku Local Governments are very close and I want to state clearly that we have no such plan against our host communities.

    “I wish to assure the state government and security agencies that we will not allow breakdown of law and order from our members in this area,’’ he said.

    The Commissioner of Police in Cross River, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, also said that the rumour was false.

    “The state police command and the security adviser to Gov. Ayade have been on alert since we received the information.

    “The information is not true.  It is a rumour. People should stop peddling such fake rumours. I am very happy that the area is calm and peaceful.

    “I want to advise people to turn away from spreading such rumours because it will not do us any good,’’ he said.

    A resident of Obanliku, Mr Paul Achu, told our reporters on telephone that the rumour caused panic in the area, adding however, that his community was safe with people going about their normal businesses.

    NAN

  • Cross River: Senatorial aspirant dumps PDP over alleged discrimination 

    A senatorial aspirant of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Mr. Kammonke Abam, has resigned from the party alleging plans to deny him and other aspirants from a particular axis of his senatorial district the opportunity to fly the party’s flag.

    In a letter addressed to the State Chairman of the party in Cross River State dated July 12, 2018, Abam, who aspires to the seat of the Central Senatorial District, said, he is “constrained to resign in protest against the surreptitious plan to deny those of us from the Old Obubra axis of the party and particularly Ugep, the opportunity to fly the party’s flag which we believe is historically justified to be zoned to us.”

    Read Also:Allow defectors, concerned PDP members tell leaders

    According to Abam, in the last couple of months, the efforts that those of them from the Old Obubra axis of the party and particularly Ugep, have made to secure the ticket of the party for the Central Senatorial District have been severely undermined.

    “It has become very obvious that the political scale is deliberately and unfairly tilted to favour Old Ikom,” he alleged, in his letter to the party Chairman

    He expressed mixed feelings for his resignation as according to him, “I am sad that I will be leaving some of my longtime party friends that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. Furthermore, having been a loyal party member all these years, I am saddened that I have to leave the party that has given me the opportunity to serve my state as a political appointee to two successive Governors for 9 years.”

    He said he reached this decision after wide consultations with a wide spectrum of party elders and members sympathetic to his cause and supporters in the Central Senatorial District.

    Abam said, “I do not think I need to wait for the smoke of this stealthy plan to choke me before taking the necessary actions to protect my inalienable right to contest for any position of my choice under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    Abam said, those in the party that are orchestrating this act may have the “power” to decide who gets the senatorial ticket, “but they have a limit as to how the rest of us will respond to such an action”.

  • Why I set my three-year old niece on fire – Suspect

    A 37-year old man, Leo Columbus, told reporters in Calabar Wednesday that he set his three-year old niece ablaze because she defecated in a neighbour’s house in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River State.

    According to him, he did not intend to kill her and only acted out of anger because of the child’s behavior.

    Columbus, who was one of 50 suspects paraded by the Cross River Police Commissioner Hafiz Inuwa, for various crimes, said he started taking care of the child, his brother’s daughter, two years ago.

    Read Also:Police name Plateau, Benue killings suspects

    He said his neighbours had been complaining a lot of times that the little girl, who parents are in Lagos, was always defecating in their houses.

    “People had been complaining until that fateful day. It was not purposely. Someone came and reported to me that he had defecated in their place. With the annoyance that she went and shit in someone’s pumpkin and water leaf, I beat her,” he said,

    He said at the time he was burning some grasses and in anger threw the fire on her, which severely burnt part of her body.

    He also denied tying her to a tree while she was on fire.

    “When I saw she was burnt, I said look at what you have caused to me. I regretted. I applied JV and bought drugs and gave to her. I did not plan to kill her. She is brother’s daughter. I did it out of annoyance. It was anger that made me do it,” he said.

    He said he always leaves the little girl when going to work.

    “I can’t lock her inside. I always tell her to stay in the house and even if she wants to go to toilet, she should do it in the house, but she still goes out and shits in the neighbour’s houses,” Columbus said.

    Inuwa said Columbus was arrested immediately he set the girl on fire, while she was tied to a guava tree.

