From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

Following the recent outbreak of abnormal sleep disorders in Ebom community of Abi Local Government Area of Cross River, the State Government has ordered the investigation of all medicine sellers especially patent medicine vendors operating in Ebom and other communities of Abi Local Govt Area.

Recall that the Ebom community, over a week ago, was hit with sleep disorders suspected to be due to trypanosomiasis or substance abuse leaving several residents hospitalized.

The Health Commissioner, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk and the Director General of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Vivien Mesembe Otu, and their teams expedited swift action to arrest the situation.

A statement by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk and made available to journalists on, directed the directorates of medical and pharmaceutical services of the State Ministry of Health to institute an urgent investigation into activities of local patent medicine sellers in Ebom and other surrounding communities in Abi Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner noted that the directive had become imperative as results from blood and urine samples collected from victims of the outbreak and analyzed at laboratories at Asi Ukpo Hospital and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital respectively have shown high levels of benzodiazepines, which are powerful sedatives and depressants.

Dr. Ayuk said benzodiazepines are powerful and dangerous drugs with fatal outcomes that should never be dispensed without the authorization of a certified medical officer. While reaffirming the Otu-led administration’s commitment to health quality and safe medicines for the citizens of the State, the Commissioner assured Cross Riverians that the State will do everything possible to bring illegal dispensers of these dangerous drugs to book. 

“The two directorates of Medical and Pharmaceutical Services will work closely with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the State Health Quality and Anti Quackery Taskforce to immediately commence enquiry of stakeholders involved in the misuse of benzodiazepines and other substance abuse in the said communities,” the Health Commissioner disclosed.

The terms of reference of the team, which has one week to deliver on its mandate, include the of mapping and scoping of activities of patent medicine vendors and other outlets for drug dispensing in the identified communities, their certification and staffing, suppliers of these commodities to the local vendors, any link with public health facilities, health seeking behavior of the victims of misuse of these drugs, related substance abuse by community members among others.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

Cross River State Government has given out N1 million to 20 Hotels in the State, with 10 Hotels from the southern and ten from the northern districts respectively as beneficiaries.

Presenting the cheques to the benefiting Hotels in Calabar yesterday during the tourism award ceremony, the Managing Director, Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Ekpenyong Ojoi said for over eight years the Hospitality sector in the state had suffered total neglect

He stressed that the Governor, Prince Bassey Otu when he came on board promised that he would strengthen the Hospitality sector to boost the tourism industry, with the theme; Empowering Hotels and Investing in Excellence, a commitment to sustainable Tourism

Ojoi also stated that the Governor gave out the first N10 million to ten Hotels in the State last year and has also shown magnanimity to fifteen restaurants in the state with a cash of N500,000 to each of the recognized restaurants that are registered with tourism bureau

The Special Adviser, General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba during an interview with journalists said what governor has done is deliberate to promote and to enhance their productivity especially during this period that there would be influx of visitors to the state

He noted that the hospitality industry is another sector that creates job opportunities and also brings economic development to the state, maintaining that this shows the readiness of the state to Host the world in this year’s carnival.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has commissioned three projects worth N866.7 Million at Cross River State State College of Education, Akamkpa Local Government Area, executed under the 2018 Special High Impact intervention and the merged Years 2021-2023 Annual Intervention.

The Executive Secretary of TETFUND; Sonny Echono, during the commissioning, disclosed that the agency is committed to ensuring the sustenance of funding to all public institutions with a view to advancing all institutions in the country to attain high global ranking in the delivery of academic content within a conducive environment and to make Nigerian graduates relevant among their peers.

He noted that the commissioning is a testament to satisfactory performance by the College in the utilization of intervention funds allocated and disbursed for the provision of requisite infrastructure that is needed for teaching and learning in the institution.

“As a Fund, we are greatly delighted and would like to commend the Management of the College for achieving this feat. It therefore delights our hearts when we see projects get completed in the midst of these militating forces and for such projects to be presented for commissioning”, he remarked.

“The three projects which are commissioned today all come to a total of N866,788,454.84, and they include: The School of Education Building, under the 2018 Special High Impact Intervention costing N345,728,721.00. The Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, during the Years 2021-2023 annual interventions, constructed at N236,071,119.97 and the Department of Human Kinetics and Physical Education, also under the Years 2021-2023 (merged) Annual interventions, constructed @ N284,986,613.87.”

“As an interventionist agency, TETFUND has ensured equity in the allocation of funds to the three tiers of its beneficiaries in line with the enabling laws governing the activities of the agency towing the “Renewed Hope” Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, he disclosed.

In his remarks; The Governor of Cross River state; Sen. Bassey Otu represented by the Commissioner of Education; Dr Stephen Odey commended the leadership of TETFUND for the completion of the projects in the state. He disclosed that the governor is passionate about transforming the education sector and he is ready to partner with the interventionist agency to reposition tertiary institutions.

In a welcome address; The Provost of the institution; Prof. Patrick Asuquo applauded the Executive Secretary of Tetfund, and the management team for the generous gesture towards the college. He lauded the state Governor; Sen. Bassey Otu for his leadership and “people first” vision in advancing education as a key pillar in his administration.