by By Elijah Ugani – Calabar
The Cross River State Government under the leadership of Sen. Prof Ben Ayade, has expressed it’s determination to bring development, peace and succour to the people of Bakassi and all border communities in the state.
This was disclosed by the Director General, Cross River State Border Communities Development Commission (BORDERCOM), Mr. Noel Ugbong, when he led a team of BORDERCOM Executive Directors, Principal and Technical Staff to visit the Chairman of Bakassi, Hon. Iyadim Amnoni Iyadim while in the Local Government Area on Baseline Survey of border communities on Wednesday 16th June, 2020.
Mr. Ugbong disclosed that Governor Ayade has directed that his commission to commence the exercise beginning from Bakassi due to the special love and soft spot he has for the people of Bakassi as well as his desire to create meaningful life for border communities in Cross River State especially for the people of Bakassi considering the devastating experience they have been exposed to following the ceding of their ancestral homes to Cameroon by the International Court of Justice.
The DG further averred that Bakassi being among the border communities in the State is key to the Ayade’s administration, and reiterated the Governor’s position as well as maintained that “if the Federal Government and indeed the International Community decides to neglect the people of Bakassi, his administration will not neglect you”
Speaking on importance of the Baseline Survey/Needs Assessment, Mr. Ugbong held that “the Governor has clearly charged my Commission to undertake visit to all the Border Communities in Cross River with the aim to diligently extract information on each community’s core needs in the areas of Education, Health, Water and Sanitation, Security and Economic Empowerment.
“The extraction of information/data from the various border communities in the core areas mentioned above is vital for the distribution of projects, to avoid duplication and misplacement, which will form a fulcrum for the development of a 5-year strategic Development Plan for the state”
Responding, the Chairman of Bakassi Local Government Area, Hon. Iyadim Amboni Iyadim, thanked the Governor for having the interest of his people at heart and for starting the survey from Bakassi.
“I want to thank his Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade for this mandate I have to serve my people as Chairman of council. I want to thank him also for choosing Bakassi as a pivot for this baseline survey/assessment.
“We don’t need any body to tell us that the governor mean well for us. Just recently, he commissioned the housing estate for us, today your commission is here to commence the baseline survey/assessment. We are indeed grateful to the governor.
“As a person I want to pledge my total commitment and support to your team to ensure a successful assessment that will guarantee the development of our local government area”
Hon. Iyadim therefore wished the team success in their assignment not just in Bakassi but while visiting the other border Communities in the state.
