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| CROSPIL signpost at State Housing, Calabar |
14 May 2020
Civil society groups have posted seven (7) questions to Ben Ayade the Executive Governor of Cross River State in respect of the illegal demolition of the Cross River State Property Development Investment Limited, CROSPIL. What follows is the full script of the letter written in this regard three days ago:
COALITION OF CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS IN NIGERIA
PRESS RELEASE
GOVERNOR BEN AYADE Safe the soul of Cross River State, leave CROSPIL alone,
It is so pertinent that every time we write or talk about Governor Ben Ayade, it has to be linked to one violation of Law and Constitution to the other. It is very saddening to know that the Governor of Cross River State Sen. Ben Ayade has gone to unjustly and illegally take over the premises of Cross River State Property Development Investment Limited (CROSPIL) without following due process.
CROSPIL was established by the former Military Governor, Brigadier General U. J. Esuene, of Blessed Memory in 1975 as a Limited Liability Company in charge of all Cross River State Properties.
It has come to our knowledge the Governor of Cross River State has ordered that the CROSPIL Estate should be demolished so as to pave way for him to have massive space for his proposed Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa. The implication of the above order is that many house owners in State Housing, Federal Housing, Anansa Road and even the Housing Estate in Ogoja may loose their properties.
The most annoying part is that CROSPIL is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, with equity of more than Four Hundred Million Naira and valued at more than One Billion Naira but the Governor has not deemed it fit to officially communicate to the management of CROSPIL till date. It is also saddening to know that the Governor have even started demolishing some properties at the CROSPIL estate including the building that was occupied by Citicode Savings and Loans Investment Limited.
As Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, we wish to ask the following questions:
1. Does a State Governor have the right to carry out sub-sontinental projects like the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa?
2. The West African Region is made up of Sixteen Countries, e.g.Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
How many of the above mentioned Countries in West Africa are aware or part of the said CONSTRUCTION AND FABRICATION ACADEMY OF WEST AFRICA as member Countries?
3. Is the said Construction and Fabrication of West Africa registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC? If it is registered can the Government publish the Certificate of Incorporation?
4. Does the Government of Cross River State know the implication of citing such an Agency in a purely residential area like the State Housing Estate? Have they considered the increment of Criminal activities by the Fabricators who are of different background that are questionable?
5. If the Cross River State Government are serious with this said Project, what is wrong in establishing the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa in Cross River University of Technology CRUTECH, Institute of Technology Management Ugep and all the Technical Colleges spread across the Eighteen Local Government Area Of Cross River State?
6. Why must the Government demolish a well registered entity like CROSPIL without the consent of the Management and without dialog/communication to the Management so as to reach an understanding?
Finally, to this end, we hereby call on past/present Leaders and Elder-statesmen to rise up and speak out for the benefit of Cross River State, example: Distinguished Sen. Joseph Wayas, Former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Dr. Clement David Ebri CON, Former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke Former Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Liyel Imoke, Distinguished Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba OFR, CON, SAN Former Leader of Nigeria Senate, High Chief Anthony Ani Former Minister of Finance Federal Republic of Nigeria, The Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda His Excellency Etubom Ambassador Nya Asuquo, Senator John Owan Enoh, Ntufam Hilliard Eta APC National Vice Chairman South South, The Obong of Calabar, The Ndidem of the Quas, The Chairman of Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, all the Paramount Rulers in Cross River State, All Serving and Former National and State Legislators, Elder High Chief Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong, Elder Dr. David Okon, His Excellency Barr. Efiok Cobham, High Chief Arch. Bassey Eyo Ndem and other Leaders of thought in Cross River State. We must all rise up to speak the truth if not, we may not have Cross River State again.
Thanks in Anticipation.
Comrade Iso Bassey Edim
National Chairman
Hon. Jezhi S. Musa
National Secretary
11th May, 2020.
