Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Tag: Cross River

  • NLC Announces Two-Day Warning Strike in Protest Against Fuel Subsidy Removal Consequences

    NLC Announces Two-Day Warning Strike in Protest Against Fuel Subsidy Removal Consequences

    By Daniel Edu

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has officially declared a two-day warning strike set to commence on Tuesday, September 5, to express their dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s handling of the challenges arising from the removal of fuel subsidies.

    During a press conference held at the Labour House in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the strike on Friday. This decision came following discussions and resolutions reached by the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC) during their previous meeting.

    The labor union has accused the Federal Government of neglecting ongoing negotiations and failing to implement resolutions from prior engagements with the government.

    On August 2, organized labor staged a protest against what they perceived as anti-people policies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), along with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliated unions, organized demonstrations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and various states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.

    These protests followed a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government, demanding the “immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies, including the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the rise in public school fees, and the release of eight months’ withheld salaries for university lecturers and workers.”

    The union also called for an upward adjustment of the minimum wage, from N30,000 to N200,000, citing the impact of the removal of the fuel subsidy on the well-being of Nigerians, as stated in the President’s May 29, 2023, inauguration speech, where he mentioned the end of subsidies.

    Despite multiple discussions between the Presidency and the unions regarding measures to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidies, no concrete solutions have emerged.

  • Scores die as cholera outbreak hits Cross River local council

    Scores die as cholera outbreak hits Cross River local council

    Many people have been feared dead as the Cross River State Government confirmed suspected cholera outbreak in Ekureku, Abi Local Government Area.
    The number of deaths is still not certain but the Director General of the State Primary Health Care agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong said the swift response team has registered about 30 persons receiving treatments in various health facilities within Abi local government area and the neighboring Yakurr Local Government Area.

    The incident which occurred with an index case on Thursday, was said to have been escalated on Saturday after the consumption of a contaminated water from the village drinking source.

    Speaking late on Saturday after a visit to the community and the health facilities where those affected are recuperating, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong regretted the unfortunate incident, saying it would have been averted if simple protocols were taken into consideration.

    According to her, the State Government Response team working with personnels of WHO, the Red Cross and WASH Programme swiftly responded to contain the spread of the outbreak in the area and rescued many lives.

    The DG, who was with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Iwara Iwara and representatives from the state epidemiologist, confirmed that simples have been taken to ascertain cause of the incident.

    She said: “The State Government find this incident quite unfortunate and sympathize with families who have been affected.”

    She noted the transmission rate of cholera is often fast, confirming the number of deaths that may have been recorded and many other victims hospitalized in various government owned facilities.

    The victims are graciously responding to treatments, she added.

    She gave the assurance that the swift response team is applying every possible means to halt transmission as they have gone across the community sensitizing the people on the possible ways of managing the disease as well as speaking to the community leaders to support the state Government by lending their voices to ensure their communities adhere to hygiene protocols to end cholera and other related illnesses”.

    Besides the samples that had been taken and sent for confirmation, the DG of the State PHCDA noted that treatments of the water source in the area and fumigation in on course.

    The team also distributed drugs, consumables and other commodities needed for their response.

  • High Court Declares Bassey Otu APC Guber Candidate in Cross River

    High Court Declares Bassey Otu APC Guber Candidate in Cross River

    A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has declared Bassey Otu as the authentic governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State.

    Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit in Calabar.

    Otu’s challengers and an APC governorship aspirant in the state, Owan Enoh, had after the primary in May approached the court seeking to disqualify Otu as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections.

    Ojukwu in her ruling said, “That a candidate contesting for a the position of governor must be a Nigerian, meet the stipulated age requirement and have basic qualification according to the constitution.”

    She said the matter of determination of a governorship candidate of a political party is, and still remains the right of a political party.

    This has put to rest months of speculations and division in the Cross River APC as the party prepares for the 2023 campaigns.

  • Party Defection: Gov Ben Ayade of Cross River to know fate Friday

    Party Defection: Gov Ben Ayade of Cross River to know fate Friday

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, will on Friday, deliver judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River.

    The PDP, through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo to seek for an order sacking the governor and his deputy over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), among others.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, gathered from Court 7, where Justice Taiwo presides that the judgment in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 filed by the PDP against Cross River governor and his deputy will come up on Friday, March 25.NAN reports that Taiwo had, on Monday, ordered two House of Representatives members representing Cross River and 18 lawmakers from the state’s House of Assembly to vacate their seats over their defection to APC.

