The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof Ben Ayade

  • Cross River’s freeway: Is Ayade’s vision stillborn?

    Right from when the Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, revealed in 2015 that his administration would embark on projects that would touch the lives of the people, there were strong feelings of skepticism about the possibility of such ambition. The skepticism reached a crescendo when he disclosed that the projects would include a 275km superhighway.

    At present, many are, justifiably confused on how to interpret the governor’s intention concerning the project. Could the governor rightly be accused of malfeasance or could it be that he meant well proposing such ambitious projects?

    However, government’s silence about the fate of the road has become a source of worry and surprising. It has not divulged any information with regard to the mega project.

    For a state that gets around N3 billion from the Federation Account every month, with an almost non-existent internally generated revenue system, coupled with a crippling debt profile it inherited from previous administrations, it gives the impression that the project may be difficult to get to as target. This is so because the highway project was expected to gulp almost N700 billion.

    The decision to embark on the project, according to the governor, was to boost economic activities by building a deep seaport, which also is yet to take off, in Bakassi Local Government Area in the southern part of the state and the highway will be an evacuation corridor to link the seaport to other parts of the state as well as the northern part of the country.

    The governor was resolute about his vision, and had even promised that the project would be delivered by the end of his first tenure, which is this month.

    Currently, besides the clearing of some areas the project was to crisscross, as well as problems with communities over destruction of forests and property, and the back-and-forth talks about compensation, there is really nothing on ground to show any evidence of any of the projects.

    Many would argue this may be due to resistance by various organisations, especially environmentally related ones, and communities that doubted the sincerity of the project and the negative impact it would have on the environment and in the lives of the people.

    The communities had complained that the government was going ahead to bulldoze forests and property, even without any Environmental Impact Assessment, which it got eventually.. Some had even concluded that the project was a means of logging wood from the rich forests of the state.

    The controversies surrounding the highway have been many, but a very important one has been the issue of funding, given the financial status of the state.

    On this issue, Ayade, who has entered into several memoranda of understanding overseas, allayed fears, saying foreign companies were falling over themselves to fund the project in a partnership with the government.

    Given that the issue of funding seemed to have been sorted out, it was with some shock that people of Cross River State were inundated with news reports that the governor had transmitted a letter to the Cross River State House of Assembly to approve modalities for funding the project by the state government.

    The letter, which was leaked on the Internet, and signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), sought an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) of the sum of N648.8 billion in favour of a construction company.

    The letter with reference number SSG/S/300/VOL.XVII/1199, addressed to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly sought the legislature to consider and pass a resolution granting an approval for the state government to issue an ISPO of N300 million monthly through a bank in favour of the construction company.

    The government has so far been silent on the letter. It has not refuted it. The situation had evoked various reactions from various quarters, who feel that besides such arrangement economically crumbling an already debt-burdened state, it also lacked transparency expected of a project of such magnitude.

    The situation has raised a lot of questions and BudgIT recently warned the Cross River State government to halt the highway project on the grounds that undue financial hazard and avoidable hardship would plague the state for the next 100 years should the government compound its existing debt burden.

    A statement signed by BudgIT’s Communications Associate, Shakir Akorede, reads in part: “For the umpteenth time, BudgIT is raising the alarm over this attempt to hold public resources to ransom.

    “Suspecting an obstinate intention of the Ayade government to defraud the people of Cross River State, we deem the project overly ambitious, superfluous and almost a misplaced priority especially–besides its viability to investors–when there has been hardly any explanation on ‘infallible plans’ to upscale the state revenue and clear cumulative debts let alone fix the human and environmental costs of the project.

    “With a budget estimate of N648 billion, the 275km arterial highway fails all tests of fiscal sustainability and proper procurement process, as the state government has, unacceptably, failed to name the investors, four years down the line. The purported appointment of Messrs. Sydney Construction Company as contractors for the highway was carried out without a clear, transparent tender process, we maintain.”

    But reacting to BudgIT, Ayade said it was clear that they had not availed themselves of the facts regarding the economic value of that highway.

    Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, he said: “It is not just like telling the American government not to construct a major piece of infrastructure. How does that even sound? How do economies even grow? Economies grow when you spend money on infrastructure and we are saying that this superhighway is a corridor that would lead to the Bakassi deep seaport.

    “The project is on course and we are saying that Cross River State can never be caught in that web where Lagos is today, where you have just one major highway, but that highway is locked. This is a road that would generate money for the state.

