Ayade: ‘Buhari’s Anti-Corruption War Is Perfect’

Ayade manipulated in the arrest of former PDP national publicity secretary.


Cross River State Governor, Benedict Ayade, visited President Muhammadu Buhari wednesday where he described the ongoing anti-graft war as perfect.

The governor, who addressed State House correspondents after meeting with the president, said the war against corruption was already yielding positive result.

According to hm, investors are already trooping into Cross River as a result of the anti-corruption war.

“The anti-corruption war is perfect. For those who know the pains, hardship and frustrations that Nigerians have passed through; as a nation, there is so much in terms of natural resources and the people are so poor. It is only obvious that any serious government must take the issue of corruption seriously.

“I think that’s why today, Nigeria is beginning to have national and international image that looks like Nigeria is getting prepared for business. That is why investments are flowing into Cross River State. That’s a sign that the anti-corruption war is actually working and it is giving Nigeria the international image that we need.

“The state has a lot of investors coming in to start massive investments in rice project in the state. To that extent, I just needed to come and brief the president so that he would’ve an idea of what’s going on in the state and of course, use the opportunity to brief him on some other issues,” Ayade said

On the Bakassi Deep Sea Port dredging contract, he said: “The project is real and that is part of what I discussed with Mr. President and the president has given his commitment that he’ll support the deep sea port and the evacuation corridor which is the 260kilometer super highway. The president did give advice and warning that as far as that he had come to give support to this programme, I must come to give quarterly progress report on this project.”

The governor added that he also discussed rice production with the president.

“This is part of what I discussed with the President. Since we have special commercial credit facility for which as a state we have requested for N4.8billion. If we have that it will support us. But basically interns of the investment outlay, the investment outlay is over N10billion and there is also a foreign element which is a function of what the foreign partners are bringing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the governor has been manipulated as a Chief Magistrate Court in Calabar wednesday ordered the arrest of the former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Venatius Ikem, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The order was given following an application by the police that a warrant of arrest be issued by the chief magistrate for Ikem’s arrest for his failure to honour the court summons.

The summons had the state Commissioner of Police as plaintiff while is Ikem the defendant.

It read in part: “To Venatius Ikem, ‘M’ of House 4, Etim Ekpo Close, Parliamentary village. You are commanded in the name of the Chief Magistrate Grade I, to attend before the Court at Moore Road, Calabar on January 13, 2016, at the hour of 9a.m. in the forenoon and so from day to day until the above named cause is tired to give evidence in the above named cause.”

It was gathered that the matter in which Ikem was being summoned in court occurred in 2011 when he had a brawl with a politician who is now serving in Ayade’s government.

Reacting to the arrest order, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla who stated that the order of the Chief Magistrate court would be challenged at a higher court, said the entire issue directed against Ikem amounted to political witch-hunt against political opponents of the governor.

In a statement made available to journalists , Obono-Obla stated: “I strongly condemn the use of the Nigeria Police Force and the judiciary in Cross River State by Governor Ayade to oppress, intimidate and hound his opponents especially members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I condemn the order of arrest issued by a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Calabar against a chieftain of the APC, Ikem today for allegedly failing to appear before a Chief Magistrates’ Court, Calabar over a politically-motivated and trumped charge that was initiated by agents of Ayade to hound and embarrass Ikem who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC did not go down well with the governor.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) a purported summons requesting Ikem to appear before a Chief Magistrates’ Court, Calabar today was dropped at the private residence of Barrister Ikem in Calabar. Ikem was away to Lagos on a business meeting. Today (Wednesday) when the case was mentioned in Court and Ikem was absent in court, the police prosecutor applied for the issuance of a warrant of arrest.

“Despite the fact there was evidence before the Chief Magistrate that the summons was not personally served on Ikem ( as required by law) the chief magistrate regrettably and improperly issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ikem. Accordingly Ikem has instructed me to file an application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights in the Federal High Court, Calabar to quash the purported warrant of arrest.”

But, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Ita, described those associating Ayade with the court order as hypocrites.

“The mantra of the APC government is change and the rule of law. So, what is happening in court as all about the rule of law which the APC members have been preaching? The order day, Obono-Obla wrote an article rejoining Femi Falana, in support of the continued detention of Sambo Dasuki and others citing legal issues, so why is the warrant issued by the magistrate court against their party man not view as a judicial matter.

“Please, they should leave my boss out of this. Ikem should go to the court with his lawyers and defend himself instead of assuming the governor unjustly in a matter he is not involved.”