By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Calabar – Special Adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State in charge of Debt Management Office, DMO, Mr. Kelly Ayamba, has painted a gloomy picture of the state’s financial position, saying that the debt profile of the state was about N73 billion.

Mr. Ayamba, said that  the debt burden of the state, which had affected on-going projects and the running of the Imoke administration, explained that N16 billion was external debt while N57 billion was internal.

He added that as a result of paucity of funds available to the government, contractors were  owed over N26 billion, which was part of the internal debt, adding, however, that the figures are only provisional, as the government was not relenting in servicing the debts.

The Special Adviser, who said that the external debts were serviced through direct deductions of allocation to the state from the Federation Account, noted  that servicing the debts has so far remained a major challenge to the state government, as it has stopped it from advancing the course of transforming the state at the pace it initially desired.

He said the debt profile of the state was an asset rather than a curse as it had become a tool for negotiation and servicing of the administration’s projects and programmes. He added that  most of the debts were inherited from many past administrations as a result of unsettled contract awards.

He noted thats since government is a continuum, the burden has to be acquired by the Imoke administration.

…raises alarm over militancy, piracy increase in Bakassi

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has raised alarm over the high rate of militancy and piracy on the waterways between Nigeria and Cameroon since the ceding of Bakassi to  Cameroon.

The Governor, who raised the concern when he received the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command,  Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, who visited him in Calabar, also called on the Nigerian government to increase budgetary allocation to the Nigerian Navy to enable it procure additional boats to secure the nation’s territorial waters.

He called for the setting up of a joint military patrol  to ensure safety of lives and property as well as the image of the country.

Governor Imoke said Calabar,  which is the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command was an integral part of the Navy because it also harbours the headquarters of NNS Victory.

He explained that the state had benefited tremendously from the Navy with the location of its hospital and numerous schools in the state.

He also lauded the Navy for living up to its corporate social responsibility by sinking a borehole in Akpabuyo Local Government Area as part of activities marking its 55th anniversary celebration, adding that its assistance to the state will always be cherished.