Corruption Fight:Cross Rivers Governor, Ayade Throws Weight Behind Buhari

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has expressed support for the efforts being made by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption.Ayade, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, expressed the support while speaking with reporters shortly after meeting Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday. Buhari came to power on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Ayade said: “The anti-corruption war is perfect.“Those who know the pains, hardship and frustrations that Nigerians have passed through will agree with me on this.“As a nation, there is so much in terms of natural resources and the people are so poor.

“It is only obvious that any serious government must take the issue of corruption seriously and I think that is why today Nigeria is beginning to have national and international image that looks like Nigeria is getting prepared for business.“That is why investments are flowing into Cross River State.“That is a sign that the anti-corruption war is actually working and it is giving Nigeria the international image that we need.”The governor also said the issue of the Bakassi Deep Sea Port formed the major part of his discussion with the President.While saying that equipments had been moved to site, Ayade further disclosed that construction work would start in full once the Environmental Impact Assessment is concluded.

Ayade said: “The project is real and that is part of what I discussed with Mr. President and the President has given his commitment that he will support the deep sea port and the evacuation corridor, which is the 260km super highway.“The President did give an advice and warning that as far as he had come to give support to this programme, I must come to give him quarterly progress report on this project.”

Ayade said he also discussed the state’s rice production project for which a special agriculture credit facility of N4.8 billion had already been requested.He said the total investment outlay of the project is N10 billion, excluding a foreign element, which is a function of what the foreign partners are bringing.On Tinapa, Ayade said the state would on February 14 commission a monorail to mark Valentine’s Day.He said the monorail is the first of its kind in West Africa