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Asuquo Ekpenyong @ 41: Leadership, Loyalty and Politics of Performance

  By Christian Ita At 41, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong has already built a public service career that cuts across financial management, state administration, legislative representation and regional development. His journey, however, is not defined only by the offices he has occupied, but by the relationships he has built and the lives he has touched. He entered public service with a professional background in economics, banking and finance. That experience became particularly relevant when he was appointed Commissioner for Finance in Cross River State in 2015, at the age of 29. For almost eight years, he remained at the centre of the state's financial administration. His tenure exposed him to the complexities of public finance, budgeting, fiscal management, resource mobilisation and the broader demands of running government. That experience would later prove valuable when he moved to the National Assembly . As Senator representing Cross River South since 2023, Suki as he is fondly ...
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Orok Duke Commiserates with SPAR Mall over Calabar Fire, Calls for Thorough Investigation

    The Commissioner representing Cross River State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rt. Hon. Chief Orok Otu Duke, Ph.D., has expressed deep concern and sadness over the fire outbreak that gutted sections of SPAR Mall , popularly known as Calabar Mall, in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026. In a statement issued on Sunday, Duke sympathised with the management of Artee Group /SPAR Mall Nigeria, affected traders, shop owners, workers and others who suffered losses in the incident. He noted that the mall had previously been protected from destruction during the EndSARS protests and recalled that he personally mobilised citizens of Ward 1, Calabar South, to help safeguard the facility at the time. Duke expressed relief that no lives were lost and no serious injuries were recorded, attributing this to the grace of God and the efforts of emergency responders. He commended the Cross River State Fire Service , the Nigeria Police Force and othe...
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Presidential Campaign Council: Niger Delta youths laud Tinubu, Shettima over Idagbo’s South-South appointment -Say his experience, network will strengthen regional mobilisation

  The Niger Delta Youth Assembly has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima over the appointment of former member of the House of Representatives , Rt. Hon. Ochiglegor Idagbo , as Zonal Secretary, Support Group Coordination, South-South, under the APC Presidential Campaign Council . The group described the appointment as timely and strategic, saying Idagbo’s extensive experience in grassroots mobilisation, governance and legislative affairs would strengthen political coordination and mobilisation across the six South-South states . The National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Assembly, Comrade Bedford Berefa Benjamin , stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, on Saturday. Benjamin said Idagbo had acquired decades of experience in grassroots politics and public administration, beginning with his days as a student union leader, where he developed skills in mobilisation, organisation and consensus-building. He said Id...
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UNICROSS Students Emerge Second at Enactus Nigeria National Competition, Innovation Challenge

  Seven students of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), drawn from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering and Civil Engineering, have emerged second at the Enactus Nigeria National Competition and Julius Berger Innovation Challenge held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos . The national competition brought together 18 Enactus teams from 27 universities across Nigeria, with the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) emerging first, UNICROSS placing second and the University of Calabar (UNICAL) coming third. Representing Team Enactus UNICROSS, the students impressed the judges with their innovative project, B.U.D.D.Y. (Built-in UHF Detection & Defense for You), an intelligent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) compliance system designed to improve safety in the workplace. B.U.D.D.Y. combines Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered co...
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Akamkpa APC Reaffirms Unity, Targets 5-over-5 Victory in 2027

  The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akamkpa Local Government Area has reaffirmed its unity, loyalty and commitment to the party following a peace accord and stakeholders’ interactive session led by the State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Chris Etta , and members of the State Working Committee. The engagement attracted about 6,000 APC members, who gathered in a strong show of solidarity and reconciliation, demonstrating their determination to put past differences behind them and move forward as one political family. Speaking at the event, Commissioner Pius Ankpo thanked God for the peace in Akamkpa and commended the State Chairman and his team for taking the peace-building initiative to various parts of the state. He also appreciated Governor Bassey Edet Otu for his continued interest in Akamkpa and reiterated his support for the administration. According to the Commissioner, disagreements arising from the party’s primaries had been resolved through consultations and the collective und...
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APC Nat.Campaign Council: President Tinubu Appoints Betta Edu Director of Women Mobilisation

  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr Betta Edu as the Director of Women Mobilisation for his 2027 presidential campaign council .    Edu’s appointment was contained in the list of members of the campaign council released on Saturday morning.    The council will be chaired by President Tinubu, while APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda , will serve as Vice Chairman.  Former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari , has been appointed Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma , will serve as Secretary.   APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru , and Hadiza Bala-Usman were named Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary respectively.    The campaign council will also have an advisory body comprising former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande ; Chief Segun Osoba; Senator Rochas Okorocha ; Senator Abdullahi Adamu; and Senator Florence Ita Giwa.    Senate President Gods...
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Children of a lesser God and the Okada Riders of Calabar

  “ Children of a lesser God ” is a metaphor used to describe marginalized or misunderstood people—like the deaf protagonist in Mark Medoff 's 1979 play and 1986 film.  The phrase originally comes from Alfred Tennyson 's 1859 poem Idylls of the King , where it describes a world degraded by war. It implies that if a supreme, perfect God created the privileged and the able-bodied, then those who suffer, are marginalized, or have disabilities were seemingly created by a "lesser" god. The line in Idylls of the King, reads thus: "For why is all around us here  As if some lesser god had made the world". I have come to the belief that the Okada operators of Calabar , are not wrongly targeted, neither are they criminalized by the Cross River State Government , for daring to eke out a living using their motorcycles. During their organised protest of Tuesday, July 5, 2026 and their consequential clash against the State Security Outfit, “Operation Okwok”, they dared to...
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