What Usaini said about Buhari will shock you, as he react on his suspension and anti party allegations

Usani Uguru Usani, Minister of Niger Delta 

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani has finally reacted to the issues surrounding his suspension and anti party allegations, lamenting the way his ruling All Progressives Congress APC is being run, saying were it not for the image of President Muhammadu Buhari, the party would have since disintegrated.

"When the managers of the system violate their own rules, then it means the anarchy does not allow the institution to stand and then you can see what the APC is today. The President's image is what keeps standing as if there is a form of party otherwise, by conduct, we have lost every value of the fabrication of the initial concept which brought honour to our party. And here, I have the privilege of speaking out because further silence in the face of the falsehood in the market would suggest that I am guilty", he declared.

The minister was speaking Tuesday in Abuja in reaction to allegations of anti-party activities by the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the South south, Ntufam Hilliard Eta as well as his reported suspension from the party by its national leadership.

"I am not on suspension. My ward chairman said I am his member. My ward secretary said my membership is intact. Did I register here in Abuja? So, how could they have suspended me in Abuja?", he queried.

The minister who was flanked by the state chairman of the party, Hon. Etim John and other officials said the allegations against him were not new.

"Those allegations are not strange to me. First, the background to these allegations derive from the facts I am going to lay before you which are all verifiable and can be crosschecked.

From 1999 to 2015, I have never had a reason to dine with the PDP. It was a political fallow season. If you talk to Cross River people, they know us by character. When I had a political fallow season, if I did not accept overtures from the PDP, why would I do so now that I am a minister, is it to become president? This is blackmail intended to defame my reputation.

"I am aware that after the false imposition of John Owan Enoh as governorship candidate of APC in Cross River State, the other three aspirants, Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong, Chief Edem Duke and John Upan Odey carried their protests to Abuja in disagreement of that process. It is important to note that my running mate was nominated by Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong, and his supporters have been working with me against the claim that he endorsed the claims contained therein.

The publication of the name of John Owan-Enoh is in flagrant disregard of Court Orders, which were served from the 20th day of September, 2018, 13th day of December, 2018 and upheld on the 11th day of February, 2019. Claims of who won the primaries are mere psychological imaginations. The only available record at the independent National Electoral Commission INEC, which shows any primaries conducted and supervised, reflects that I emerged. The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has merely refused to send my name to INEC.

"I am not aware that the party has ever invited me to any meeting by any means.

''That I urged people not to vote for APC at any election is not true. My evidence is in the result which I produced. In each of the elections of the President, Senate and House of Representatives, I delivered the two council wards of my community with more than 4,000 votes against PDP which scored less than 1,000 votes. Even in 2015, I delivered similar results. The claim in this petition is a defence mechanism to placate them and divert attention from their untoward activities. Hilliard Eta, the party's Vice Chairman South-South, won no unit in his council Ward 5 in Calabar Municipality.

"Some of these signatories subscribed to supporting the PDP Presidential Candidate and supporting their personal ambitions, which created much confusion. The selection of Abuja residents, who pose as owners of the party by gaining patronage of the National Chairman, has some shameful undercurrents that I cannot pronounce in this document. Hilliard Eta's perspective is the derivation of 2014 presidential convention in which he failed to deliver his principal for which they fell out, while I was able to deliver votes for Mr. President. At present, pecuniary inducement has brought about their reconciliation.

"From the cancelled election of the 16th day through the 23rd day of February and the governorship election, they received finances from the party while I had to source for private funding on each occasion. These men and women are seeking justification for their lack of appeal to local political relevance. Time and events are revealing the realities of our situation.

"It is strange to identify me with violence and anti-party activities. It is not in my character. It is verifiable to note that some thugs were hired by these men to dislodge the Presidential Campaign Rally I organised at Yakurr Local Government Area. One of them was caught and handed over to the Police. The PDP culture of violence is the vogue they have been unleashing on the Cross River State political space. To insinuate that I arrested our party members during the election is a tacit acceptance that they worked with the PDP.