    The judge gave the order following a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/971/2021 filed on Aug. 27, 2021, by the PDP to challenge the 20 lawmakers’ defection to APC, alongside the governor on May 20, 2021.

    Justice Taiwo, in the judgment, dismissed the defence argument that the PDP (plaintiff) had no locus standi (legal rights) to institute the case.

    He also dismissed other preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.

    Taiwo ruled that the argument of the lawmakers that there was rancour in the PDP which necessitated their defection to APC was a ploy to mislead the court.

    The judge, who granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, held that it was disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office.“A day must surely come when elected officials, must either resign from their office or ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties, instead of defecting to another party without recourse to the law and the citizens, ” he said.

    According to him, we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.

    The affected two members of the House of Representatives from the state are Michael Etaba and Legor Idagbor.

    The 18 state’s lawmakers include the Speaker, House of Assembly, Eteng Williams; Mich Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Joseph Bassey, Odey Agbe and Okon Ephraim.

    Others are: Regina Anyogo, Matthew Olory, Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Udop, Ekpe Okon, Hillary Bisong, Francis Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Ogar and Maria Akwaji.

    While Mr Etaba represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River, Mr Idagbor represents Obudu/Obaliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency of the state.

  • BREAKING: Court sacks 20 Cross River Lawmakers for defecting to APC

    BREAKING: Court sacks 20 Cross River Lawmakers for defecting to APC

    The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

    The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, held that the lawmakers, having abandoned the political party that sponsored them to power, ought to vacate their seats.

    The judgement followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021, which was filed by the PDP.

    Details Shortly…

  • INEC Declares Winners Of Bye-Elections In Ondo, Imo And Cross River

    INEC Declares Winners Of Bye-Elections In Ondo, Imo And Cross River

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the winners of the bye-elections conducted in Ondo, Imo, and Cross River states.

    This followed the verdict by the electorates in the different state and federal constituencies in the three states.

    In Ondo State, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mayokun Alade, has been declared winner of the Akure North/South Federal Constituency in the election held on Saturday. Alade polled a total of 26,370 votes to defeat his closest rival, Olumuyiwa Adu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who had 24,201 votes.

    The election result was announced by the election collation officer, Professor Rufus Ogunseemi of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, at the collation centre, Akure.

    At a similar exercise in Imo State, Blyden Amajurionwu of the APC was declared winner of the Ngor-Okpala State Constituency bye-election.

    Amajurionwu polled 9,248 votes to beat his closest rival of the PDP who scored 7,161 votes at the bye-election.

    For the bye-election that took place on Saturday in Cross River State, INEC declared Jude Ngaji of the APC the winner of the Ogoja/ Yala Federal Constituency.

    Ngaji raked in a total vote of 22,778 votes to defeat his closest opponent of the PDP who scored a total of 20,590.

  • Man to die by hanging for killing twin daughters in Cross River

    Man to die by hanging for killing twin daughters in Cross River

    By Isaac Kertyo

    A man, Ayanime Udo, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court sitting in Akamkpa, Cross River for killing his twin daughters whom he accused of being witches.

    Justice Agnes Onyebueke who delivered judgement on the matter with suit number HK/6C/2018, said, “Udo’s act is satanic, demonic, and beyond human comprehension.”

    The judge ruled that the defendant had willfully and gruesomely murdered his 11-year-old twins, Mfoniso Anyanime and Emediong Anyanime, in 2017 after calling them witches.

    When cross-examined, the middle age defendant could not defend his allegation of witchcraft against the 11-year old female children he had allegedly given a malt drink mixed with acid from his motorcycle.

    It was gathered that one of the twins died on the spot on January 10, 2017, while the second was said to have crawled to the road where a kindhearted person picked and took her to the hospital where she died the following day.

    Child Rights Activist, James Ibor, of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative which made the prosecution of the accused possible, said the incident was first reported in February 2017.

    “The police ensured that necessary medical examinations and autopsy were done on the deceased children, which aided the judgement. This judgement is a great victory to the victims, Mfoniso Anyanime, Emediong Anyanime in particular, and the Government of Cross River,” he said.

  • Account for $6m plane sold to Cross River, Wike tells Amaechi

    Account for $6m plane sold to Cross River, Wike tells Amaechi

    In furtherance of his demand for accountability on Rivers State assets sold under the preceding administration, Governor Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, challenged his predecessor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to account for proceeds of the Dash 8 Propeller aircraft sold to Cross River State.

