Daniel Onen.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE 8TH MEETING OF THE CROSS RIVER STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 23RD JULY, 2025 AT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, GOVERNOR'S OFFICE COMPLEX, CALABAR.

PREAMBLE:

The 8th Meeting of the Cross River State Executive Council for 2025 which took place on Wednesday, 23rd July, 2025 at the State Executive Council Chambers inside the Governor's Office Complex, Calabar was presided over by His Excellency, Rt. Honourable (Dr.) Peter Odey, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, who stood in for the Governor, Senator (Prince) Bassey Edet Otu and was attended by Honourable Commissioners and other key Stakeholders invited to the Meeting.

In his introductory remark, Deputy Governor welcomed EXCO Members to the meeting and thanked them for their commitment to work while also charging them to brace up to the huge task of delivering their Ministerial Mandate in order to provide good governance to the citizenry across the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

Dr. Odey sued for sustenance of this commitment, emphasizing that Governor Bassey Edet Otu is committed to making the desired impact on the people in line with his administration's "People First" Mantra.
The Deputy Governor further urged EXCO Members to be very attentive to details in all the presentations in order for them to make useful inputs to all Memos for the overall good of the Citizenry.

After exhaustive deliberation on Memos presented to Council by some members at the Meeting, the Executive Council in session approved and ratified the following projects and programmes for immediate implementation:

1. Approved the request by the State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure for emergency repair works on some sections of the Calabar-Ikom HighWay especially around Awi-Uyanga-Okomita corridor to ease the burden of Commuters from Northern and Central part of the State as well as the Eastern region of the Country.

2. Approved emergency remediation Works at three emerging gully erosion sites currently threatening the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort being rehabilitated by the State Government.

3. As a way of nipping in the bud the developing environmental challenges around three short roads in Ekorinim 2, adjoining the Amphibious Training School road, Council approved the emergency intervention works under direct labour by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

4. EXCO further approved the emergency intervention works in some critical roads across the State to be executed in phases by Six Construction Companies.

The 1st Phase will begin with the following roads:
a. 25km of a section of Mfom-Okpoma Road in Yala LGA
b. Construction/Rehabilitation of 10km Ndok Junction -Mbube-Okubushuyu Road in Ogoja LGA.

The 2nd Phase include:

c. Completion of construction work on Boki East-West road

d. Construction of John Okpa Road in Ofumbugha, Obubra LGA
e. Construction of Obot Oko Road in Odukpani LGA
f. Construction of Adiabo-Akani Obio Ukpahata Road in Odukpani LGA
g. Construction of God's Heritage -Prof Francis Bassey Crescent,Also Efa Street, Calabar Metropolis
h. Construction of Oma Street in Calabar Metropolis
i.Construction of Esuk-Atu Avenue-Agom Close on Calabar Metropolis
j. Construction of Uyanga -Ifumkpa Road in Akamkpa LGA
k. The Channelization around Governor's Office against Flooding
I. Clearing of the UNICROSS Pavilion and maintenance of some internal roads in University of Cross River State, Calabar Campus

5. EXCO also approved the strategic restructuring and optimization of the Cross River State Micro Finance Bank to the tune of over N2.5 Billion.

Other developmental areas that got the approval of the State Executive Council at the Meeting include:

6.The adoption of a Draft Bill for forwarding to the Cross River State House of Assembly for the enactment of the Cross River State Secondary Education Board Law 2025.

7. The release and disbursement of N445 Million as cash empowerment for 200 trained farmer under the Ministry of Wealth Creation of Employment.

8. The Renovation, Upgrade of Facilities and rehabilitation works at General Hospital, Ukem in Odukpani Local Government Area.

9. The release of the total sum of N1Billion only as counterpart fund for the implementation of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project of the European Investment Bank (NEWMAP-EIB) in Cross River State.

10. The Renovation, Upgrade of Facilities and rehabilitation works at Cottage Hospital, Oban in Akamkpa Local Government Area.

11. Approval to remodel and complete works on the General Hospital, Akpabuyo Local Government Area.

12. Approval was granted to the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment to embark on Amnesty Training Programme for reformed Youths/Militants on Integrated and Innovative Agricultural Value Chain which is a Collaboration between Cross River State Government and CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State.

13. The Boost the State's Tourism Assets, Council approved the acquisition of the Premises of KADA Cinema and all other assets therein to the tune of N220 Million.

Thank you and Continue to Think Cross River State

Erasmus Ekpang Ph.D.,
Commissioner for Information.

*On the Public hearing for the constitutional Review of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended*

According to the document containing the proposed states for the South-South Geopolitical Zone presented by the chairman of the committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as Amended.

The document presented the following proposed states from the South-South Geopolitical zone as follows:
1. Rivers - Atlantic City State
2. Rivers - Bori State
3. Rivers - Iwuroha State
4. Akwa Ibom/Rivers - obolo State
5. Delta State - Warri State
6. Delta, Edo, Ondo state - Toru - Ebe State
7. Cross River State - Ogoja State.
This now confirms my earlier submission that the fabricated list of the proposed states excluding Ogoja state making rounds on the social media platforms was actually false. Ogoja state is eminently listed among the proposed states, which of course must come to actualization being the fact that it's independent and has long overdue.

However, this proposed states is not to say they must all come to actualization, they are only proposals presented to be deliberated upon and be consented after meeting the requirements as proscribed in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

We look forward as a state for the actualization of the Ogoja state. Meanwhile, Yakurr/Abi also presented her case stating that they belong to the Cross River State upon the creation of the Ogoja State.

Daniel Onen

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has sued Senate President Godswill Akpabio for defamation, demanding N1.3 billion in damages. The lawsuit stems from alleged defamatory remarks made by Akpabio and his aide on social media, following a Senate seating dispute. She seeks a court declaration and an order restraining further defamatory statements.