"The dissolution of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC Board is a reality that hurts Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba who used the position to the advantage of his political aspirations. All he does is to seek revenge by all means. He has vowed that he is an institution and will ensure that I am politically displaced. It is sad that he uses his relationship with our leaders to propagate his strength in negative forms. He is vocal about his seniority to the Vice President (at the University of Lagos Law Faculty) whose confidence is absolute in him (Victor Ndoma-Egba) and available to achieve his notions.

"The grand design, I am aware that the National Chairman is arranging audience with the President for this set of people, with the intent of making these false presentations as the only means of causing the President to lose confidence in me. These sets of people have never conducted any serious and sincere campaign for the President. I have used several interest groups to campaign for the President. I had used the Church and other support arms in Cross River State. The Vice President is a witness to this", he submitted.

As published by Vanguard Newspaper

A promise Fulfilled, as Ayade begins construction of 60m Abim bridge in Etung

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State 

| 13 March 2019 | Ukorebi 

The campaigns and electioneering are over and for Ayade, winner of the just concluded, 2019 governorship elections, work has begun in earnest. As a way of fulfilling his campaign promises, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, has commenced the construction of a 60 meters bridge in Etung Local government area, home town of his arch rival in the just concluded elections.

According sources familiar with the road and its environs, residents and indigenes of Southern Etung will now have reasons to smile as the years long clog in their wheel of progress will be a thing of the past.

The completion of the said Abim bridge will link Okuni, Okoroba and Ekang road,  all in southern Etung where the Senator elect, Ntufam Sandy Onor comes from. This will also boost economic activities as well as abate poverty for the locals.

Primetime Reporters reported that the road had been abandoned for close to 50 years by previous governments. It also stated that the adminstration of Mr. Donald Duke and Sen. Liyel Imoke attempted working on the road, but their attempts could not leverage the pains of the people as nothing was done about the said bridge. What the people resorted to was the use of boats to ferry people and goods across. 

According to Comr. Asu Okang, the Commissioner For Youths and Sports Development in Cross River State, and a native of Etung local government area, he said he was short of words at this overture by the Governor and for even allowing direct labour to allow the young men the opportunity to benefit from the job. 

Asu assured Cross Riverians of the good intentions of the governor even when he said "government had not provided enough services to the people to demand taxes from them". Asu insisted that the governor will leverage on that to provide quality services that will give the state a facelift.  He made it clear that allowing locals to be part of the job, is just a way of the governor making them have a sense of belonging, a sense of partnership that government recognizes their abilities and requesting that they put it into use not for free but to have the opportunity of getting even a little from government and from what will benefit them. 

The young and energetic Commissioner therefore, promised to assist in every available indices within his disposition to ensure the success and completion of the job. 

Pictures and images reaching TDN as at press time indicates that work had since commenced on site as youths and the entire communities are said  to be pleased with the governor.

5600 candidates battles for Health job, as Ayade insist job placement on merit

Charles Ekanem 

No fewer than 5600 applicants were on Saturday screened for recruitment into Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency as Health workers across the three senatorial districts.

The exercise, which was the penultimate phase of selection before oral interview in the recruitment process started 11am prompt simultaneously across the State lasted till 6pm .

Speaking, Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu said His Excellency, Senator Prof Ben Ayade has continously insisted that job placement in the Agency should be on merit and nothing else.

According to her applicants were duly screen and shortlisted for the screening with special emphasis on their licenses and certificates.

She noted that lives of Cross Riverians will not be put at risk by employing unqualify personnel to man her primary health centres across the State. " the person who you are pleading for, who is not qualified is supposed to work in your village. Imagine the number of persons she will kill if given the job please.

" presently I have received appeal from several quarters to help over 4000 person to get the employment. Am wondering how we will multiply 1000 to satisfy 4000 appeals for consideration; how about those who truly merit the Job. It's simple I go with the Governor instruction.... employ on merit" said Dr Edu.

The list for interview will be out soon and merit is the watch word!!!