    “So, while BudgIT would be looking at it, they have not taken time to avail themselves of the fact regarding that project.

    “Despite the fact that Cross River State receives about the second lowest allocation, it was still among the five states that actually showed promise of meeting their financial demands. BudgIT should go beyond this; we have known them over time. They have been opposed to the superhighway.”

    Ita did not give a direct response on whether the letter to the House of Assembly was true or not.

    Rather he said: “You said reportedly. They should be certain. It means they don’t know what they are talking about. What is governance? Governance is about having set objectives. The problem is even us the media. As at 1990, Dubai had only one storey building. Currently, the whole world is gravitating towards Dubai because a man had a vision. Go and read his book. “When he was building the deep seaport, there were issues. Why are you doing this? You don’t have money. He refused to respond. It is visionary leadership. The easiest thing to do is to sit down and fold hands and pay salaries and smile at everybody and not be ambitious. BudgIT should spare us and do their due diligence.”

  • Ayade in comfortable lead in Cross River

    Cross River State governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Ben Ayade, was in a comfortable lead after the collation of results of 14 out of 18 local government areas of the state.

    In the results submitted by the various returning officers at the state collation centre at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Calabar, Ayade scored 268, 891 while the All Progressives Congress came second with got 89, 976.
    The APC in the state has the senator representing the Central Senatorial District, John Owan-Enoh and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party.
    At about 8.30pm the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Frankland Briyai, announced there would be a one-hour break while results from the remaining four local government areas were awaited.

  • 2019: Ayade urges NYSC members to be neutral, firm

    Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has charged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state who would participate in next year’s general elections as ad-hoc staff to discharge their duties with absolute neutrality and firmness.

    The governor, who was addressing the corps members at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Batch B Stream One, orientation course at the permanent orientation camp in Obubra local government area lauded the NYSC for raising the credibility profile of the electoral process in the past.

    This, he said, has culminated in public confidence in the NYSC and the electoral umpire.

    The governor, who was represented by the Head of Local Government Administration in Obubra, Chief Bary Inyang, said over the years, successive governments had rendered adequate attention and huge investments into the programme and projects of the corps members, who are seen as partners in actualizing projects in the state.

    He said despite the paucity of funds, the government remains sensitive to the plight of corps members especially on security and welfare.

    Ayade said the aggressive industrialization of the state is not just to boost the economy, but also to justify the steps taken in furtherance of the commitment to ensure adequate opportunities are provided for capacity building of the youths through job creation and skill acquisition.

    He told the corps members that the people of the state were peaceful and hospitable, assuring them of security and safety across the 18 local government areas of the state.

    He charged the corps members to remain dedicated to the service of the nation in their various places of primary assignment.

    According to him, corps members have a role to play both in the integration of culture and promotion of national unity and that this could be achieved through dedication to the course that has brought them from their various states to Cross River State.

    He went further to advice them to avoid anything that could expose them to danger throughout their service year.

  • As govt awaits approval, disappointments trail Cross River superhighway

    It a time, it brought hope and excitement, but today it seems to serve as a reminder of destruction and loss for some communities in Cross River State.

    The superhighway project proposed by the Ben Ayade administration, was supposed to be an almost 300km road that will link up the entire state, running from Bakassi to Obudu.

    For the Clan Head of Nsan Community in Akamkpa Local Government Area, Ntufam Saviour Ndifon Edem, their joy knew no bounds when they heard such a project was going to pass through their own backyard. Such was their joy that they did not even mind if some of their farmland had to be sacrificed for the realisation of such a project that would bring plenty of benefits to their community.

    The Nsan people, who now doubt the sincerity of the government over the project, lamented that after the destruction of their farms and crops, they were just left hanging with no more talk of the project going on or compensation for what they had lost.

    Ndifon, who spoke through a village council member, Ernest Ndifon, said: “Since the flag off the superhighway in 2015 by the President Muhammadu Buhari, along with our governor, Prof Ben Ayade, the bulldozers came in and bulldozed all our crops, both economic crops and till date, we have not heard anything from them again. The caterpillars they used to bulldozed, they came and picked them up and nobody hears about the superhighway any longer. All the crops have been destroyed. Like myself, part of my farm was gone, a palm plot of over five hectares of farm. And they came back again for another extension, which they shifted and said they were coming to extend and bulldozed again. As I speak with you people are still shedding tears because of the destruction of crops and nothing has come forth. We have been hearing on the radio that superhighway would come in and look election is fast approaching and there is nothing. So we don’t know our fate about the superhighway.

