What was billed to be a formal ceremony by the Cross River State Government to mark the 2020 Democracy Day celebrations as well as headline the handing over of 52 buildings at the Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, resettlement estate to allottees, became a ceremony gone wrong as residents of the area, running out of patience, brazenly looted several items meant for presentation at the event.
Trouble is believed to have started shortly after 5pm, when it became obvious that state governor, Ben Ayade, widely advertised on local radio station, Cross River Radio, as guest at the occasion, was not going to make the event originally scheduled to begin at 11:30am. Residents of the area sensing this abnormal situation, went for the kill, looting several cartons of Indomie Noodles, rice and sundry items displayed for presentation at the event.
State government officials at the event, including the Secretary to the State Government, Commissioners, the Bakassi LG Chairman,the Paramount Rulers of Biase, Odukpani and Bakassi, Florence Ita-Giwa and several dignitaries from the area left the place in a hurry as the security situation broke down.
A verified video of the situation sent by a source to www.calitown.com clearly shows people carting away the food items and a general state of pandemonium.
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No reasons were made available at press time about the governor’s inability to attend the ceremony as the phone lines of Information Commissioner, Asu Okang and the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Christian Ita, were both switched off.
