Government News Source|28 May 2019
Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, Tuesday, at the valedictory session held at the state executive chambers of Governor's office, Calabar, dissolved the 2015 to 2019 state executive council.
Ayade also announced that "this dissolution extends to include all appointees of government, boards, whether temporary or statutory boards," adding that, "all routine contracts like waste management also have fallen due, we therefore do not have a sitting cabinet."
Revealing how emotionally difficult it was for him to dissolve his cabinet, the governor said the decision was however, a requirement of law.
"What I am doing is based on law as I would have loved not to do this but my authority ends by 12 midnight and everyone knows that I don't have powers to extend."
Describing the now dissolved cabinet members as a great team that helped him deliver on his promises to the people of the state, he assured that some of them will be reappointed into government.
"Some commissioners will come back but not in the same ministry,” he stated.
He directed members of the dissolved state executive council to hand over to their permanent secretaries as "the head of your ministry is the permanent secretary."
On the composition of his next cabinet, he said: “I will downsize the cabinet, radicalise government and also introduce a Commissioner for Defence as well as that of Foreign Affairs."