    “They did not come with any agreement, rather we started asking whether as they are bulldozing, if they would pay for the crops being damaged? They told us that they would see about the damaged crops and economic trees. And we were thinking that after the bulldozing they would still come back and tell us how they would pay for the damaged crops. But till now as I speak with you, nothing has been done.

    “But it is a very good dream if it came to pass really. For the good dream, we were even prepared to allow the farm goes. Everyone believed that more benefits would come from the superhighway. That was our mind about the project, but as I speak to you now, people are still shedding tears till today.

    “We have people in the institutions that used to get their fees from the farms, now they are at home, because they are unable to pay fees again. Even normal feeding is a problem. About 95 per cent of our people have been affected by this problem.”

    A youth from the Nsan Community, Mr Valentine Ofoebi, also complained: “The government has done very bad. They have destroyed our crops and kept the community in hunger because the crops that were there, our late fathers were using them to train us, but since this has happened, it has really affected all of us. Like my father died because of the shock of destruction of all our farms. In other places, when things like this happen, the government takes statistics of each person, whatever you have, they evaluate it and at the tail end, the government would pay compensation, but this government did not do that, so let them look into it.

    “Last year a team of people came here and said we should write names of people what own the land, but up till now, we have not heard anything from anybody. That has been done but we have not heard anything from them.

    “We cannot farm on the land they have bulldozed again. They have removed the topsoil and the land is barren. So government should look into it and come and pay us our compensation. That is what we are after.”

    Also the Village Head of Okokori, another community the project was expected to traverse, Chief James Ayimobi, said since three years ago, when statistics of people to be affected was taken, no one had come back to tell them anything.

    Ayimobi, who also spoke through a member of his palace, Ogar Francis Imoh, said: “They came to take the statistics of people that would be affected by the highway and since then we have not heard from them again. They said they we would hear from them after a one-week interval, but since then, we have not seen then.”

    According to Ayimobi, from the start, they were not comfortable with the idea of entering their forests and farms to begin bulldozing for the project. He said what was more important to them was a proper assess road into the community which they lacked.

    “Then we told them that if they must come, let him start from the corridor to give us access and since then we have not seen anything and since then, we are still on it. You have seen the corridor yourself while coming in. it is in poor state. Instead of the superhighway, let us have our corridor maintained first,” he said.

    The woman leader of Okokori, Mrs. Emilia Joseph, said: “We want our lands return to us. The Federal Ministry of Environment has directed the state government to do the right thing but we are yet to see any action from the state level and we are inpatient because that is our heritage, our pride as forest owners. We want our forest back.”

    Also sharing his feeling over the project, Mr Cosmas Ogar, from New Ekuri, Akamkpa, also a community affected by the projects said they had protected their forests for ages and it was with surprise that they saw bulldozers tearing down their trees three years ago.

    According to Ogar, it seemed the intention was just to log timber from the forest, which the people had so carefully preserved over the years.

    Ogar said: “It was on a very good day that we saw a bulldozer on our roads, a road that we in the community did through our own efforts, it was not a government assisted road. So we saw a bulldozer and by our investigation, we were made to understand that they were coming for superhighway, so we told them to go back and tell whosoever sent them that except and MOU is being laid on the ground, before the activity of the superhighway can be done. Since that day three years ago, in fact they had been a battle between the Ekuri people and the government. Ekuri community has been a conservative community in Cross River State and in Nigeria and the world. We are known. We are strictly on conservation and sustainable management. We were surprised why the government of the day wanted to break through our forests, the only forest sustaining the world, in the name of superhighway. So we had rejected it.

    “We noticed that in some areas, like our brother community of Nsan in Akamkpa, were part of the bulldozing. After a while we discovered that all the timbers that were bulldozed were carted away. It was from there, we knew their interest was logging not just to do the superhighway.

    A community leader in Etara community of Etung local government area, which was also bulldozed three years ago because of the project, Prince Simon Ifere, said: “From the time the whole clearing was done up till now, the area which was cleared has become bush again. The irony in the whole exercise so far was when it was immediately cleared we saw some foreign persons coming into exploiting our timber with nothing as compensation to the community. There was destruction farms, economic trees, the forest, the eco system was tampered with. In fact, the situation was too ugly. The whole system is so ugly.  In fact you cannot deceive people in the name of development and in the end the reverse is the case. The entire area with economic trees has been destroyed.

