PDP sweeps Cross Rivers LG poll

Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross Rivers State have won all the chairmanship and councillorship positions already declared by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission on Sunday.

The local government election held on Saturday.

Results from 10 local government areas were declared on Sunday by the Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Mike Ushie.

The local government results declared include Akamkpa won by the PDP chairmanship candidate, Linus Bassey-Etim, Akpabuyo LG won by Emmanuel Offiong-Bassey, Bakassi LG won by Iyadim Amboni-Iyadim and Calabar Municipal Council won by Eke Effiong-Nta.

Others are Calabar South LG chairmanship seat won by Esther Edet-Bassey of PDP, Etung LG won by Etuk John-Nkom, Ikom LG won by Egumi Kingsley, Obubra LG won by Dr Bassey Agara, while a woman, Justina Joseph-Edem won in Odukpani LG and Obeten Ofem-Ebri won in Yakurr.

Five political parties took part in the election, including All Progressives Congress, Labour Party, Young Progressive Party.

Cross River State Medical Association warns against resumption of religious gatherings

Earlier, Governor Ben Ayade had announced the lifting of ban on religious gatherings after about two months due to COVID-19 outbreak.

The Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River State branch, has warned the state government against the opening of religious activities. The association also called for more testing of suspected persons in the state.

Governor Ben Ayade had announced the lifting of ban on religious gatherings after about two months due to COVID-19 outbreak. Ayade said he made the decision after plea from religious leaders.

Reacting to the lifting of the ban, the medical association urged the state government to review its policy, saying the guideline for the reopening of worship centres goes against the social distance guideline. The group said,

“Our concern is that the order stipulates the number of worshippers to be limited to the sitting capacity of the church/mosque.

The usual sitting capacity of most worship centres does not allow for physical distancing of at least one metre that reduces the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

We advise that this policy should be reviewed, taking into cognisance physical distancing and local peculiarities of various worship centres.”

Frowning against the low number of tests carried out in the state, the medical association said the Cross River State Government currently had no listed NCDC designated Molecular Laboratory Testing Centre in progress or completed on the NCDC Molecular Laboratory Network.

It added that the only available NCDC Laboratory catchment for Coronavirus testing for Cross River State is at Irrua, Edo State. It added,

“Irrua is about 447.9km (7h 50min) from Calabar when compared to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, another testing centre that is 188.9km (3h 17min) from Calabar, which also shares a boundary with Cross River State.

The present situation makes sample transportation very expensive and cumbersome occasioned by restrictions in interstate movement.

We use this medium to call on NCDC to change the testing centre of Cross River State from Irrua to Abakaliki."

"Coronavirus cannot survive in Nigeria's hellfire temperature" - Ayade

Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, says the coronavirus pandemic has become a business venture, and is being used to exploit Nigeria and other African countries..

While speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, May 21, Ayade said the test method lacks responsibility and reliability. He said,

"As a professor of science, I know that we're not customising the action plan that reflects our situation and originality. As a nation, you can't just throw money in the hands of manufacturers of test reagents just because you want to test. You only test when there's a suspicion that calls for concern."

The governor, elected for a second term last year, cast further doubt on the spread of the disease in Nigeria, repeating an already-disproved claim that the novel disease cannot survive in hot weather.

"Indeed, even our own temperature here is such that when you sneeze, if a virus escapes, it's escaping into hell fire because it can't stand the temperature of 32 degrees centigrade. Sometimes in Nigeria, we do up to 42 degrees," he said.

Kogi and Cross River States have conducted the least number of coronavirus tests

Kogi State and Cross River State have conducted the least number of coronavirus tests across Nigeria nearly three months after the country recorded its index case.

Nigeria has recorded a total of 6,175 coronavirus cases in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as of May 18, 2020.

Kogi and Cross River are the only two states in the country yet to record cases, but authorities have expressed fears that it might be because the governments of both states are not taking the outbreak seriously enough.

The latest situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday, May 19 has now shown that the two have barely tested enough.

Of the 35,983 tests done across the country, as of May 17, Kogi has only conducted one, while Cross River has conducted seven, the two lowest of any other state.

Yobe, the state which has conducted the third least number of tests, has conducted 50, with 32 of them returning positive results..
Lagos has conducted the highest number of tests with 14,886 which has returned 2,550 positive results, the highest of any state in the country.

The FCT has conducted the second highest number of tests with 4,688 tests (418 positive), followed by Kano with 2653 (825 positive).