Ayade should take a look at my blue print If he sincerely wants to serve the people's needs- Eyo Ekpo

Barr. Eyo Ekpo and Governor Ben Ayade 

| 19 March 2019 | Ukorebi Esien

Barr Eyo Ekpo, gubernatorial candidate of the SDP in the just concluded general elections has demonstrated readiness to allow the incumbent governor of Cross River State and acclaimed winner of the 2019 governorship elections in the state , Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade access into his campaign blue print and developmental road map for the state, documents he prepared during his electioneering campaigns.

The former Attorney General of the state who made this known in a press release made available to TDN said his twin documents which comprise the F.R.E.S.H. Manifesto was made public and published via http://eyowillfixit.com/manifesto/download-eyo-ekpo-manifesto/, while a well structured execution plan for achieving the objectives of FRESH in a document titled "Getting The Job Done" has also been published in http://eyowillfixit.com/uncategorized/download-how-we-will-get-the-job-done-in-cross-river/. 

The intelligent and eloquent Politician maintained that throughout his campaigns, he demonstrated readiness to create value for the people out of the vast human and natural resources of the  State. Stating that from Bekwarra to Bakassi, the people received the core message of #RecoverAndRestore, but sadly, the popular will of the people "was intimidated, subverted and cast aside by vote buying, multiple thumb printing, violence, intimidation and enough malpractices to make a voluminous text, all with election officials looking on helplessly, or in many cases actively collaborating".  

He therefore, recommended the governor to access his manifesto and action plan for the state. According to him. "These two documents are still very relevant to Cross River State and I commend them to the Governor of our State, if indeed he is focused on serving the needs of our people".

Eyo Ekpo however, slammed the governor over what he called " Suppression of votes and the peoples will, while he tagged the March 9th elections as 'an "auction"; a bidding war in which public funds were deployed not for the benefit of the citizenry but to satisfy bloated egos and inordinate political ambitions', not an election.

He wondered why the governor would spend public funds to buy votes, political party officials of opponents.

Eyo Ekpo also in his statement passed blames on the state party officials for collaborating with the state government in frustrating his gubernatorial ambitions.

His words; "particularly the State Party Chairman, Chief Eni Ikpi Ibor, who became traitors and betrayers before and on election day, selling us out for such a miserable and paltry mess of pottage". He concluded.

The statement reads in full: 

 PRESS RELEASE

The events of Saturday, 9th March, in Cross River State cannot in anyway be described as an "election". They were in reality, an "auction"; a bidding war in which public funds were deployed not for the benefit of the citizenry but to satisfy bloated egos and inordinate political ambitions.

Any unbiased follower of our campaign will testify that Cross Riverians appreciated and bought into our #RecoverAndRestore programme. Our F.R.E.S.H. Manifesto was made public early on in the campaign http://eyowillfixit.com/manifesto/download-eyo-ekpo-manifesto/. We also published our execution plan for achieving the objectives of FRESH in a document titled "Getting The Job Done" http://eyowillfixit.com/uncategorized/download-how-we-will-get-the-job-done-in-cross-river/. We demonstrated readiness to create value for our people out of the vast human and natural resources of our State. These two documents are still very relevant to Cross River State and I commend them to the Governor of our State, if indeed he is focused on serving the needs of our people.

From Bekwarra to Bakassi, the core message of #RecoverAndRestore resonated deeply with our people. Sadly, the popular will was intimidated, subverted and cast aside by vote buying, multiple thumb printing, violence, intimidation and enough malpractices to make a voluminous text, all with election officials looking on helplessly, or in many cases actively collaborating. This was compounded by some of my own Party officers, particularly the State Party Chairman, Chief Eni Ikpi Ibor, who became traitors and betrayers before and on election day, selling us out for such a miserable and paltry mess of pottage.

However, if in truth the incumbent had done all the great and good deeds ascribed to him, receiving many endorsements from across the State, what was the need to buy the conscience of citizens, SDP officers and public officials, to suppress votes, to wreak violence and commit electoral malpractices of all sorts?