8th June, 2021
Agency Reports
Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade has sacked his Commissioner for Special Duties, Francis Etta.
The sack took immediate effect.
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Christian Ita, announced this in Calabar.
Ita said that Ayade thanked Etta for his service to the state and wished him well in his future endeavours.
So far, the renegade Ayade has so far sacked four commissioners and five special advisers.
This followed his switch of political association from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
On Monday, Ayade’s special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, Mr Mark Obi, voluntarily resigned.
In his resignation letter, Obi said that “as a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he would not defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Following recent happenings in the political alignment of the state governor, I am persuaded to review my involvement in the current state administration.
“Consequently, being a founding and subsisting member of the PDP in Cross River, I cannot in good conscience remain in my appointment as Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals.
“I hereby resign my appointment as Special Adviser immediately. I am very grateful to Gov. Ayade for finding me worthy to serve the state in the said capacity.
“Nevertheless, I will continue to support the state and government in any way possible as a stakeholder and senior citizen,” the letter read.
Obi had represented Boki 2 State Constituency in the Cross River House of Assembly under the PDP between 1999 and 2007