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Tag: Imoke

  • Imoke not dead – Commissioner

    Imoke not dead – Commissioner

     

    The Cross River Commissioner for Information, Chief Akin Ricketts, has said that Governor Liyel Imoke is not dead.

    “There is no iota of truth in the rumour making the round in the state and beyond that Governor Liyel Imoke is dead,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the commissioner as saying at a news briefing on Friday in Calabar

    Rickett said the governor officially wrote to the state House of Assembly last week that he was handing over to his deputy, Efiok Cobham, to enable him proceed on a two-month accumulated leave.

    “He is not dead, he is now recuperating. There are strong indications that he will soon return to the country,’’ he said.

    The governor’s Chief Press Secretary and Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Christian Ita, had in a statement on December 6 explained that Imoke was away on medical grounds.

    The statement did not disclose the ailment but explained that Imoke started a two-month accumulated leave on December 7.

     

  • Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    NCOMIUMS continue to pour in for the Golden Eaglets after their qualification for the 2013 African U-17 Championship in a fashionable manner on Sunday with a 4-0 aggregate win over the Junior Eagles of Mali in Bamako.

    In fact, the Golden Eagles were still drumming and singing in the dressing room when the congratulatory message of their foremost benefactor, Senator Liyel Imoke, the executive Governor of Cross River State, was delivered.

    “I’m so happy with the result you got in Bamako and your overall performance throughout the qualifiers really made me proud,” said the likeable Governor in a short message service forwarded to the team through his Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Patrick Ugbe. “Personally, I wish you well in your future engagements; the time now is for you to concentrate and prepare for the championship in Morocco. I wish you all the best.”

    Across the West coast city of Dakar came goodwill from Mr. Abubakar Muhammad, the Nigeria’s Charge D’Affairs in Guinea who was monitoring the match despite his diplomatic engagement in Senegal.

    “These boys have made all Nigerians proud and we really thank God that you eventually made it to the tournament in Morocco,” Muhammad was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with Golden Eaglets’ Head coach, Manu Garba (MFR). “I never had any doubt that you would make it after seeing the way you outplayed Guinea the last time in Conakry. Please, accept my congratulations.”

  • Imoke presents N151b 2013 budget

    Imoke presents N151b 2013 budget

    The Cross River State Government has proposed a budget of N151,376,066,780.75 for next year.

    Governor Liyel Imoke yesterday presented the proposed budget to the House of Assembly in Calabar.

    He said the proposal, tagged Budget of Commitment, aims to consolidate on the achievements made in 2012.

    Imoke said 70 per cent of the budget was voted to capital expenditure and 30 per cent to recurrent expenses.

    He said: “We hope to achieve this by raising N71,145,702,146,74 from recurrent sources, N75,730,364,634.01 from capital receipts and an estimated opening balance of N4,500,000,000.”

    The break down of the budget is as follows: Economic Sector, N117,970,733, 872.69; Social Services, N6,688,894,814.57; Regional Development, N15,040, 526,217.24 and General Administration, N11,675,911,876.25.

    Imoke said the economic sector, which has the highest allocation of 53 per cent, would stimulate growth and create jobs.

  • Imoke advises councils on expenditure

    Imoke advises councils on expenditure

    The State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has urged Local Government Councils in the state to wholeheartedly adopt the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) given its numerous benefits.Imoke who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham, stated this in Calabar at a Budget Consultative Forum for the Cross River South Senatorial District.

    He noted that the adoption of MTEF Budgeting method had enabled countries worldwide with huge and material resource base to achieve significant strides in their economic development.

    The governor described MTEF as a method of budgeting which places premium on careful ordering of priorities and implementation of policies and programmes through accountable and transparent financial management.

    He further observed that the adoption of MTEF would improve relationship with the states development partners, as well as portray the State’s methods of accounting in good light to meet international standards.

    Senator Imoke assured chairmen of councils that the Consultative Forum would afford them the opportunity to address issues related to budgeting and revenue streams for the benefit of all their constituencies.

