The Cross River State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that the recent defection of Governor Ben Ayade to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would cost the state a whopping N2b.

The Caretaker Chairman of the party, Effiok Cobham, Esq, who stated this in a press conference, held at Nigeria Union of Secretarait, NUJ, Calabar on Wednesday, maintained that the Governor can afford to do this because he is in possession of N19bn refunds for federal roads which he has refused to disclose to the people of the state.

Cobham said when Ayade defected nobody followed him, but a few days after he has adopted unconstitutional methods to compel his cabinet and appointees to follow him to APC against their choice remaining in PDP.

He added that the governor has instructed all the appointees and other public office holders to produce their APC membership cards before they can receive salaries.

Speaking in an angry tone, Cobham said: “The defection of Governor Ayade to APC is to cost Cross Riverians N2b. This is what he needs to buy defectors from even his cabinet to follow him. Members of the Hiuse of Assembly have been offered N30m waxh and an SUV each if they agree to defect. Commissioners in Ayade’s cabinet are being offered N3m each and a car each to defect. The local government chairmen are under threat of removal from office unless they defect.

“Governor Ayade can readily expend N2b to fund his defection to APC because he has ready cash from the almost N19b paid to the state as refund for federal road maintenance undertaken by the PDP administrations of Governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke. The governor has refused to declare this to the people of the state and is frittering it away on purposes other than the common good of Cross Riverians,” he alleged.

The party expressed disgust at the governor’s exuberance to impress the APC leadership which has led him down the path of impunity, illegality and flagrant abuse of the mandate of the people of the state.

The party therefore, called on the national leadership of the APC to speak up as the governor plunders the state to impress it as silence means endorsement of Ayade’s shenanigans.

He expressed dismay at the attitude of the Governor who inherited the best public water supply systems developed by PDP administrations of Donald and Liyel across the state but have allowed them to fall into disrepair.

He decried the state of affairs in the state saying Magistrates are owed over 2 years salaries, teachers are owed 5 years salaries and pensioners had to block a federal highway all happening at a time the governor is in possession of N19b.

Calling on the governor to declare his receipt of N19b refund from Federal Government public, the former Deputy Governor during Sen Liyel Imoke’s administration, enjoined him to apply the funds to infrastructures such as rural roads, urban road network and water which benefits the common man (Daily Sun)

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