Press Release: COVID-19 pandemic adverse effects on Cross River economy and its resultant impacts on the citizenry, a call for FG,CB intervention.

PRESS RELEASE

COVID-19 PANDEMIC ADVERSE EFFECTS ON CROSS RIVER STATE ECONOMY AND ITS RESULTANT IMPACTS ON THE CITIZENRY IF THE STATE: A CALL FOR FG/CBN INTERVENTION.

Sequel to the formal annoucement sometime in January 2020 by the President Buhari-led federal government initiative for agricultural revolution vis-à-vis massive food production in the nation with particular reference to locally farmed rice production in which federating units were enjoined to be at the forefront of the programme of which our dear state, Cross River State through the ingenuity of Sir Benedict Ayade has keyed in from the inception.

Cross River State through the instrumentalilty and established bureaucracy of the Central Bank of Nigeria swung into action and sunk in billions of Nairas for the production of rice seedlings to be distributed to states into rice cultivation. This, the state has been doing optimally with considerable synergy with parties involved until the outbreak of the pestilential corona virus pandemic that has wrecked almost all aspects of trade and commerce in Nigeria, nay the world.

The impacts of covid-19 pandemic led to the total lockdown of most states in the country with a blockade of human and vehicular movement and as such, all loaded trucks of rice seedlings billed to be delivered to various states were trapped on their ways for almost a week until they became blighted and later on discarded. What a waste!

NDAF assessing Rice nursery at Ayade industrial park.

Since this investment has been negatively impacted as said above, it has resulted to a point where the state government is pitiably unable to pay salaries and wages for the first time in 5 years of the state under the superintendent Governor Benedict Ayade.

We, members of Niger Delta Activists Forum(NDAF) in the state is not ignorant of the fact that Central Bank of Nigeria has insurance measures of paying compensation and indemnifying Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and  Corporate Enterprises adversely impacted by covid-19 pandemic as was clearly stated by the CBN Governor,His Excellency Mr Godwin Emiefele that #50bn has been released to this effect a week ago. In line with the aforesaid, we call on CBN to begin the disbursement of funds to affected entities to cushion this scourge. If this is done, workers will be paid their salaries and the state can still prepare for the exigencies of food shortages (hunger-19 virus)  that would come after the end of covid-19.

Let it be established too that failure to heed to the content of this press release will lead to the picketing of CBN facilities in the state by NDAF and all its affiliate groups.

With God, we shall overcome this moment of covid-19 pandemic.

Yours Trusted!

Comr. Paul Ajie Abang

(State Chairman)

Comr. (Hon) Ogar Emmanuel Oko

(State PRO)

Cc:The Executive Governor of Cross River State

The Director Department of State Security Service (DSS),CRS Command.

Commissioner of Police CRS Command.

Brigade Commander 13 Brigade Akim Barracks Calabar,CRS.