    The Police Commissioner said the victim was rushed to The General Hospital in Akamkpa for treatment and later taken to an orphanage for proper attention.

  • Navy arrests petrol thieves in Calabar

    …seizes 20, 000 litres of product

     

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, have arrested four suspected Premium Motor Spirit thieves with 20, 000 litres of the product.

    The suspects, who were arrested along the Calabar channel, were coming from Oron in Akwa Ibom State and heading to Bakassi with the product commonly known as petrol.

    Handing them over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution, Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said moves were on to also arrest the kingpins behind the crime.

    Nwagu said, “We are handing over eight drums of PMS that was seized by my men while on patrol along the Calabar channel. The said products were laden in a wooden boat with four men on board. My men were able to arrest the suspects and the products in the darkest time of the night.

    “This is coming less than one week after we handed over some smuggled rice worth N61m to the Nigeria Customs Service. We cannot continue to allow these perpetrators go free. Any product they put on water, we are going to go for them.

    “PMS is currently available in filing station outlets and depots, so, why the smuggling? Why would they go about destroying Federal Government installation through sabotage? Why follow this backyard?

    Read Also: Navy destroys 1500 illegal refineries in Delta

    “We would stay here and continue to arrest them. We are not going to get tired no matter the pressure. Our targets are now the owners of these products. We are going to get them, they cannot go free.

    “What I have done now is that whenever we handover, we give a copy to the headquarters of NSCDC for them to be aware. I have also written to other security agencies informing them of the arrests that we have made so far. We are synergising to ensure that we rid off the state of criminals.”

    Sate Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Stephen Lar, said his agency would form collaborative intelligence with the Navy to arrest the sponsors of the crime.

    “We would continue to prosecute them in the court after thorough investigation. We would be having a combined intelligence to make sure that we get the real owners because these are errand boys. We would fish out those behind the crime and we shall have them prosecuted in the court of law,” he said.

    Those arrested were 26-year-old Okon Ekpo from Akwa Ibom State, Jeremiah Iyohokwa (25) from Akwa Ibom, Israel Tabi (30), from Bayelsa State and Raphael Etim-Philip (25), Akwa Ibom State.

  • Navy seizes 100,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, arrests eight in Calabar

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, have seized 100, 000 litres of illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO) popularly known as diesel, as well as arrested eight suspects.

     

    Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said the arrests were made along the Calabar Channel, when they got intelligence reports about the activities of the suspects, believed to be coming from Rivers State.

     

    Parading the suspects and seized items, which also included a large wooden boat, known as Cotonou Boat,at the NNS Victory jetty before handing over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nwagu said the Navy will always be a step ahead of those perpetrating criminalities in the country’s maritime domain.

     

    He said the seized items were worth over N23 million.

    Read Also: Navy seizes 2, 860 bags of contraband rice worth over N50m

     

    He said, “We all know the consequences of people taking the laws into their hands to sabotage the efforts of the government and the efforts the Nigeria navy is putting to ensuring that the perpetuators of this illegal activities are brought to book. I am here to and over the suspects, the cargo and the Cotonou boats to the NSCDC to take over them in accordance with the extant regulations.

     

    “We are ever ready any time to go after criminals. If they do not want to hear and continue to perpetrate in this trade, we are here to collect it from them and arrest them. The Nigerian Navy is a step ahead. Our maritime domain awareness is up and running. There is no hiding place for perpetrators. Once you commit your resources to illegal and contraband products, and you want to pass them through our maritime domain, be rest assured we are going to catch you. Any attempt they make, the Nigerian Navy is a step ahead.”

     

    Commandant Stephen Lar in charge of NSCDC, Cross River State Command, who received the suspects and items, appreciated Navy for the synergy in fighting criminality.

     

    He said they would carry out further investigations and then prosecute the suspects.

     

    He said if they are convicted, the items would be forfeited to the Federal Government.

     

     

  • Governors responsible for hardship in Nigeria, says Ambassador

    The Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda, Etubom (Dr) Nya Asuquo says state governors and not the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government is responsible for the hardship in the country.

