By Kingston Obung
Calabar
Cross River state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ben Ayade of treason, saying his creation of Green Police and appointment of an indigene as envoy to the African Development Bank in Abidjan were treasonable acts.
Briefing journalists yesterday, state chairman of the party, Mr. John Ochala, listed other sins of the governor to include what the party described as “white elephant projects” like the proposed 260km superhighway and the Bakassi Deep seaport, saying Ayade was unprepared for governance.
He said: “Section 214(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that ‘there shall be a Police Force for Nigeria which shall be called the Nigerian Police Force, and subject to the provision of this section, no other Police Force shall be established for the federation or any other part thereof.’
“The creation of the ‘Green Police’ by Governor Ayade is therefore not only unconstitutional but treasonable. Moreover, under Cross River State Forestry Law, you have provision for Forest Guards. Which duties will the Green Police perform that will be different from those performed by Forest Guards created by laws. Which law establishes the Green Police?”
Continuing, he said: “The appointment of Mr. Emmanuel Ibeshi as Envoy to the African Development Bank is another treasonable act. External Affairs is on the Exclusive legislative list in the second schedule to the constitution. By the appointment, the Governor is purporting to appropriate and has indeed appropriated the powers of the federal government.”
The party further faulted the Governor on what they called “the hyped monorail” and “refuse towers” scattered all around Calabar.
“On the hyped monorail, which he inherited, the question is which passengers will this expensive toy be carrying and from where to where?
“Governor Ayade has made sure that he makes nonsense of the clean and green Cross River state he inherited. Refuse towers have today taken over the entire state. The situation has become so embarrassing that the boast in town today is ‘my refuse is bigger than yours.”
