Lawmaker lauds Ayade over appointment of militant leader

A member representing Bakassi in Cross River House of Assembly and chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, has lauded Governor  Ben Ayade over the appointment of former Bakassi Strike Force militant leader, Benjamin Ene, as special adviser on Marine Security.


Ekpo said the move would bring peace to the restive Calabar waterways and by extension, the Gulf of Guinea, explaining,  “this appointment is timely, and I know that with that office given to him, we are going to witness security in our marine territory.”


He believed that economic activities would also gradually  pick up and that social activities would also be on the rise thereby enhancing  more business and tourism activities in Bakassi and Cross River in general.

He maintained that with the state government’s position on water transportation as a means of generating income, Ene’s appointment would go a long way in attracting investors to the state, particularly with the Bakassi deep sea port soon to see the light of day.


Dr Ekpo called on the youths to rally around Mr Benjamin Ene to achieve the expected peace and development in the area.

Recall that  Ene, a former militant leader, who was known and addressed as G1 during his time in the creeks, had surrendered his arms  in 2018, together with his boys, to the Nigerian Military in exchange for amnesty, thereby bringing to an end almost three years of militancy in the area.


Mr Ene is among the 90 senior special advisers and special advisers appointed by the governor last week.


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