SECURITY:"Cross River State Is Safe" Says Ayade

The Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade has assured the
people of the Cross River, Nigerians and foreigners that the state
remains a safe haven for all to do business.
Ayade who gave the assurance in a press conference held at the
finger park, Calabar, Friday shortly after a closed door meeting
with the service Chiefs emphasized that Cross Riverians are
known for their peaceful nature, and that they are completely aver
to crime and criminal activities.

As part of the deliberate and concerted effort to flush out criminal
elements and make Cross River and Calabar in particular to be
safe, the state and indeed, Calabar has been divided into 18
security units for easy management and that 30 operational
vehicles for the security agents, explaining that the security agents
have equally been up and doing tracking the perpetrators of
recent criminal activities in Calabar.

“We have decided to increase the budgetary provision for
security. As I speak today we have provided 30 vehicles to cover
Calabar city centre and made provision to expand our security
network, increase the fire power of operation Skolombo and it is
against this background that we have decided to prove the Cross
River State Homeland Security Service, a new establishment that
will provide intelligence report to support operation Skolombo
We want to strongly state that on our honour and integrity that as
a state and government, we will do everything in our power to
protect the citizens. Cross River State will be a safer place, our
carnival will come and go in peace. We are dividing the state and
indeed Calabar into 18 different piece, each beat will have its own
commander and controlling unit, each command and controlling
unit will have a direct access to the central controlling command,
and each commanding centre will have a direct access to the
service commanders; and at any point you have an incident or
action day or night, please call the security numbers. Every single
sector, every small area in the town has been sectorized to
smaller units for easy management”.

He called on all law abiding citizens of Cross River state and
other law abiding Nigerians and foreigners residing in the state
and Calabar in particular to report any suspected movement to
the law enforcement agents through the security numbers that
would be made available to the public, warning that Cross River
will not condone criminals and their criminal activities.
“AS a final advice, every single Cross Riverian who notice any
unfamiliar movement, don’t hesitate to call our emergency
numbers”.

Buttressing the peaceful disposition of Cross Riverians and their
averse nature to crime, Governor Ayade disclosed that of all the
47 persons arrested in connection with various criminal activities
in Calabar, none is a Cross Riverian adding also that 17 persons
arrested in respect of the kidnapped of the Lafarge company
worker, none of them are from the state.
“In recent time we have had incident that is not known or
particular to Cross River State. We have decided to make ways
and means through which we can put an end to this security
threat. Cross River is known as a state for tourism, Calabar is
known as destination for Africa hospitality, anything that can
impede on the integrity, knowledge, wealth, values of Cross River
State and indeed Calabar must be resisted by every Cross
Riverian and Nigerians. It is against this background that we
thought we should brief Cross Riverians on the state of security
of the state”.

The governor further disclosed that as part of measure to
checkmate the frequent communal clashes in the state, the state
government has decided to withdraw Certificate of Recognition of
traditional rulers of warring communities in the state, just as all
Secret cult members who are appointees of government would
be relieved of their appointments.
“We have also realized that cultism has been on the increase, we
as a government will take deliberate step to ensure any person
who is a cultist of any form, who is in government must be
thrown out. We have also taken a strong action on the issue of
communal clash that have become very prominent in our state
must stop against that background, all warring counties, all
communities that are at war, all traditional rulers, chiefs of such
communities, their Certificates as traditional Rulers are hereby
withdrawn”.

Ayade also explained that as a result of the heat which the
Federal Government security measure code-named “Operation
Delta Safe” is giving criminal elements in the other states of the
Niger Delta which it covers up to Akwa Ibom because of the Pipe
lines, most of those criminals have moved toward Cross River
which is not originally covered by “Operation Delta Safe”.
“We have done detailed research and it is obvious and clearly too
that the existence of “Operation Pulo Shield” which was a Niger
Delta security operative to provide security support for the Niger
Delta which underwent a lot of restructuring at the more recent
time, replaced with operation Delta Safe”. The operation Delta
Safe as it were focus more on the oil pipelines, therefore focus
mainly on the protection of states that have oil pipelines; so
operation Delta Safe started from Akwa Ibom and ended in Delta,
therefore the Federal Security might that preceded the Niger Delta
areas made Cross River and indeed Calabar a safe haven for
these criminals, that is why in recent past we have had these
reported incidents”.

To this end Ayade said that he has officially written to President
Mohammadu Buhari to extend the coverage of Operation Delta
Safe to Cross River, while at the same time appeal passionately
to the Federal to reverse the 76 oil wells from Akwa Ibom to
Cross River for the spirit of equity and fairness.