    Wike, while briefing political stakeholders at the Government House, Port Harcourt on the state of Rivers assets, alleged that the Dash 8, among state aircraft acquired under Dr. Peter Odili’s administration, was sold by Amaechi to Cross River State for $6 million with only a deposit of N100 million made by the buyer.

    According to Wike, the last time anyone heard of the Dash 8 plane was when Amaechi told then-State Executive Council that he won’t sell it to Chief Victor Odili, who had offered to purchase it at the cost of $5 million.

    He said: “Chief Victor Odili offered to buy Dash 8 at $5 million. In the Executive Council, Amaechi said no, that he had a better offer of $6million from Cross River State.

    “Of that $6 million, N100 million was paid as a deposit. Up till now, where is the balance? Where is our Dash 8? If they sold it to Cross River State, where is the balance? Asset that ought to be documented and handed over to incoming administration.”

    He further recalled that while Amaechi was governor, he had written a letter in July 2011 to the State House of Assembly seeking approval to trade in the abandoned Legacy 600 aircraft in Germany to buy the Bombardier Global Express, adding that Amaechi bought the latter but never traded the Legacy 600.

    “The whole essence of why they took the plane to Germany was because the former governor felt that he was going to install a governor in 2015. If Dakuku Peterside had become governor, that would have been the end of the plane,” Wike said.

  • 5,000 APC defectors in Cross River return to PDP after Senator Agom’s Victory

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River on Sunday received over 5,000 returnees from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The event was held at the Government Technical College playground in Ogoja, NAN reports.

    It was part of the grand reception for Jarigbe Agom, the Senator representing Cross River North.

    PDP Chairman, Venatius Ikem, said the return of the former members and entry of new ones will boost the party’s chances ahead of future elections.

    The returnees and the new members were from Ogoja Yala, Obanliku, Obudu and Bekwara.

    They included former Special Adviser to former Governor Liyel Imoke on Budget, Dr Peter Oti.

    “Since the time of former Senate President, Joseph Wayas, Cross River North never witnessed this number of crowd.

    “I say with confidence that Cross River North has never produced a Senator as popular as Jarigbe Agom,” he said.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan named Agom Vice Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, a fortnight ago.

    The lawmaker was finally sworn in September after six months of a legal battle.

    In July, the Court of Appeal in Calabar declared him the winner of the December 5, 2020, Senatorial bye-election.

    Hon. Justice Chioma removed Senator Stephen Odey and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Agom.

    Credible sources told DAILY POST that Odey was to concede the position to his ally Governor Ben Ayade in 2023.

    With his defection to the APC, Ayade is expected to contest for Cross River North Senatorial election on the ruling platform.

  • NLC, TUC Ask Cross River Workers to Begin Strike

    NLC, TUC Ask Cross River Workers to Begin Strike

    The organised labour under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, as well as the state Joint Public Negotiation Council in Cross River State have asked workers to begin an indefinite strike on Tuesday (today) to press home their 14-point demands.

    In a bulletin issued by the labour unions, in a bulletin, asked on workers were asked to “down tools to press home our demands.”

    According to the bulletin titled, ‘Commencement of strike action’, the workers’ union leaders stated, “Dear comrades, whereas an enlarged Congress of organised labour, met on Wednesday, 6th October, 2021 at Nigerian Civil Service Union (NCSU) Secretariat, to deliberate on the many issues troubling the workers of Cross River State; whereas the Congress, after extensive deliberation, resolved that all the workers in the state and local government should down tools to press home our grievances.

    “Workers are hereby called upon to stay at home, from Tuesday 12th October, 2021. Comrades stay at home until you hear from us.”

    At their October 7, 2021 Congress, the workers had summed up a total of 14-point demands as contained in a statement issued after the congress and jointly signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, Ben Ukpepi and the state Trade Union Congress Chairman, Monday Ogbodum, and four other officials.

    The demands and grievances of the workers include implementation of promotions of both state and local government workers, non-remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries, full implementation of minimum wage to both state and local government workers, and non implementation of full 27.5% teachers enhancement allowance.

    Others include, stoppage of tax exemption and allowance for teachers, payment of hazard allowances for medical and health workers, inclusion of all staff employed but not yet payrolled by the state, reinstatement of pensioners wrongly removed from payroll, non payment of gratuities to both state and local government workers, among other demands.