Cross River APC rejects Asu Okang as NDDC Board member, demand his removal
The All Progressives Congress (APC), loyal to Cross River State, launched a protest in Calabar over the appointment of Asu Okang, a loyal PDP member, as Commissioner representing the State on the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC) board member and demanded his removal.
Just before the protest it has been in the news that President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of a new board and management team for the NDDC, Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelle, said in a statement yesterday, 30th August 2023.
Consequently, the state APC has rejected in totality the recent appointment of Mr. Aso Okang, stressing that in the last election, the said Okang’s business was to destroy the properties of APC members in Eting LGA, where he is from and had to maim and injure APC members.
Maintaining that all the cases were already reported to the police. Meanwhile, the protest started along Eleven-Eleven junction and moved to the APC State Secretariat; Protesters were numbered in thousands, carrying PLACARDS with inscriptions: “We don’t want Asu Okang”‘ “APC in Cross River says no to Asu Okang” “Cross River NDDC is not for sale” among other inscriptions, and they then marched towards the NDDC State Office, where the office was locked.
Addressing the protesters at the APC Secretariat, APC State Chairman, Barr Alphonsus Eba said:
“We are yet to recover from the injustice done on the National Women Leader position, and while we hope that Mr. President will have ample opportunity to address these twin issues, It is a call to him to put his searchlight on Cross River State. According to him”
“We want to declare Asu Okang a persona non grata and everybody that’s associated with him. Henceforth, they shall not enter Cross River State again until this is reversed. We call on Mr. President to first investigate the presidency, and anyone involved in this inglorious shame that is bringing him into disrepute should be immediately sacked”
“This is like pouring salt or fuel on an injury that is already lacerated. I want to appeal to all of us; it is not a good time in our country, and we don’t want hoodlums to hijack this peaceful protest you have taken”
“I want to believe, and we all want to believe, that Mr. President is not aware of these, and because the president is not aware, the best approach will be for us to officially write to Mr. President”
“Please retire peacefully while order is restored in this regard. We assure you that this will not stand” the Chairman stressed.
Speaking also during the protest. Barr. Ekpeyong Akiba, the Governor’s Special Adviser on General Duties, opined that Cross River is not a place for non-partisan settlers.
His words, “Etung LGA is not an area that produces oil, and it cannot be considered in Cross River State; the only LGA that produces oil in Cross River State is Bakassi, as shown in the NDDC Act, and Asu Okang is not from Bakassi LGA. When you make a man go somewhere he doesn’t belong, he cannot function”
“So for us, it is a gross violation of the law, and we have been hinted that NIMASA’s appointment is coming; whoever wants to settle, whoever should know that APC has only Cross River State as a governor in the whole South-South, and APC should give Cross River State its due position” Barr. Akiba maintained.
Also speaking, Dr. Edem Ekong, Cross River APC Support Group Chairman, expressed dissatisfaction over what is currently unfolding in the state and called for caution.
He said, “It is abnormal; it is quite unethical for monkeys to work and baboons to eat. We suffered for the APC in Cross River State under rain and sun, but to our greatest surprise, a staunch PDP man who fought us to a standstill was given a juicy appointment”
“The appointment that is capable of taking care of 10,000 APC youths of Cross River State, and I don’t think Mr. President is aware of this appointment, so people are sitting somewhere to doctor the list and then publish it on the media, this is indeed is call for cautioned”
