Efio-Ita Nyok|17 October 2016
On 14 October YNaija.com reported the news of the attack on the convoy of the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu.
The report has it that the incident took place along Goldie Street at NNPC Filling Station around 7PM on Thursday where the convoy ran into a group of 20 armed cultists operating in the area. Incidentally, the Prof. Ivara had already been dropped off, but while the convoy was dropping security officers detailed to the convoy of the Deputy Governor. A driver was shoot and seriously wounded while a police officer was shot dead on the spot.
This ugly event has caused heads to be wagging and tongues to be rolling. I will be reflecting a cross section of how residents of Calabar and Cross Riverians are receiving the news.
Pamela Braide
… Too many active cultists may have invaded Gov space. If they are not organizing coffins and dancing as a welcome banner for the Governor at the airport they are actively blocking the arrest of thier juniors as they butcher each other and innocents for weeks without end on the streets of Calabar. The latest round of violence is still on. It seems impossible to stop a bunch of small boys with machetes and guns. Why?
I am most disappointed in the silence of our socalled state political elite who complain loudly behind closed doors about the abandonment and decay of even basic security process among other issues and remain both silent or inactive for reasons best known to them. They have access to police, dogs and electric fences but now they know they are just as vulnerable as anyone else. What are they afraid of?
Cultists have marched with an unheard of impunity and confidence defying arrests, not even covering faces… It is tiring. Lord save us all
Every neighbourhood please organise your security and introduce your vigilantes to the police. this is what people are doing.
Are we planning carnival this year? We have lost events this and last year that would have reduced economic hardship and I think the damage done may affect Christmas in Calabar eventually. A state that prepared for economic diversification even when it was not a trend and created an alternative economy that citizens sunk thier savings into has now fallen flat on its face when the most opportunity abounds. What a shame. May the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace
Gideon Emeka Ighadalo
They have leaders in govt who protects them…
Edidiong-Abasi Uko
This 'Calabar' cult clash also known as insecurity might be a political ploy. Hhhhhmmmmmm I pray the Calabar 'Efik, Qua, etc' political elites, traditional rulers and other stakeholders wake up from slumber before it is too late. Who will want to invest in an insecure environment? Soon most government policies may be executed in other places with the excuse that Calabar is insecure. Then the capital will become a dead city. Then economic activities will totally die. Then there will be no more competition in house rentage. Then …. Stop your children now and save your unborn generation from hardship!
Venatius Ikem
Pamela Braide, it is numbing to say the least but political elites are frustrated by a State chief Executive whose very leading and well known appointees are leaders of these cults! Do you really think it is a joke? The cabinet is mostly shared amongst cults! I don't know the proportion. Have you not seen the "men in black "? Body guards of the governor who go everywhere with him? Who are they? Why? Of course for future "political support", to help hound enemies and patronage for past deeds! Never mind the ceremonial oaths they swear denouncing cultism. It's all a charade. Did you not read the strange publication of yesterday claiming that I sponsored the casket that was in parade during Ayade's reception for returning from Abuja?
I am lucky that all my contemporaries know that I have never in my life, in school and after school, belonged to a cult or "fraternity " as they are more glamourously referred to. If the security services know what they are doing, they know where to begin looking. They try to but lack the political will to act decisively. Ifere Paul published details of someone with pictures and profile. What is anyone doing about it? My take is that a people deserve the government they get. Cross Riverians will not stand up against govt. They refused to stand up and make a choice of governor against Imoke's imposition. Let. Us all deal with the situation. We are at Ayade's mercy in his Animal Farm.
Adam David Inaku
Pam this is really disheartening to say Cross River the most peaceful and cleanest State in Nigeria has become a ghost of its glory. Governance and leadership has failed us. We must talk, pray and hope we overcome this dark moments soon enough
Ben Usang
Pamela, we here in calabar are deeply saddened by the recent insecurity problems in the city. The consequences of not containing the threat will be castertrophic. I can only hope that the incidence with the deputy governors convoy will make the government pay serious attention to the problem but going forward we all have a duty as citizens to get our government to act. The militant mess in akpabuyo and Bakassi is just being addressed and we are back to square one in the state capital. We just partnered with partners for peace to mark the 2016 International Peace Day in calabar and we had so much expectation for a lasting peace but sadly we could not influence those that matter most in ensuring the peace in the city. Lets start with a formidale online campaign and go on to hold protest march in the state capital targeting our leaders. Thanks for highlighting this issue that is affecting us all #MAKECALABARSAFEANDSECURE
Bassey Ekpo Bassey
I think it is despicable that the leaders we have there have lost their balls. They are quiet and tolerating. Its crazy. Some of them are collecting crumbs from this govt so the economy wont let them
Franca Eyo Archibong
The perpetrators of the bastardized acts know themselves. Those trying to create insecurity in the state in other to call a dog a bad name know themselves. It's a political ploy to label the present govt incompetent! Period! And we know they'll stop at nothing! God pass them!
Lucie Effiom
Pam dear, that is the unfortunate situation as we have it today. The so-called politicians won't and can't do anything about it because they are not only members of this cult, they equally sponsor them with weapons and money. So sad that these cultists have more sophisticated weapons than the trained security personnel in the state because rather than empowering the security personnel to fight insecurity and crimes, the government and it's officials empower these guys. Senseless killings on the streets in broad daylight… What a waste! May God have mercy on us all
Rowland Edu
We lost the decency & order that reigns in Calabar,after Imoke imposed his unpopular candidate on us,we should also take some of the blame because our resistance was not enough,we must also kick against the current trend in our beautiful city.
