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Tag: Obong of Calabar

  • Nigerians testifying to positive changes, Says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State, appreciated the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu, for his honesty and maturity in stating major changes in the polity, especially in infrastructure, assuring him of more interventions that will impact the lives of Nigerians.

    President Buhari, who was at the palace of the Obong of Calabar, said he was delighted at the forthrightness of the royal father in spelling out some of the development projects of his administration, which showed a clear departure from past administrations.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said “Nigerians are our witness that things are not the same way they used to be in terms of security, economy and fight against corruption.

    ” I am happy His Majesty is well briefed and informed about what we have been doing and has been honest in speaking out,’” the President said.

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    President Buhari noted that the people living in  states in the North Eastern part of the country have also been comparing notes and sharing their experiences of remarkable relief since his administration assumed office in 2015, just as workers and farmers that benefited from government programmes also have good stories to tell.

    The President assured Nigerians that money saved from cutting the dependence on food import will be used for building more infrastructure that will benefit everyone in the country.

    He also said the war against corruption will be fought relentlessly and all those found to have abused trust will be prosecuted.

    In his remarks, the Obong of Calabar told President Buhari that Cross River had enjoyed the Federal Government’s goodwill in road constructions, appointments in government and commissioning of a naval hospital in Calabar.

    “I wish to say thank you for your great works. We have been looking for the opportunity to come closer and say thank you. We wish you well.

    “I have blessed you naturally for the forthcoming elections and we hope by God’s making you will get a second term and continue with your good work,” he said.

    The Obong of Calabar commended the President for completing abandoned projects in his domain and across the country and initiating new ones.

    He said the Calabar-Ogoja-Katsina Ala road projects and the Calabar-Uyo-Aba road projects would really ease the livelihood of Nigerians, urging the President to also complete the dredging of Calabar port in his second term.

  • ‘Vote according to your conscience’

    As the elections draw closer, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Nigeria, Rev Dr Chidi Okoroafor, has urged Nigerians to vote whoever they want to lead them according to their conscience.

    Okoroafor, who was in Calabar for the City Gospel Bells Invasion Crusade tagged “Total Freedom” also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the vote of the people counts.

    The cleric, who said they have already committed the upcoming elections to God, urged Nigerians to eschew violence in the upcoming elections.

    He also visited the three monarchs of Calabar, the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V; the Ndidem of the Quas, Ndidem Patrick Inok Oquagbor V; and the Muri Munene of the Efuts, Muri Munene Itam Hogan.

    “We have prayed. Politics is like a game. You can either win or lose. You don’t shed blood because you want to get to the throne. Let everybody know that it is God who puts kings. Somebody may win an election and God would decide he would not be the leader. He can decide to remove you midnight before your inauguration. You can die. So everybody should be careful and I want to advise that everyone should do their job by voting, follow your conscience.

    Read Also: Keyamo: why Nigerians must vote for Buhari

    “I want to challenge that umpire, INEC, to make sure that votes count because one of the things that discourage voters is when they are not sure that their votes would count. Then they say what is the need going out to vote. But a kind of orientation is taking place, and we have been told that the votes would count. Please let INEC make the votes count. Let us not mortgage this nation because of money,” Okoroafor said.

    Okoroafor said they came into Calabar with over 1, 000 crowned evangelists for the City Invasion.

    “We are into Calabar with over 1, 000 crowned evangelists, who will comb the city from house preaching the gospel of emancipation. What we call personal evangelism. Then in the evening, we would gather at the stadium for evangelistic crusade. We are believing God it would be a period people would encounter Christ, and encounter salvation. Of course God will back his words with supernatural demonstration. We expect that healings would take place and God would deliver people and great things, which cannot be expressed in human language would actually happen.

    “When God is in charge anything can happen. I want to say that the Lord Jesus has taken over Calabar and we are just here to be witnesses to what the Lord had done already in this place.

  • IPOB: I didn’t send emissary to Kanu, says Obong of Calabar

    IPOB: I didn’t send emissary to Kanu, says Obong of Calabar

    The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, yesterday denied sending any emissary to leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

    The Obong was reacting to a video making the rounds in the social media where a man claimed to represent him in a meeting with the IPOB leader.

    A statement by chairman of the Etuboms’ Traditional Council of the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, HRH Etubom Bassey Okor Bassey Duke, said the man claiming to represent the monarch was an “imposter with dubious intentions.”

