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Tag: Ayade

  • Ayade’s Plan To Use Military And Police To Disrupt By-election: An Act Of Political Banditry – PDP

    Ayade’s Plan To Use Military And Police To Disrupt By-election: An Act Of Political Banditry – PDP

    PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY CROSS RIVER STATE

    24th February 2022

    Press Statement:

    Ayade’s Plan to Use Military and Police to Disrupt By-election: An Act of Political Banditry

    We have received intelligence information about the plan by the failure-ridden APC to collude with the military and some Units of the Police Force to disenfranchise voters and cause mayhem in Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo Local Government Area. We have it on good authority that the Governor is currently mobilizing the military, Operation Akpawu and the Sting Unit attached to the Governor’s office to militarize the by-election and dissuade eligible Voters from coming out to vote.

    Aware of the imminent failure awaiting the APC, the Governor and his bloodthirsty party has resorted to Political banditry against the good people of Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo. To this end, we call on the Security agencies, especially the Army and the Police to show high level of discipline and professionalism in the discharge of their duties and resist any attempt to be use by self-serving Political bandits to carry out anti-people and anti-democratic electoral malpractice. We call on the good people of Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo Local Government to resist any attempt by the broom-wielding bandits in APC to disenfranchise them or rig the election.

    As a party, we are confident that power revolves around the people and we call on the people to come out and vote massively for the people-oriented PDP. Cross River State belongs to all of us and together we shall rescue, reclaim, rebuild and restore it.

    God bless Cross River State.

    Signed:
    Prince Mike Ojisi
    (State Publicity Secretary)

  • Seeds Of Violence: Ogoja/Yala Bye-election BY First BABA ISA

    Seeds Of Violence: Ogoja/Yala Bye-election BY First BABA ISA

    SEEDS OF VIOLENCE – OGOJA/YALA BY-ELECTION

    The police is right now preventing the PDP from holding a rally on a private property. Read that again: I say, private property.

    The police has no powers to do this. The police don’t even have the powers to grant or refuse approval to hold rallies. People who keep applying to the police to get this approval keep sustaining the illegal impression that the police has such powers. They don’t.

    Yesterday, a purported APC over N200m-budget for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency By-election hit social media. I didn’t comment on that because as a lawyer, I love direct and incontrovertible evidence but there is something also known as circumstantial evidence.

    Millions were budgeted to bribe the police in that budget and today the police has been deployed to carry out a grossly illegal assignment. Are you thinking what I am thinking? It takes a lot, including money, to deploy the police like that. If that budget is real, then the owners of that budget truly has the money to fund illegality. Can the police be used against those who has such election budgetary provisions for them? If no, then who is using the police right now? There is something known as circumstantial evidence.

    Now, to the crux of the matter.

    Whoever or whatever is making the police act this way should be called to order immediately. By this act, the very institution saddled with the responsibility to tame violence is being used by politicians to sow seeds of violence; and when these seeds are allowed to blossom, Cross River State will be the worst for it. This is a state that is yet to recover from the #EndSARS protests that later snowballed into Covid19 palliatives looting.

    It’s like the Governor has forgotten the tears he shed for peace to return. We all wept with him. We don’t want a repeat. The Governor is the Choirmaster of politics with ethics and the humanity mantra. It’s time for him to walk his talk.

    We can do this politics and hold elections without harassment, intimidation and violence. No one has the right to tell a political party where to hold their rally or flag off their campaign.

    Some APC members say it is foolishness to flag off the PDP campaign for Ogoja/Yala By-election in Calabar. Then why are you worried? Why are you afraid? Why not allow them to do their “foolishness” and then bank on it to win the by-elections? Why are you using the police to prevent a “foolishness” that is not illegal?

    Stop supporting this, and just dismissing it with “it’s politics”. These seeds of violence you are sowing or encouraging in the name of politics, will swallow you up tomorrow.

    – By First Baba Isa (FBI)

     

  • Ayade’s Attempt To Stop PDP Flag-off Rally: A Joke Taken Too Far – PDP

    Ayade’s Attempt To Stop PDP Flag-off Rally: A Joke Taken Too Far – PDP

    PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY CROSS RIVER STATE

    19th February 2022.

    Press Statement:

    Ayade’s Attempt To Stop PDP Flag-off Rally: A Joke Taken Too Far

    We received with utmost dismay and consternation the news of the ignoble attempt by Governor Ben Ayade to stop the epoch-making PDP Flag-off Rally scheduled to hold today, 19th February 2022. As a party, we condemn in strong terms this bizzare act of Political intolerance, bullying and intimidation by the Governor. It is worthy of note to stress that the said flag-off rally has been approved by INEC and all the relevant agencies in the State, as such, we find the Governor’s attempt to stop the rally absolutely unbecoming, nauseating and undemocratic.

