Category: News

Publisher of Inside Cross River News Magazine, Amb. Kanjal Awam Mother , Mrs Cecilia Agado Ndoma passes on. The statement reads:

With grief in our hearts but with total submission to God we announce the passing of Mrs Cecilia Agado Ndoma. She passed away in the early hours of Sunday 2nd February 2024, after a brief illness.

Her departure leaves a significant void in the hearts of her family, friends, and all who knew her. During her life, she was known for her love, kindness and commitment to her loved ones and community.

May the soul of our dearly departed rest in peace, and may Mama find solace in Abraham’s bossom.
Funeral Arrangements is scheduled for:
27th and 28th March, 2025.

Signed:
Amb. Kanjal Awam
Publisher/Editor in Chief
Inside Cross River News Magazine

9th February, 2025

The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey (PhD), attended the funeral service of the late Mrs. Bridget Egede on Saturday at her country home in Nwang, Ogoja Local Government Area.

Speaking at the service, Dr. Odey expressed deep sorrow over her Passingpassing and commended Barr. Leo Egede for his unwavering dedication to his mother. He recalled how Egede frequently sought permission to be by her side during her illness, describing their bond as one to be admired.

Late Mrs. Bridget Egede, who passed away at 82, was a retired civil servant with a distinguished career in the Federal Ministry of Industries. She was also the mother of Barr. Leo Egede, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Affairs.

The funeral, conducted by the Roman Catholic Church, was attended by High Court Judges, members of the Cross River State House of Assembly and Executive Council, and permanent secretaries among other personalities, sympathizers and well-wishers.

Following the fire incident that gutted the High Court Complex Ogoja on the 5th January, 2025, the Member representing Ogoja State Constituency, Hon. Engr Thomas Aruku has moved a motion of urgent public importance at the Cross River State House of Assembly.

Recall that there have been recurring fire incidences in the past which has destroyed properties worth millions of naira in Ogoja. Recently, the High Court Complex Ogoja was razed down following an unexplained fire. Legal documents and evidence were destroyed as a result.

Presenting his motion Hon. Aruku sought relief from the State government.

RESOLUTION:

1. That the Cross River State Government immediately take steps to revamp all the Fire Service Departments in all the Senatorial Zones, and also establish new units in all Urban Areas.

2. That the state government as a matter urgency purchase 18 fire fighting trucks one in each LGA to forestall reoccurrence of fire outbreaks.

3. That the Chief Judge of the State should take urgent steps to ensure that justice dispensation and delivery is not disrupted in Ogoja Judicial Division, while also ensuring that court documentation becomes digital for effective storage and retrieval.

4. That NEMA and SEMA collaborate to immediately provide materials for rebuilding the Court Complex razed by fire.

In his attempt to forestall fire outbreaks in the future, Hon. Aruku is synergizing with the Cross River State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in disaster response and management. He has also taken bold steps to request for fire fighting equipment and the establishment of the Federal Fire Service Division in Ogoja.

The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority, born into a humble background in the late 80’s to the family of late Hon. Efenji Edward Agabi from Gakem in Bekwarra Local Government Area. Efenji Nicholas is armed with passion, resilience and determination in his date with destiny.

His early education at St Mark Primary School Gakem, was the formative years which fueled his drive for success, and earned him his First School Leaving Certificate FSLC in 1996. He was enrolled into St. Thomas College Ogoja for his Junior Secondary School and later got his WASSC at Federal Science College, Ogoja.
In his determination to acquire University education, he got admission to study Geology at the University of Calabar.

After successful graduation in 2014, he was mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps to serve in Delta State with the Federal Inland Waterways, in the Administrative and Survey Department, a national task he embarked on with service and passion.

By dint of hard work Efenji has grown through the ranks, he partnered with Ajebo Clothing as Sales Representative and later ventured into Real Estate business. He worked with many property firms and garnered a lot of experience, as Administrator and Investment Advisor at White Avenue Real Estate, later at Bell Homes and Properties as Marketing Manager, Homadil Realty as a Consultant, and later with Nana Hamsad as a very experienced Consultant which formed the crux of the foundation of Efenji Homes and Properties.

A budding entrepreneur whose meteoric rise is a testament of hard work, dedication and commitment, a Realtor, a Change Engineer, politician and community advocate. Efenji Nicholas is the MD/CEO of Efenji Homes and Properties, who has grown his business to enviable heights less than a decade.

He did not just venture into seeking public office, his love for politics and community development was propelled by his late father’s quest to change the narrative in Bekwarra politics. He grew under his father’s tutelage and developed passion to serve his people and change the development dynamics of Bekwarra.

He was a member of the defunct Action Congress Nigeria ACN. A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress who worked for the victory of the party in the 2015 general elections. His aspiration to become Chairman of Bekwarra Local Government in 2024 received massive support from the youths and every segment of the society.

Efenji, a frontline Chairmanship aspirant in the 2024 Local Government election, gained a lot of popularity when he consulted widely, seeking the people’s support from the ten wards of Bekwarra. The young Efenji has a knack for excellence, this was displayed in his clarity of vision and content in his manifesto during the campaigns. This earned him an award of recognition from Inside Cross River News Magazine.

AWARD OF RECOGNITION

1 Nigeria Youth League
Achiever per excellence award.

2 Northern Youth Peace Ambassadors.
National outstanding leadership award (Icon of Transformation/Peace Ambassador.

3 National Association of Nigeria student (NANS) Beacon of Hope.

4 Inside Cross River News Magazine award of recognition for clarity of vision and content in his manifesto.

Like a Rubicon Efenji has no point of return, he is busy building networks, connecting with every fabric in Cross River State and building friendship. If given great responsibility in the State, he will wield a lot of influence and bring dividends of quality leadership.

It was a gathering of political gladiators, movers and shakers of Boki politics as the All Progressives Congress received dozens of defectors into the party in Kakwagom, Boki Local Government Area. The new members who came in their numbers to the APC family, assured the party of their commitment to move it forward.

Sir Frank Barry Bankong (KSM) an astute politician, is a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party, a Pathfinder, and Scholar from Kakwagom Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.

As a staunch party man, he had worked for the unity of the People’s Democratic Party and promoted the ideals that nurtured internal democracy of the party. One time PDP Legal Adviser in Cross River State, former State Director Public Utility, former House of Assembly Aspirant in Boki 2 constituency. He contested against 10 aspirants in the primaries and had a tie. His popularity and political strength was exhibited during the keenly contested rerun of the State House of Assembly primaries where he was defeated with just one vote.

Barry Bankong is a political gladiator whose wealth of experience will be tapped into as he formally joined the All Progressives Congress on the 30th of December 2023. Barry pulled about 400 of his supporters in the Kakwagom rally as he joined hands with the All Progressives Congress to build the party in the State.

A long standing friend of Hon. Victor Bisong Abang, Member representing Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency and his Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Otu, he intends to move the party forward and project the State positively in the People’s First Mandate of Prince Otu.