    He informed that the consultative process has been decentralized to enable the senatorial districts with peculiar resources and needs to make their inputs into the 2013 budget estimates.

    The State Governor, opined that the forum would generate ideas which would not only help in planning but enrich the implementation of the budgetary framework.

    In his address, the Special Adviser, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ntufam Peter Oti noted that the interface was in furtherance of the reformed agenda of this administration which has consistently placed premium on wide- spectrum consultations for the evolution of people- centered policies and infrastructural development.

    He noted that the Government of Senator Liyel Imoke made Due Process, Transparency and Accountability its focal points for which procurement processes and budgeting were tailored to ensure prudence and achieve value for every kobo spent by Government.

    In his address, the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Chief Peter Ojie disclosed that MTEF was introduced in 2007 with three pilot government agencies; Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and Forestry Commission, participating,  was scaled up in 2008 to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and was replicated in all the eighteen Local Government of the State.

    He maintained that since then, there had been collaboration between the Local Government and the Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation Department to build the capacity of functionaries at the third tier to ensure efficient budgeting and implementation process.

    The event featured the presentation of a paper titled “Participatory Budgeting as a tool for Democratisation of the Budgeting Process in Cross River State, Nigeria” by a visiting Professor of Accounting, From Madona University, Okija, Professor Austin Nweze.

     

  • Ohaneze Nd’Igbo honours Imoke’s wife

    The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Nd’Igbo, has honoured the wife of Cross River State Governor, Mrs Obioma Imoke, with the Ugo Nma Nd’Igbo Award.

    The award is reserved for outstanding Igbo daughters, who have made valuable socio-economic contributions to humanity either at home or abroad.

    Ohaneze Nd’igbo said Mrs Imoke, besides distinguishing herself as an illustrious Igbo daughter, has contributed towards the improvement of the lives of Cross River State residents through various projects and poverty alleviation programmes.

    At the presentation in Abuja, the Acting Chairman of the Ohaneze Nd’Igbo in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Val Ogosi, noted that the award was in appreciation of Mrs Imoke’s contributions to the society and the Igbo race.

    Ogosi said the organisation was proud to identify with Mrs Imoke’s laudable projects, adding that the governor’s wife is a source of pride to Nd’Igbo and a role model to many Igbo women.

    Mrs Imoke, who was represented by the wife of the House of Representatives member for Obubra/Etung, Mrs Rachael Owan Enoh, promised to do more for the economic and socio-cultural advancement of Nd’Igbo.

    She also promised not to relent in improving the welfare of the less privileged in the society.

     

  • Imoke, deputy at war over dethronement of Calabar monarch

    THE reluctance of the Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC) to air the announcement of the dethronement of the Paramount Ruler of the Efuts, Muri Munene Efiong Mbukpa, and the emergence of Muri Itam Hogan as the new monarch since last Friday has sparked off speculations that the action may have pitched Governor Liyel Imoke, against his deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham.

    It was learnt that Hogan emerged on Friday after a purported election in which five of the eight clan heads of the Efut people voted for him.

    The Nation gathered that the election, which was reportedly held at the legislative chambers of the Calabar South Local Government Council, was supervised by state government officials.

    It was reportedly covered by the state-owned media.

    Mbuka’s dethronement by Imoke is seen in some quarters as “an interference” in traditional matters, which fall under Cobham’s purview.

    Mbukpa said he remains the Muri Munene of the Efuts.

    The Efut Combined Assembly, which is the highest policy and decision making body of the Efuts, insisted that having qualified and carried out the necessary traditional rites as the Muri Munene since the demise of his predecessor in 2009, Mbukpa remains their traditional head.

    Chairman of the assembly Ndabo Obo said: “Once the traditional rites of the selection processes for the Muri Munene have been done at the traditionally approved location and the selected person is traditionally crowned by the Efut Combined Assembly, the rite can never be repeated until the demise of the incumbent.”