    “We cannot quantify the timber brought down from initial clearing and we cannot stop the exploitation because the forest has been opened up.

    “We don’t have a representative to talk for us in government. We are by the way side and we don’t know what to do. Our road is very bad. During the rainy season the only way is on bikes, and even the bike will sink to engine level, government should come in and do the roads to enable us carry out our goods and farm produces.”

    For Ayade, the blame should be taken by the Federal Government, which he urged last week to fast track the commencement of work on the project.

    Ayade, who received the Chairman and members of the Bakassi Deep Seaport Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee in company of the project Transaction Financial Advisor, begged the Federal Government “to please give us the necessary approvals to fast track the execution of these dream projects that will not only enhance our economic status but also attract foreign earnings for the country because as a matter of fact, what we face today was orchestrated by them, occasioned by the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun and they must support us to fine our bearing,  given our comparative advantage as a coastal state.

    “I plead with you to rescue the state from these economic woes by taking the assignment as a service to humanity and God.  Please use your expertise to do the needful for the actualization of the projects. It was clear to me that as a maritime state, the only way forward was to create a sustainable economy, knowing the international trading history that Nigeria is the eleventh trading partner with China and as estimated by 2025 to 2030 Nigeria will be the top three trading partner with China. The implication is that, imports into the country will go up as Nigeria industrialises. Obviously, this country cannot afford to operate only one maritime gateway, which is Lagos. As we continue our desperate search for an alternative to Bakassi and subsequent loss oil wells, we came to this crystallized position that with the deep seaport and 275 kilometers superhighway as an evacuation corridor to northern part of Nigeria, we would have an anchor solution.”

    For now, the people have lost their land and there is no superhighway to show for it.

  • Ayade decries youth migration, as crowd storm Carnival Calabar

    Ayade decries youth migration, as crowd storm Carnival Calabar

    In what was total shutdown of the city of Calabar last December, over a million revelers thronged the 12kms route, to watch an endless stretch of carnival bands as they interpret this year’s theme of Migration through drama and dance.

    Apart from the crowd that greeted the biggest street party in Africa, there was also an addition of four non-competing bands, bringing the total number of bands to nine, with five in the competitive category.

    The 2017 carnival also played host to a 1500-man contingent from Imo State who were on ground to understudy the annual event.

    Flagging off the event at the Millennium Park Calabar, Cross River governor, Prof Ben Ayade, wondered why young men and women had to leave the shores of Nigeria, stressing the blessing and richness that exist in Africa.

    The governor, who, shortly after the flag-off ceremony, led the bands through the carnival routes amidst cheers by all, said: “Sometimes we begin to wonder why young Africans go through the Mediterranean sea, Sahara desert through Morocco and other difficult routes finding themselves in Libya, used as slaves and reduced as sub-humans.”

    He enjoined young men and women to “put an end to migration, and should rather come to Calabar as we have provisions for jobs and have created opportunities as politicians and people in government, for you to have good jobs so that you can stay back here.”

    To Africa leaders at all levels, Ayade maintained that “we have a responsibility to reverse the trend associated with migration for that is what the theme this year is telling us. As we watch the bands dance and tell their story in a dramatic form, we want to see the interpretation which is the ultimate aim.”

    Continuing, the governor intimated that “this year’s carnival is not just about dancing and celebrating, but telling a very painful and sorrowful story as it relates to migration,” adding that “in due time Africa will rule the world.”

    Advocating the return of migrant Africans to their respective countries instead of taking risks through perilous roads in the quest for greener pastures, Ayade said, “governments of Africa will continue to make efforts at ensuring that they return, we shall, we will and will do so.”

  • Ayade lauded for establishing cocoa processing factory

    Ayade lauded for establishing cocoa processing factory

    Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has been commended for setting up a cocoa processing factory in Ikom local government area by foremost businessman from the state, Mr Chris Agara.

    Agara, who is the chairman of A.A Universal Agro Industries Limited, told reporters in Calabar that the project which has reached an advanced stage would boost cocoa production in the state when completed.

    According to him, the factory which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018 would be processing over 30,000 metric tons of cocoa annually.

