The Federal Government has mandated civil servants to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said workers who refuse to get vaccinated will be barred from assessing their places of work.

Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the presidential steering committee (PSC) on COVID-19, announced this at a briefing on Wednesday.

He said starting from December 1, workers who do not show proof of vaccination and or a negative COVID-19 result will be barred from government offices.

“With effect from 1st December, 2021, Federal Government employees shall be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours, to gain access to their offices, in all locations within Nigeria and our Missions. An appropriate service wide advisory/circular will be issued to guide the process,” he said.

Food vendors serving government schools in Cross River State under the Federal Government’s School Feeding Programme (SFP) have lamented that they receive two loaves of bread, one live chicken, one crate of egg and 50 sachets of tombrown to feed 70 children in a term.

They have also lamented that since 2020 up till October 2021, they have only been paid once.

Investigation further revealed that the money given to the vendors was half of what they ought to have received.

One of them, Rosemary Jimmy lamented that the quality and quantity of foods given to the children have been very unfortunate.

“You can imagine being given two loaves of bread, one chicken, one crate of egg, fifty sachets of tombrown to feed seventy pupils for one term,” she said.

Rosemary said that they had been afraid to complain because if any vendor complained, her name was swiftly removed from the list of vendors and replaced with those of friends and relatives of the government officials.

“Last term, we were paid just once and this term nothing has been paid us and no food supplied.

“The term is fast running out; while our counterparts in Akwa Ibom have since been paid their complete sum to feed the kids we are still waiting and nobody has told us anything. Why is the situation in Cross River different,” she further lamented.

Another vendor, who gave his name as Romanus Eteng said he serves food in a school at Ikom but the programme is poorly managed as officials may have cornered both money and foodstuffs meant for the children.

“My conscience pricks me that I cannot live up to the expectation of the pupils. They daily look forward to the little ration promised them but that is not to be while officials are busy buying exotic cars and building mansions with the funds meant to provide the kids little rations while in school,” he said.

The headmaster of Primary School Ikot Nyong in Akpabuyo told journalists that in the past two years, no ration had been supplied to the pupils in the school.

“We are just watchers. We as teachers and parents do not have any say because nobody made us supervisors or inspectors to oversee what the vendors serve the pupils or why they have stopped,” he said.

A parent, Mr Livinus Archibong, whose ward is at Government Primary School Atekong in Calabar said: “If the objective of the school feeding programme is to ensure that pupils in public schools across the country have at least a meal a day during school hours, then that essence is completely defeated in the State.”

“Since inception of the programme in 2017, there has been no term that pupils in public primary schools in the State have consistently been given the stated one meal a day during school hours.”

Findings showed that money released to the state by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for vendors is usually split into two.

It is alleged that government officials overseeing the programme usually give half to vendors, while ‘coordinators’ for each local government area are given the other half to “purchase food” to be given to vendors to serve the pupils.

Archibong said the consequence of this was that the food supplied was inadequate, sometimes spoilt, over valued or not supplied at all.

A visit to the Food Programme office along Eyo Etta street, off Barracks Road shows that the staff are all coordinators, making brisk money in the name of supplying food to vendors which they hardly do while the children live in hunger.

Meanwhile, our findings revealed further that the coordinators and government officials have distributed forms, forcing all old vendors to back-date the forms to between January and July 2017 whereas food was not supplied then.

New vendors were also directed to use dates of between January to March 2021.

Both new and old vendors have been directed to send the form to: The Program Manager, NHGSFP, no.2 Eyo Ita str. Calabar for official actions to be taken.

But the commissioner for humanitarian affairs, Blessing Egbara said the allegations were completely false.

Former Military Administrator of Delta State, Air Commodore Ibrahim Kefas (Retd) is dead.

He died aged 73.

Sources said he passed on this morning at Abuja.

Kefas, who hails from Taraba State reportedly died in the early hours of Friday, October 1, in Abuja.

Kefas served as military administrator of Cross River State in Nigeria between December 1993 and September 1994, and then of Delta State until August 1996 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

Click to View Past and Present Governors of Cross River State

Many indigenes of Taraba have taken to social media to mourn his demise.

