The Executive Governor of Cross River state, Prof. Ben Ayade, has been urged to review the 10PM curfew imposed on the state capital city NEGROIDHAVEN can say.
Critics of the security policy are of the opinion that the state of security in Calabar metropolis has improved markedly and as such it is high time His Excellency reviewed the directive to allow for relatively increased movement of persons, vehicles and goods/services. To further buttress the extant reason adduced for the review, the opinion is that the present directive is antithetical to the state’s economy.
Few days ago a popular critic of the state government, Simon Utsu, having commended the state government for improved security in the state capital metropolis observed: ’One more thing Governor Ayade. You need to review that curfew (commencement) time – to 12AM.
‘The security situation has improved much; the 10PM is now too early. It makes Calabar look like a secondary school. It’s really affecting businesses and the wellbeing of those dwelling in the capital. Your commissioners and top politicians are even joking that you may have forgotten totally about the curfew so let me remind you…’
Mfon Abia endorsed Utsu’s position when she said ‘I’m tired of the curfew oooooo, e no get head again. There’s saying that if saliva stay for mouth, e dey turn water’; Ud Ofem queried: ‘…For how long should the curfew last? After achieving relative peace in Calabar, why can’t the curfew end?’ On his part, Bernard Ajb Ochala noted ‘the curfew is useless and has no meaning, it’s killing the economy of the state. Does ayade know or care how families in the state survive ? “The cab man or civil servants who have to hustle at night to feed their families, pay school fees etc or the mama put who sells at night to make ends meet,? Or the black market fuel seller…you name them. He has everything he wants so to hell with the people. Since ayade likes the curfew so much or is scared of the unknown what’s stopping him from imposing the curfew on himself and his family, let him sit in his house. After all he is the one with all the security in the world” voltron, Robocop, terminator etc. We don’t need his useless curfew.’
But, others have chosen to defer with proponents similar to Utsu: ‘Atia please for now I think tHe curfew should be sustained’, Effa David Egwu said. Kaka Nyiam observed ‘Naa we been the shout say make Ayade do something about security for state oo, now we dey complain, whala plenty oo’.
Ayade slammed a 10PM to 6AM curfew on the state capital on December 2020 owing to the high level of insecurity. Relatively, security has improved in the state as residents have been commending His Excellency especially in respect of Operation Akpakwu, a joint security network of the Armed Forces and paramilitary.
