Governor Ben Ayade rushes home to avoid impeachment

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State arrived Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar on Wednesday after staying away from the State for over a month. Investigations revealed that the Governor hurriedly returned to the State after the threat by Cross River Transparency Network International, (CRTNI) which called on Cross River State House of Assembly to immediately commence his impeachment process over alleged illegal foreign trips.

The group had alleged that since assumption of office, Governor Ayade had traveled overseas more than any governor in the history of this country under the pretext of looking for investors for the state. 

The coordinator of the group, Comrade Jonathan Agbor, said it has become imperative for the State House of Assembly to impeach Ayade for violating constitutional provisions of frequently travelling abroad without handing over to his deputy just as he squanders state funds on such trip.

Agbor said, “Since Ayade came on board, he has spent more days in Abuja and abroad than he has spent in the state, adding that out of 365 days in a year he spends less than 100 days in office”. 

Consequent upon this, the Governor according to them has abandoned his constructional duties of administering the state to the deputy governor, Prof Ivara Esu, just as he left unattended to major issues that needed his attention.

The group, however, threatened, that failure of the State House of Assembly to commence impeachment process on the Governor, they will be left with no other option than to organise a one-million man march to protest against mal-administration and illegal travelling.

Sadly, when our correspondent visited the Governor’s office on Thursday, the place looked scanty, there was no presence of governance, and only security personnel and few junior staff were seen. All the offices our correspondent saw had their doors and windows opened as there was no electricity to power the air conditioners and fans. The giant generator in the complex we were told had no diesel.

Besides no diesel, the entire environment was unkempt, even as sources hinted that the private firm that won the contractor to keep the place clean have not been paid for several months. At various offices visited, plain sheets to write memo were not available as the workers claimed “We have not been given impress for several months, we recycled plain sheet, that is, we use the back that had already been used, we just cross the first page and continue with the back”

On August 19, 2017, a Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embarked on All Africa Service Project where members cleared bushes that harboured dangerous animals including snakes and other reptiles in the Governor’ office and Ministry of Finance and removed gutters.

Regretting the attitude of government functionaries for not keeping the affected areas clean, the President of the Nigeria Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dr Victor Bassey said “Governor’s office is part of our community and haven seen what have been left unclear for quite a long time, we deem it necessary to come and start the service project here, before moving on to Psychiatric Hospital. There is much to be done here”

At the time of filling this report, Governor Ben Ayade and some principal officers were not in the office. He was alleged to have been very angry with some of his staff over the way things were being run while he was away. It was gathered that there could be cabinet reshuffle within the next few weeks.