    Aware that the Governor is currently suffering from pre-election trauma sensing the imminent defeat awaiting the APC in the forthcoming by-election, we heartily sympathize with him and his failure-personified Political Party, while calling on him to retrace his step and follow the path of nobility, as we cannot be intimidated or cowed by his shenanigans.

    We call on Security agencies to rise up to the occasion and guarantee the safety of all PDP faithfuls. We call on all party faithfuls to remain committed and resolute, as this too shall pass. Cross River State belongs to all of us and nobody, no matter how highly placed can deny us the privilege of Political participation.

    God bless Cross River State!!

    Signed
    Prince Mike Ojisi
    (State Publicity Secretary)

  • Breaking: Ayade Declares War On Kidnappers, Other Criminals, Launches Operation Akpakwu

    Breaking: Ayade Declares War On Kidnappers, Other Criminals, Launches Operation Akpakwu

    By Admin

    Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade on Thursday launched a special operation to flush out criminals from the state, especially kidnappings.

    Code-named Operation Akpakwu, the outfit draws personnel from the army, navy, Air Force and Civil Defence.
    To enhance operations, the governor handed over 100 patrol vehicles fitted with cutting edge communication gadgets, ten power bikes and drones.

    Speaking at the event, Ayade who was flanked by all the service commanders in the state, vowed to return the state, particularly Calabar, to the paradise it once was.

    He said though statistics indicates that the state remains one of the safest in the country, he decried recent incidents of criminality , especially kidnappings in the state.

    The governor therefore, asked every criminal in the state to relocate immediately as the state will no longer be a haven for their kind.
    Ayade said the state will henceforth be too hot for kidnappers and other criminals, asking them to quit or face the wrath of his government.

    “Cross River State statistically remains the safest state in Nigeria , however as a state we are used to the culture of zero kidnapping, zero cultism and zero robbery.
    “In recent past, there has been an increase in the number of crime within the Niger Delta and the country as a whole arising from the difficulty orchestrated by Endsars as well as Covid19 which brought a general poverty and general hardship upon the entire world”, the governor said.

    According to him, “the instruction is very clear from Abuja, you must deal decisively with any form of criminality, you must deal decisively with any form of banditry, cultism, kidnapping of any form.
    “Let this therefore be a strong message to every Cross Riverian and non indigenes alike, that as far as you are resident in Cross River State, today is the end of that criminality.

    “Today is the end of armed robbery, banditry must end today. We have received very clear instructions from the federal government and I have supported and I stand strong with all my military men and the police that they must comply with the obligations, the instructions and orders of the Inspector General of Police and the commander in chief of the Nigerian armed forces that Cross River State must be made safe.”

    The governor blamed the spate of kidnappings and robberies in the state on outsiders, citing the police records of those arrested so far in the state over crimes.

    He stated that going forward every landlord in the state must account for every tenant as part of the regulations which he has signed into law under the Homeland security.

    The governor also declared that under this operation “Akpakwu” government will henceforth demolish any property belonging to, or being occupied by kidnappers and robbers.

    He decried the non inclusion of the Bakassi Strike Force in the Amnesty programme of the Federal Government after voluntarily surrendering their arms at the behest of the state and federal government.

    “We want to ask the federal government to explain to us why the Bakassi Strike Force has not been given proper restitution, rehabilitation and reintegration as they have done in other states.

    “I plead in the name of God that the Bakassi strike force should be admitted into amnesty so that they can have their due and be properly trained so they can become citizens that will bring value to society.”, he lamented.

    Speaking on behalf of the service commanders in the state, the Cross River state Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh commended governor Ayade for his proactive steps in crime fighting and pledged the commitment of security agencies in the state to keeping Cross River safe free from criminals.

  • 23 megawatts Calabar power plant waiting on PHEDC for evacuation -Ayade 

    23 megawatts Calabar power plant waiting on PHEDC for evacuation -Ayade 

    The dream of Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade of delivering regular power supply to Calabar metropolis with the construction of a 23 megawatt power plant will soon become a reality.

    Governor Ayade who disclosed this Tuesday, during an inspection of the plant, said the government was waiting for Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company’s final nod to hook up to its distribution lines.

    Speaking shortly after the inspection, the governor said: “We had done a trial evacuation in the past and we were confronted with huge technical challenges such as aging and weak lines that lacked the capacity to be able to carry the full current that was being generated from the plant.”

    On the readiness of the plant to go full blast on the supply of power, Ayade further hinted: “A lot of adjustments have been done, corrective actions taken and today we are also getting ready as we are expecting PHED to come and give us power outage so that we can hook up from the power plant.”