    Speaking with reporters in Calabar, he said, “I think charity should begin at home. I think the question should be what our state has been able to do to make sure that people who are in Cross River State are gainfully employed. It is not Buhari that is controlling the resources of local government; it is not Buhari that is controlling the resources of the states. Buhari cannot come and develop my village. He does general politics for the whole country for the states and local governments to tap from it and make development available to people. But if the state is only waiting to show us new power bikes in December, then the condition will be as it is.

    Read Also: Governors on the art of connecting

    “I think he should continue the way he is going. What I am saying is that we are asking after Buhari but we are in Cross River State. It is the state that has to complement what the federal government is doing. The state has to do its best.”

    He urged Nigerians to hold state governments responsible for underdevelopment at the grassroots level, given that the Federal Government has never failed in its responsibility of allocating money on monthly basis as revenue allocation to governors of states.

  • Cross River LGA attain open defecation free status

    Yakurr local government area of Cross River State has attained the open defecation free (ODF) status under the Federal Government, European Union and United Nations Children’s Fund Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSSRP) I and II.

    This would make it the third local government to achieve this status in the state, and Cross River the only state in Nigeria with three ODF local government areas.

    Speaking at the official celebration of the attainment of the status in Ugep, Yakurr, yesterday, Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Dr Ibrahim Conteh, expressed appreciation Governor Ben Ayade for sustaining the cordial relationship between them in supporting and providing access to water and sanitation for the women and children of the State.

    He said having attained ODF, all and sundry should ensure sustainability of the status through provision of enabling conditions by the government, physical sustainability, making sure the toilets are of quality and also social and behavioral sustainability they progress towards the ultimate which is total sanitation.

    “Today marks another turning point in the history of Cross River State as the only State in Nigeria with three Open defecation Free (ODF) LGAs. These are Obanliku, Yakurr and Bekwara, hopefully within the next couple of weeks Boki LGA would be declared ODF. UNICEF partnership with Cross River State dated back several years, under the Water Supply Sanitation Sector Reform Programme (WSSSRP).

    “The implementation of WSSSRP I & II started in 2006 in five LGAs of Cross River State, namely Yakurr, Boki, Odukpani, Obubura and Etung with Yakurr and Boki being focus for the second phase of the programme. The overall objective of the programme is to improve health and livelihoods in rural communities through provision of sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery to reduce poverty and disease burden.

    Read Also: 200 indigent children in Cross River get scholarships

    “One of the most promising approaches in sanitation in the last decades has been Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is a participatory approach that aims to achieve and sustain an open defecation free (ODF) status at the community level. CLTS employs participatory rural appraisal and is based on the belief that the learning effect is much higher if the knowledge is acquired through self-experience and self-reflection. The approach facilitates the critical analysis by the community of their own sanitation-profile, inappropriate defecation practices and the consequences, leading to collective action to become ODF. It is a community-based and -led strategy that triggers community empowerment via feelings like shame and disgust induced through observation of the defecation situation in a specific setting and its environment, which is much harder to address by health education.

    He said since 2008, Yakurr LGA’s performance has been outstanding, as demonstrated a very high level of compliance to the CLTS core principle of STOPPING OPEN DEFECATION through construction and use of house hold latrines with hand washing facilities.

    Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, UNICEF A Field Office, Mr Amose Kudzala, said it was a significant landmark for the local government area.

    He said under the WSSSRP programme Yakurr was the first to achieve the status.

    He said 239 communities in Yakurr had achieved ODF.

    He said they were presently working in two LGAs, Yakurr and Boki, but intend to expand to four more.

    Minister of Water Resources, Engr  Suleman Adamu, who was represented by Dr Musa Ibrahim, said about 47 million people in the country are practicing open defecation making it the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    He said the Federal Government over the years have ensured the implementation and access to water supply across the country, but there was need for a corresponding effort in sanitation and hygiene.

    He said there was need to do more to achieve ODF across the country.

    Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, said the state was committed to improving the health of its people.

    Represented by his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, he said it was a great feat to achieve three ODF local government areas in the state.

    He pledged the state governments’ commitment to the programme.