A group of political stakeholders in Cross River State under the aegis of PDP Renaissance Group has charged the Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to retrace his steps and reintegrate the state in solidarity with other southern states in the interest of the people and the region.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Ayade’s ex-commissioner for Information and Orientation, Comrade 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 extraordinary session which took place Thursday and sighted by Vanguard in Calabar reminded Gov. 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 otherwise known as 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 was maintained.
The group which comprises 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 the southern Governors forum on the ban on open grazing in their 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, calls on the Government to ensure speedy resolution of all pending issues with Organized Labour to avoid a total collapse of the state structures.
