PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
Some chieftain of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) in Cross River State on the aegis of PDP Renaissance Group has charged the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade to retrace his steps and reintegrate the state in solidarity with other southern states for interest of the state and the region.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Ayade’s ex-commissioner for Information and Orientation, Asu Okang stated that the group frowns at the continued absence of the state governor from the committee of Southern Governor’s Forum.
Okang who spoke on behalf of 14 others, stressed that the governor’s constant absence from the forum would amount to alienating the state from the various regional integration processes and interests, especially in matters relating to the teething issues of VAT control.
A communique issued at the end of the group’s extra-ordinary session which took place during the weekend and made available to our correspondent in Calabar, reminded Ayade that by simple geography, Cross River is and will ever remain a veritable part of southern Nigeria.
“Cross River cannot be seen to stand in isolation in the current debate, championed by mostly southern governors, on who should control Value Added Tax (VAT).
“The Southern agenda to produce next president come 2023 and the anti-open grazing Law, culminating into the rising fear of insecurity of Cross Riverians.
“We note with utter dismay, that as at today, Cross River is still amongst the remaining three Southern states, whose Houses of Assembly are yet to consider or pass the anti-open grazing law.”. The communique maintained.
The group which comprises of seven former commissioners who recently left Ayade’s cabinet to align with Ayade’s political opponents in the PDP, charged the Cross River State House of Assembly ( CRHA) to as a matter of urgency, join the committee of other Southern states to domesticate the anti-open grazing law in the interest of regional security.
According to the group, who also has about current five members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, wondered why fourteen state governors that are core APC states out of the seventeen southern states had implemented the decision reached by southern governors forum on the ban on open grazing in thier domain, yet Cross River had been silent, even when there are clashes by herdsmen and farmers in the region.
The group urged the state government to desist forth from making sales number of Government owned assets listed for Privatization by the state governor.
The group therefore called on the government to ensure speedy resolution of all pending issues with the organized labor to avoid total collapse of the state structures.
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