Mkpeti Ayi
Part of the challenge[s] of governance is effective leadership nd I daresay it has gone awry in the state. Not negating the fact that cultism/ brigands hitherto existed in the state especially Calabar nd its environs but it was nipped in the bud by past administrations. Fashola dealt with the Area boys menace decisively; Mbadunuju/ Ngige neutralized the dreaded Bakassi boys in Anambra; Ajimobi took on the dreaded motor park Union/ cultist and eased them off the socio- political landscape in Oyo state. The pair of Nasiru el-Rufai nd Masari working in tandem are gradually curbing the rising militancy of the shite sect in Kaduna nd katsina state respectively…..!! All these without noise or fanfare. This is not about politics but Government taking responsibility in real terms [not talk shop] over the security nd lives of our people. It's not about signing endless MOU's. Incidentally this govt as at September has the highest number of MOU's 'signed' in this country since 1999 while lives and properties are being destroyed daily by cultist nd 'militants'[whatever that means]. The problem as I see it is that, there so much talk and little or no policy direction. Until this Government begins to put their money where their mouth is [so to say], by effective delegation of duties, putting 'square pegs in square holes' nd minimise gallivanting all over the globe, looking for the 'elusive foreign investors' things will get abysmally bad I dare say! Those in power should know this; leadership is not in occupying the SEAT but in achieving the FEAT. May God help us.
Afi Nya
I recall very vividly that Mr Repene Bassey, former SSA consistently appeared on then popular tv prog Security Alert to constantly brief the public on security issues. Jingles were on consistently to sensitize the public.
Pls what is the current SSA doing?
Amiokama Ofem
How will the carnival groove when there is gross insecurity in calabar…shaa, make una go oh! Me and my family no go move anywhere. Na ise le eko we dey oh!
John Henshaw
Cannan ediye obio mi see how low she has sank.
Margaret Ukwu
Yes. The cult clashes in calabar are terrible. Kidnappings killings which were unheard of before have become the order of the day. The governor & security agencies must act swiftly
Vickie Emah Emah
Pamela, I share your concern but beyond that, I think the security of the state is not about blaming a party but a spineless leadership that is not taking deliberate initiative to address the issues of safety and security in the environment of his leadership
Two things, I would say is that either he does not care or it does not matter in anyway to him. Whether we die or live, is not his business. The state is to yield their increase and not to be preserved. Cross River is our home.
Joy Eng
I hv never seen citizens that r as lazy as cross riverians youths.. People with no positive plans for their life..involving in all manner of crime.. Cultism!!! Shocks me that in this age and time our youths are still indulging in such practice
Inyali Peter
The cyberspace have been so silent to the unimaginable attack on Cross River state deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu's convoy by some hoodlums who are allegedly "men" of some tough government officials few days ago…
This situation poses a big challenge and a test of the competence of the current administration led by Senator Ben Ayade's to protecting lives and properties of Cross Riverians. In fact, if Ayade was sleeping or junketing about signing MOUs, he must wake up and act now.
About four to five months ago, I did an article with the title "Cross River : A Safe Haven For Criminals Under Ayade", as usual, I got it hot from the naysayers who obviously are enemies of our dear state. I was vilified and threatened by overzealous Ayade's supporters for stating the obvious.
In the article, I faulted the inability of the government to subject political appointees to denouncement of membership of any cult group (A tradition adopted by the former administration) as part of the screening before appointment. Today, we're reaping that dangerous seed we sown as a result gross negligence by the Governor.
Even the appointments made after that article, the government still failed to do this very important aspect of screening. Today, we're faced with a situation that's threatening the entire unity of our dear state.
Security is the primary responsibility of any government that's why after the monthly allocation, there's a special votes from the federal government to state governors for security. But has the current situation in Cross River reflected the security vote? The answer will be a big no!
Instead of Governor Ayade's administration to have conducted a proper security screening for appointees, he introduced a funny screening method of subjecting them to writing aptitude test like they were seeking admission into the university.
Cross River is in dire need of a responsible and responsive government where cultism will never hold sway again in the state. If the number two man in the state is not safe, what then is the hope of the common man on the street? We have never had it this bad!
The government must consult wide, organize a security summit where stakeholders across every sector should be invited to participate. Traditional rulers, heads of faith based organizations, heads of tertiary institutions in the state, youths leaders, leadership of political parties etc should all be invited to the meeting…
Security agencies should also reduce the over concentration in urban areas because the robbery in rural areas too has been going on since the inception of this government unabated. In my village, my local church no longer have musical instruments due to armed robbery. It has been attacked two times in two months.
This is not the Cross River that was once known as the most peaceful state in Nigeria. Calabar is no longer a city to come and rest. Ayade must do something to avoid destroying the tourism potentials of our state.
Above all, the governor must effectively make use of the security votes. I don't want to believe the insinuations that some government officials are making fortune from this situation. If Ayade has been sharing the security votes amongst his family members like he put the bailout fund under the control of his younger brother, Frank Ayade, the "powerful" co-governor, the time to release the money to the appropriate authorities to combat this ugly development is now.
*The general mood of residents of the state capital and Cross Riverians is that of disappointment at the government. Security agencies have not live up to the expectation.
There's this perception that government has a hand in the recent spate of violence, banditry, armed robbery, etc. This is premised on the suspicion that when security agencies swing into action and apprehend suspects, instead of drag them to court for prosecution, top notch government officials prevail on these security agencies and get these criminals reintroduced into society. They become a source of terror. The narrative is that government officials use these hoodlums to inflict violence, death, pains, fear, etc on the innocent public! Could this be true!? Is it true that we now have cultists parading themselves as public officers and paid for by tax payers money!? Where has society gone wrong? Where did we get it wrong? Hmmmmm…
We are calling on government to rise up to the task of ensuring peace and tranquility in society. #This_is_not_Calabar
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is the Publisher & Editor of NegroidHaven.org
