Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, Tuesday, promised to create ministries of defence and foreign affairs in his second tenure.
Pof. Ayade stated this at the valedictory session held at the State Executive Chambers of his office in Calabar during which he dissolved the 2015 to 2019 state executive council.
Ayade also announced that “this dissolution extends to include all appointees of government, boards, whether temporary or statutory boards.
“All routine contracts like waste management also have fallen due, we therefore do not have a sitting cabinet”, he added, revealing how emotionally difficult it was for him to dissolve his cabinet.
Noting however that the decision was a requirement of law, the governor said, “What I am doing is based on law as I would have loved not to do this but my authority ends by 12 midnight and everyone knows that I don’t have powers to extend.”
Describing the now dissolved cabinet members as a great team that helped him deliver on his promises to the people of the state, he assured that some of them will be reappointed into government.
“Some commissioners will come back but not in the same ministry,” he stated.
He directed members of the dissolved state executive council to hand over to their permanent secretaries as “the head of your ministry is the permanent secretary.”
On the composition of his next cabinet, he said, “I will downsize the cabinet, radicalise government and also introduce a Commissioner for Defence as well as that of Foreign Affairs.”
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