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, SIR BEN AYADE, GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER STATE ON THE OCCASION OF NIGERIA’S 61st INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY HELD ON 1st OCTOBER, 2021, AT THE U.J. ESUENE STADIUM

– Your Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu,
– Member of the National Assembly here present,
– The Hon. Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly,
– My Lord, the Hon. Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Akon Bassey Ikpeme
– Hon. Members of the Cross River State House of Assembly,
– The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress,
– Service Commanders,
– Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
– Representatives of the Federal Establishments,
– Permanent Secretaries,
– Your Royal Highnesses,
– My Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
– Distinguished sons and daughters of Cross River State,
– School Heads/Children of participating Schools,
– Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fellow Cross Riverians,

As it has become traditional with October 1st, Today offers us yet another opportunity to gather once again to mark our country’s Independence from Britain.
Precisely 61 years ago, the vision and aspirations of our founding fathers melted into concrete reality with the birthing of our dear country Nigeria as an independent state.

It is for that historic occasion, 61 years today, that has offered us this unique opportunity to celebrate once again our evolution as a nation state.
Instructively, as we celebrate today, we cannot say with absolute conviction, that 61 years down the line, it has been a bed of roses. At best, it has been an admixture, sometimes chequered, disappointing, hard and fraught with challenges that so often tend to numb our spirits.

In the last 61 years, we have demonstrated more commitment, greater faith and unflinching belief in the project called Nigeria than anyone would have imagined. We have survived brutal assaults, wriggled through tremors of recurring violence and sailed through the sea of divisive politics. As a people, we are currently confronted by a wave of insurgency and banditry. But against all odds, we have continued to bounce back, to rediscover ourselves by staying focused, steadfast and optimistic. And with the Almighty God watching over us, our dear country shall overcome.

Fellow Cross Riverians, in spite of those dispiriting moments, there have, however, been glittering times that we have exuded so much national pride as a people, following our chain of accomplishments as a nation.

Conscious of the fact that no nation has ever berthed on a roller coaster; or fulfilled its destiny without sweat, we cannot, therefore, as a country, afford to take our eyes off the ball.

Accordingly, today’s anniversary marks another turning point as we continue to soldier on with audacity of hope, a refreshing optimism and the spirit of enterprise. And with our minds firmly fixed on the ever-sparkling skyline, we shall sure hew a pathway to our destination.

More significantly, today’s celebration should no doubt serve as a reawakening and an enticing platform to reflect on our past in order to rechart our future.

Fellow Cross Riverians, as we ruminate on our nation’s sociopolitical trajectory- considering the tall mountains we have had to climb, the steep slopes we have had to descend, I want to enjoin you to remain resolute by re-committing and re-dedicating yourselves to the enduring values and vision that distinguish us as Cross Riverians.

For it is only by such distinguishing attributes that we can achieve true independence as a people- one that will guarantee true freedom and total emancipation in the real sense of it.

There is no doubt, therefore, that while our today is steadily finding perfect harmony with our great expectations as a people, given our industrialization feat in the last six years, our future will find fulfilment from our great energy and determination to berth a better tomorrow for our beloved people of Cross River State.

As an administration, we came with a clear focus to reconstruct the economy of our state and six years on, and in keeping with that vision and mission, we have been able to create a new and sound economy firmly anchored on industrialization, with a huge potential to create jobs and lift our people out of deprivations.

In our avowed commitment to entrench a prosperity agenda, we shall not relent until we ensure every Cross Riverian is indeed rescued from the socio-economic quagmire that has held us captive to hunger and lack.

Let us therefore, continue to bond together so that we can boldly confront the future with a renewed confidence and determination.

Fellow Cross Riverians, as we felicitate with one another on our lofty attainment of 61 years of nationhood, I enjoin us all to render our solemn supplications to God for His grace and enablement to overcome the challenges of today and actualize our dreams of tomorrow for the attainment of true independence.

Happy Independence Celebration.
God bless Nigeria!
God bless Cross River State!!
Sir Ben Ayade,
Cross River State Governor