    Agara, who said he has been supporting the growth of the project, added that the initiative was borne out his desire to promote cocoa production in the state.

    “I am close to the Cross River government. I must not own the whole world before being part of the development of our people. I am impressed with the initiative of the governor and that is why I am supporting him in this project. The business of cocoa in Cross River has not been properly harnessed. Before now, our raw cocoa beans are usually transported to Ondo state where it is mixed with the Ondo cocoa and exported as a brand called `Ondo cocoa’.

    “The governor made it clear during his campaign that he was going to set up a cocoa processing factory and we are happy that the project is going on and it has reached an advanced stage,” he said.

  • Ayade to sue PHEDC over Calabar viewing centre tragedy

    Ayade to sue PHEDC over Calabar viewing centre tragedy

    …Donates N20m to victims’ families, community

     

    Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has planned to take legal action against the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) over the tragedy that happened three weeks ago in Nyaghassang community in Calabar when a high tension cable fell on a viewing centre killing eight and injuring many more.

    The governor who was out of the country when the unfortunate incident occurred visited the victims in the hospital as well as the community Thursday.

    He promised to donate N10 million to the families of the victims and another N10 million to the community. He also promised to build a standard viewing centre for the community.

    Addressing reporters after visiting the victims in the hospital, Ayade said, “Once there is a disconnect in the transmission line, the switchboard automatically cuts off power supply. Why that did not happen is totally unacceptable. The calibration with the switchboard must have been faulty and we suspect that may be tantamount to criminal negligence. And as a lawyer I am also looking at the details and working with a team to look at the way PHEDC would be made to be properly brought to book so that this would not happen again. Let this not happen again. We would be very aggressive. We are putting together a team of lawyers and consultants to actually look at the immediate and remote causes.

    “I have authorized an open cheque for all the medical bills of those in the hospital. We would build a new viewing centre in the honour of those that died. We would look for an appropriate spot in the community distant from high tension cables. The plaques of the victims would be fully displayed in the viewing centre. I am donating 20 million naira. 10 million would go to the community while 10 million would go to the family of the victims.”

    The governor also said one of those affected by the incident whose case was critical would be flown out of the country for treatment.

    “For the young immigration officer whose situation is still critical to handle here in Calabar, I have ordered that they should urgently prepare his visas and I would liaise with the Commissioner of Health with the choice of which country to send him to for treatment. Unless we have information from Abuja that he can be treated here in the country, otherwise we have concluded arrangements to have him flown out of the country to save his life,” he said.

    He expressed gratitude to Manchester United for their gesture in honouring those who died in the incident, by wearing the black armband during the last English Premier League match against Swansea, but said the state will still write the club officially to come in and do something for the victims and community.

    When The Nation visited the scene of the incident, it was discovered that the cable that fell and killed eight people and injured many others was still on the ground.

    The situation has left members of the community in apprehension. “I cannot understand why three weeks after that tragedy that cable is still on the ground. That is the problem with this country. Who knows when power would enter that thing again and somebody or people would go and touch it and there would be another tragedy. You know we have a lot of children playing around here. We beg them to come and repair the cable or remove it if they cannot fix it to avert further problems,” a member of the community who did not want to be named pleaded.

     

  • Kidnapping, robbery: Ayade announces N1m for whistleblowers

    Kidnapping, robbery: Ayade announces N1m for whistleblowers

    In a bid to check the incidence of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, Tuesday, at the Executive council Chambers, Calabar, announced the sum of N1million for anyone who can offer information leading to the arrest of kidnappers and armed robbers in the state.

    The Executive Order, Christened “Hafiz law”, according to Governor Ayade,  stipulates that “anybody who whistle blows on an armed robber or a kidnapper and by intelligence or investigation that armed robber or kidnapper is found to be true, that person is entitled to N1million.”

    The governor who spoke during a courtesy call on him by the newly posted Commissioner of Police to the state, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa, maintained that “from today, there is a whistleblowing law in Cross River that guarantees you N1million when you discover an armed robber, somebody who is in illegal possession of firearms, or somebody you know is a kidnapper or harbouring a kidnapped victim or offer any information leading to the arrest of an armed robber or kidnapper.”

    Frowning on a situation where people arrested on issues relating to armed robbery or kidnapping find their way back into the street without prosecution, Ayade said: “We will give you the financial support to continue to feed them until the law takes its full course.”

