The push from within the PDP and other political parties in Cross River state for Governor Ben Ayade to step down is well under way after the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Cross River State Chapter, called on the governor to resign over the state’s N1.3 trillion budget of 2018 as well as for not holding local government elections for almost two years.
“We hereby advice the Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade to withdraw his unrealistic, childish and fraudulent Kinetic Crystallization Budget of N1.3 trillion Naira,” said chairman of the IPAC Cross River, Pastor Sunday Michael,at a world press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Council advised the governor to resign over what they termed as his “gross ineptitude,” or he should “perish any thought or re-contesting for the Office of Governor in 2019.”
According to the IPAC chairman, they were “embarrassed that despite the absence of audited accounts for the state in the past two years, the Cross Rover State PDP House of Assembly has proceeded to consider and pass the state’s budget year after year. We are therefore at a loss as to how and what figures the budget is based upon.
“As if the foregoing was not enough, ‘Emperor’ Ayade has now presented a ludicrous budget of N1.3 trillion Naira, appropriately naming it “Budget of Kinetic Crystallization.” In recognition of the total failure of the N300 billion 2017 budget, Governor Ayade did not bother to avail the House of Assembly with a budget performance of review. Being the puppets they have shown themselves to be, we will not be surprised if the Cross Rover State House of Assembly proceeds to pass this kinetically crystallized 2018 budget without an audited accounts or a performance review of the past budget.”
Other allegations levelled against Ayade include “the refusal of the state government to have its accounts audited by the Auditor General of the State,” which the body said “only goes to confirm the colossal fraud that has characterised the Ayade-led style of government.”
The IPAC urged the Assembly to live up to their responsibilities to the state by rejecting the attempt to use them as rubber stamps.
They further called on the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission “to as a matter of urgency, conduct local government elections on or before January 31, 2018,” while appealing to the federal government to stop disbursement of local government allocation to the state.
Other demands include the blacklisting of the governor by all opposition parties in the state as well as a stakeholders’ conference upon his resignation by the Acting Governor to develop a workable blueprint for the state.
The press conference was attended by over 20 state chairmen and secretaries.
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