Cross Rivers State Governor, Ben Ayade wins at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has affirmed Ben Ayade of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the authentic governor of Cross River State.

Recall that a governorship aspirant who came second in the party’s primary election in December 2014, Joe Agi, had approached the apex court seeking Ayade’s sack over false declaration of age. Details later

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Four Nigerian states in total darkness as national grid collapses

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, has notified electricity consumers in Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States that the National Power Grid has collapsed.

The Head of Corporate Communications of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Jonah Iboma revealed that PHED is now receiving zero power from the national grid as a result of the collapse which occurred on Sunday, 19 June.

He said the implication of the collapse of the national grid is that most cities in the four states are now witnessing blackout.

Iboma added that PHED would source for power from other alternative sources to mitigate the impact of the collapse of the National Grid on electricity consumers in Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

He also said PHED would distribute the little power it is able to generate from alternative sources within this period to only customers who are willing to pay. PHED oversees electricity supply to the four States of Akwa-Ibom, Cross Rivers and Rivers, Bayelsa.

In Rivers State consumers have started experiencing insufficient power supply, especially in areas that power supply was adequate.

PMN

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Morning Devotion Cancellation: Religious leaders reacts in Cross River

Religious tension is brewing in Cross River State, after the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, rejected the directive by the state government to stop morning devotion in secondary and primary schools across the state, saying such a directive is totally unacceptable to the association.

In a statement, CAN state chairman, Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo, yesterday, called on the state government to immediately withdraw the directive as it negated freedom of worship in the state.

The statement said: “Sequel to the letter from the Ministry of Education with reference No MOE/S132/VOL 1, by the Permanent Sectary of the Ministry of Education dated October 21, directing public and private primary/secondary schools across the state to suspend all assemblies (morning and afternoon) till further notice, the Christian Association of Nigeria , Cross River State chapter, hereby, says that such directive is totally unacceptable. This directive will negatively affect the moral upbringing of our children who are future leaders of this country.”

Mrs Anne Odey, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education in the state, had last week, written a letter to all schools across the state, both primary and secondary, ordering the suspension of morning and afternoon devotions.

When contacted, Mrs Odey said the directive came from the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Fadairo, in view of prevailing security concerns in the country, adding that it was not the state government that was trying to stop the age long practice established by missionaries who established most of the schools in the state.

-Vanguard

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Morning Devotion Cancellation: Religious leaders reacts in Cross River

Religious tension is brewing in Cross River State, after the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, rejected the directive by the state government to stop morning devotion in secondary and primary schools across the state, saying such a directive is totally unacceptable to the association.

In a statement, CAN state chairman, Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo, yesterday, called on the state government to immediately withdraw the directive as it negated freedom of worship in the state.

The statement said: “Sequel to the letter from the Ministry of Education with reference No MOE/S132/VOL 1, by the Permanent Sectary of the Ministry of Education dated October 21, directing public and private primary/secondary schools across the state to suspend all assemblies (morning and afternoon) till further notice, the Christian Association of Nigeria , Cross River State chapter, hereby, says that such directive is totally unacceptable. This directive will negatively affect the moral upbringing of our children who are future leaders of this country.”

Mrs Anne Odey, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education in the state, had last week, written a letter to all schools across the state, both primary and secondary, ordering the suspension of morning and afternoon devotions.

When contacted, Mrs Odey said the directive came from the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Fadairo, in view of prevailing security concerns in the country, adding that it was not the state government that was trying to stop the age long practice established by missionaries who established most of the schools in the state.

-Vanguard

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Calabar superhighway will expand Nigeria’s economic frontiers —Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Calabar, said the superhighway being constructed by the Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, was a project that would expand the economic frontiers of not just the state, but the entire country.

According to the President, the road would give access to markets in Chad, Niger and other parts of the region. President Buhari, who spoke in Obung village of Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state, while on a working visit to Cross River State to conduct the ground-breaking of the 260 kilometres superhighway, said the Federal Government would assist the Cross River State Government to ensure completion of the road.

He said: “That I am personally here to perform the groundbreaking shows the importance my government attaches to this project which is a significant milestone in the economic development of not just Cross River State but the entire country. The road will open up a new vista of economic opportunities for Nigeria as it will bring multiplier effect to the economy and more importantly this is happening under my Presidency. I assure my brother and governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade, of my commitment and that of the Federal Government, to ensure its completion and that of the Deep Sea Port.”

In his speech, Professor Ayade said the road would serve as an evacuation corridor for equipment, goods and personnel from the Deep Sea Port in Bakassi in the southern part of the country, to the northern part of the country and would be completed between four and five years.

He said at present it took between four and five hours to move from Calabar to Katsina Ala, a border town between Cross River and Benue states, explaining that with the super-highway, it would take just one hour thirty minutes to make the journey.

According to him, the Bank of Infrastructure and several commercial banks had already put together 500 million Euros to fast-track the construction of the road. The governor said the road would have digital internet connectivity all through the 260 kilometre distance, speed cameras and toilet faculties, among others.

Ayade disclosed that the Benue State governor had promised to construct a similar highway from Katsin Ala junction, to its border with Nasarawa State, hoping that the Nasararwa State Government would extend it to Abuja and gradually it would get to Chad, Egypt and Morocco.

-Vanguard

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