Commissioner falls ill at state EXCO meeting, dies minutes after hospitalization

Cross River Governor Bassey Otu and the State Executive Council are still reeling from the shocking loss of Commissioner Robert Ewa, who passed away just minutes after contributing to an EXCO meeting.

Ewa, who served as the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, had actively participated in the council meeting on Wednesday, January 8, before suddenly excusing himself to seek medical attention at a nearby hospital, Persecondnews reports.

Tragedy struck few minutes later, as news of Ewa’s sudden passing sent shockwaves through the meeting, leaving attendees stunned and grief-stricken.

“A few minutes later, he excused himself and I think his driver drove him to the clinic. So we never knew that he went to a hospital

“So we never knew that he went to a hospital. So it was in the hospital that he went to, that news came back to the governor that he had died,” Nsa Gill, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Otu, confirmed the commissioner’s death on Thursday.

According to Gill, the deceased passed away at a medical facility in Calabar.

He said Ewa had made contributions during the meeting but subsequently excused himself.

“Ewa died yesterday, he was present at the state executive council meeting, he even contributed during the presentation,” the spokesman said.

“The governor received the news with shock, but a press release will be issued later,” he said.

Persecondnews gathered that Ewa had served as Secretary and Chairman of Boki Local Government Council at different times.

The deceased also served as the Special Adviser to the governor on Community Relations as well as the Secretary to the Anti-deforestation Task Force in the state.