    Reasoning that the police has the capacity and intelligence to determine when one is falsely accused so that the innocent does not unnecessarily get trapped, the governor intimated that “anybody caught in the act or there is sufficient evidence that corroborates that action, that he is involved in any armed robbery and kidnapping, it is our responsibility as public servants who are in charge of  the security of this state to ensure that such dangerous people do not get back to the society, unless the law finds them innocent.”

    Ayade who  hinted that “Cross Riverians are not known for trouble,  but are leading light of civilization, a people who like enjoyment and class,” also averred that ninety-nine and a half percent of criminals arrested in the state are traceable to other states as  Calabar is a metropolitan city and bedeviled with some challenges.”

    He assured the new police commissioner of his administration’s readiness to offer any institutional support, as Cross River will not compromise the recommendation by the Canadian website where Calabar, because of its safe nature was selected among three safest cities for Canadians who wish to come to Nigeria.

    Earlier, CP Inuwa disclosed that he was ready to work with anybody who is willing to assist the police in ensuring that the state remains peaceful.

    “I have come to work and I am ready to work day and night. I don’t believe in sitting down in the office. I must achieve my mandate, I will not let the country, government and the Inspector General of Police down,” the police commissioner assured.

  • Ayade to legalize hawking in Cross River

    Ayade to legalize hawking in Cross River

    The Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has sent a Hawkers’ Right Bill to the State House of Assembly in a bid to legalize hawking in the state.

    Ayade, in an interaction with reporters in his office in Calabar said it is insensitive for a government to ban hawking without any alternative.

    According to him, such amounted to the infringement of the right of the hawker.

    His words, “I have just sent the Hawkers’ Right Bill to the House of Assembly, to provide a right for hawking. You cannot tell a man not to sell his goods because he does not have money to rent a store. And you tell the man not to steal? Just provide a regulatory framework; there should be reflective outfits, there should be a minimum age of 18 to hawk, you will have a time frame when you come out so that you don’t constitute nuisance. But to prohibit hawking is to tell a man I don’t want to give you food, and I don’t want you to steal. It is unfair. They have right to seek and determine how they chose to live within the ambits of the law.

    “Cross River would the first state that would officially recognize hawking. The core mandate of a leader should be the social security of his people. If a man choses to hawk, if you are government that is sensitive and understands the real principle and objective of the law, then you will know that the hawker has a right. Governance is about how you protect the weakest in the society and that is why even with the way things are, Cross River is still doing tax exemption for the poor.”

    The governor also said the expansion of his new government by engaging about 800 appointees was deliberate to ensure many people were empowered financially.

    He announced that he was going to announce 300 more appointees next week.

    Ayade said he would rather spend four years paying salaries to reduce hunger and quit as governor than spend money on projects and politicians.

    The governor also said the Presidential System adopted from America was not the best in running the country.

     

  • Ayade suspends commercial drivers’ levies

    Ayade suspends commercial drivers’ levies

    Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, Wednesday suspended all levies paid by commercial drivers in the state.

    The governor gave the order when members of the Unified Commercial Drivers Association in the state protested alleged the impounding of their vehicles, multiple taxation and a levy hike in his office in Calabar Wednesday.

    Ayade who sent the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Tina Agbor, to speak on his behalf said, “All your cars will be released. All the levies would be suspended, until the governor gets the papers and looks at them properly. When that is done, we would tell you what to pay.”

    Chairman of the Association, Pastor Thomas Effiong Okon, who led the protesters, said, “We have always been supportive of the government. We have registered without complain. We gave government the support. We are not outsiders but part and parcel of the system. But it is an abnormality for people to sit on us because of their political appointments.

    “On Monday we woke up and we saw our tickets had risen to N500 daily from N400. The N400 was even too high for us and we were even negotiating how to sort it out and the next thing it was just increased like that. As a peace loving person I met the State Security Adviser (SSA) on Monday, the issue was the same and they impounded our vehicles.

    “We were with the SSA, Commissioner for Transport, the Department of Public Transportation (DOPT), and the Area Commander and sat down to sort out the issue because we don’t want to embarrass ourselves because this state is our state. They promised us yesterday that something was going to be done and it would go back to normal, but we discovered this was a falsehood.

    “That is why we are here today to see the governor to tell us because we are over taxed. There is multiple taxation, multiple enforcement, so many government agencies are collecting money from taxes on daily basis.”