    It reads: “The attention of the Obong of Calabar-in-Council has been drawn to a video currently making the rounds on social media in which a person is seen claiming to have been sent by the Obong of Calabar to ask Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB to visit him.

    “The content of this video is therefore a ridiculous insult and the Obong of Calabar-in-Council dissociates itself completely from everything to do with the person and fake message carried in the video.

    “From the poor illegitimate dressing, intonation, accent and comportment, it is clear that the person is a petty impersonator with dubious intentions.

    “While freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution it does not extend to endorsing the propagation of falsehood of making fraudulent claims.

    “The Obong of Calabar-in-Council, therefore calls on the security agencies to live up to expectation and immediately arrest and prosecute the impersonator whose face can clearly be seen in the video.”

    A 2:42 minute video on YouTube titled: BIAFRA: I’m very, very happy we are now a nation, shows Kanu addressing some supporters in a room when a man in dark glasses dressed in traditional attire said he brought greetings from Obong, who supports the Biafra cause and would like to see the IPOB leader.

    According to the man, the Obong and the Calabar people wanted to see the IPOB leader.

    “Tell him he was one of the people I was praying for while in prison and one of the people I would go to.

    “Tell the Obong of Calabar, I will go to see him that I would be honoured to see him in person.

    “I will come to see him in his Palace. Tell the Obong that. Thank you very much for coming,” Kanu replied in the video.

     

  • Osinbajo lauds Ayade’s industrial drive

    Osinbajo lauds Ayade’s industrial drive

    The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, commended, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River for his effort to industrialise the State.

    Osinbajo said this while performing the ground-breaking ceremony of Ayade Industrial Park Calabar as part of his two-day working visit to the state.

    He described the park as an industrial hub in Nigeria and Africa.

    “It tells us of what the future holds for the people of this state. It is really going to be a major industrial hub in Africa, ‘’ he said.

    The acting president later performed the ground-breaking ceremony of Cross River Rice City Project and inaugurated the Calabar Garment Factory, all situated inside the park.

    Speaking, Gov. Ayade said his vision was to make the state the destination for investments in Africa.

    He solicited the support of the Federal Government in his quest to develop the state through numerous on-going projects.

    The acting President had earlier on arrival, visited the Palace of Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo-Abasi Otu, where he called for peaceful co-existence among different ethnic nationalities in the country.

    He said that for Nigeria to progress, there was a need for unity among Nigerians adding that Nigeria is better and strong when they are united.

    He said: “Unity is very important. All of us should show love to one another: this will make us stronger.’’
    Responding, Obong, thanked the acting president for finding time to visit his palace and described the visit as historic.

    He called on Nigerian Leaders to always prioritize the welfare of the people, irrespective of their political affiliations.

    The Obong advocated the involvement of the Traditional Institutions in the governance of the country due to their closeness to the people at the grassroots.

    “The traditional institutions are closer to the people and they know better what the people need; therefore, I suggest that the traditional institutions should be more involved in government, ‘’ he said.

    The Acting President was later given a chieftaincy title in Efik tradition “Ada-idaha ke Efik Eburutu (a chief in Obong’s Council).

  • Stay off partisan politics, Obong of Calabar advised

    A group, Cross River Youth Vanguard, has urged the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu, to refrain from making comments that can portray him as a partisan politician.

    The group was reacting to a statement credited to the monarch in which he reportedly cast aspersions on Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parts of Nigeria.

    In a statement by its President, Effiong Ephraim, the group said the monarch’s statement was unfortunate, meddlesome and inconsistent with his office as a royal father.

    Wondering how the monarch arrived at his conclusions, when he was neither a party agent, an observer nor a delegate at the primaries, the group noted that his position was capable of portraying him as working for the interest seeking to score cheap political advantage.

    The group said: “We are rather concerned and appalled by the Obong’s sudden interest in partisan politics. A man, who should be a father to all, should not be seen to be taking sides in a political contest. The unfortunate statement credited to him portrayed him to the contrary and is capable of bringing his highly revered throne to disrepute.”

    It urged the Obong to take a cue from other revered monarchs, like the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife, who consistently their neutrality and avoided dabbling in the internal affairs of political parties.

    The Cross River Youth Vanguard said the state primaries were transparent, free, fair and participatory as attested to by most of the aspirants who took part in the exercise.