    Continuing, the governor assured: “Our hope is that if the test run goes smoothly, then Calabar will be enjoying 24 hours of electricity without recourse to the national grid and that will be a major milestone. This will be coming at the right time because of Covid 19 where we have reduced activities and a lot of people will be needing power to stay at home.”

    Expressing excitement at the realization of the project Governor Ayade offered: “I am happy and proud that indeed Cross River State is continuously leading with this special power plant that will now be delivering power to our homes.”

    On how the state intends to recoup its investment, Ayade said: “With our interest so far and with all the Investment we have done in PHED, we have never declared profit so we are just hoping that with the proposed increase in tariff by the Federal Government, we hope that it should run profitably so that atleast it can declare dividends and the state can begin to harness their Investment.

    “But as we speak today, we still have challenges with most of the lines. In some areas, the transformers are not working. Cross River State has bought over 200 transformers to support PHEDC to get them on the lines. But as you know, once you put in a transformer it becomes property of PHEDC. So we have put in so much on public power supply without a corresponding supply of power from PHEDC.”

    Offering further insight on the relationship between the government and PHEDC, Ayade disclosed: “At this point where we will need their cooperation, it is expected that they will give us some charges. But we are proposing an island method which means that they isolate the part of town that will be fed from our 23mw and give us full independence of those areas, so that when it becomes necessary we can switch back and get back in the grid but from time to time, we can just cross supply.

    “Basically, on the island system, if Cross River State power plant is responsible for Idundu, Satellite town, for example, those areas will be shut down from PHED and dedicated to our power plant. That is the Island system, otherwise, we will distribute to the whole town and share our power as public power.”

  • Ayade Distibutes Stimulus Package To Vulnerable C’Riverians  -Approves N30,000 monthly salary for new 8000 employees.

    Ayade Distibutes Stimulus Package To Vulnerable C’Riverians  -Approves N30,000 monthly salary for new 8000 employees.

     

    Cross River state governor, Sen Ben Ayade on Wednesday distributed stimulus package to vulnerable persons as well as citizens who cannot fend for themselves due to age or incapacitation across the 18 local government areas of the state.

    Speaking at CROSPIL in Calabar during the distribution of the stimulus package, Ayade declared that he had already approved N30,000 as monthly stipend for beneficiaries of the automatic employment given to 8000 youths between the ages of 18 to 35 in the state starting from Tuesday next week.

    He said, “Distributing food is not the real palliatives ,the real palliative is in giving people jobs .Palliative which is temporal is for poor and vulnerable who cannot fend for themselves.

    “We are starting the real palliative on Tuesday. Whether you are a gardener or cleaner, whatever you can do, we will give a job but we can only pay you 30,000 if you know you need it and want to earn that amount please put down your names and phone numbers; you will be contacted.

    “The food will be shared through our traditional rulers to all the 18 LGAs: We want it to get to the grassroots; this is not about political party. It is about governance; we will also give to churches and various religious organisations to distribute because they know the people well.

    “This is a time to show humanity. Humanity does not know colour or ethnicity. We need to stop spreading fear about the pandemic. What we need is to show the people love especially at this critical time. Fear and hunger is killing people even more than the pandemic.

    “We want to thank President Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria for granting us clearance to deliver our rice seedlings to states.

    “We have built industries and made serious investment. Federal government support is key. We need more of their support so that we can achieve more growth and development in our economy and even more”.

  • WHO Secretary General validates Ayade’s position on social distancing

    WHO Secretary General validates Ayade’s position on social distancing

    Source: CRS News Bulletin

    World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary General, Tedros Adhananom Ghenreyesus has re-echoed Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State’s stance to the effect that social distancing is not practicable under certain conditions.

    He, like Ayade, was also of the view that social distancing is at best, an alternative preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus as other public health measures are equally effective.

    Governor Ayade, a professor of Microbiology had stirred the hornet’s nest recently when he declared the observance of social distancing unnecessary where a population is properly protected with appropriate nose masks, which he has made compulsory in his state.

    He said observing social distancing presupposes normal atmospheric conditions, which is far from reality given that variables such as wind speed and wind direction are outside anyone’s control.

    Dr. Ghebreyesus in a series of tweets Monday, validated the governor’s positions on the matter.

    According to him, “many poor people, migrants and refugees live in over-crowded conditions with few resources and little access to health care. Physical distancing is very difficult in such situations. So, other public health measures must be put in place.”

    He concluded by saying that “while COVID19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly. This is especially concerning for countries with large poor population, where #StayatHome orders and other restrictions used in some high income countries may not be practicable.”