The governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, and Godwin Obaseki of Edo state have accused the Federal Government of neglecting the South South geo-political zone.
The governors implored the people of South South to come together and speak with one voice on injustices done to the region, especially the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
Speaking while welcoming Obaseki to Calabar, Ayade regretted that the region that lays the golden egg suffers such unspeakable injustice.
“The South South is in crisis. We are the greatest generators of the revenue of this country, yet you cannot come from Uyo to Calabar by road. We must tackle such fundamental issues.
“Our carnival is suffering because people cannot come in. Our seaport is suffering because it cannot be dredged. We cannot, as a region, sit back and watch this happen,” Ayade said.
The governor pledged to work towards the revival of the South South regional body known as the BRACED Commission, which is an acronym for the six states in the zone.
Obaseki said he was in Cross River to thank Ayade for his support in the last Edo election. The PDP candidate floored his APC opponent, Osagie Ize-Iyamu who had the backing of former Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
