By Magnus Effiong
With kidnappers attempting to step up their activities in Cross River in recent times with the abduction of a female medical doctor in Calabar, Governor Bassey Otu has disclosed that his government had procured latest technology to track them.
Gov Otu, who spoke in a media parley to mark his hundred days in office, weekend, said the equipment which would arrive the State within this week, have capacity to identify the whereabouts of kidnappers in any part of the State.
He said his government would continue to display zero tolerance to kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery, and that this explained why he announced N5 million bounty for credible information on kidnapping.
“The technology can detect whereabouts of kidnappers. I had earlier granted the criminals amnesty. Only a handful came out to surrender their guns.
“I am not taking anything for granted. I have decided to go all out for them. If they won’t allow others to live in peace, they, too won’t. They live amongst us. And so, the people must help to volunteer information about them.
“We had to declare curfew in Bakassi and Akpabuyo LGAs where the criminals ‘ruled’. Today I am happy to say that the bad guys have been rooted out and the people can sleep in their houses in peace,” he stated.
The Governor also lamented the harsh effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on the citizenry and therefore announced the payment of additional N10,000 to salaries of civil servants as well as the reduction of their working days.
According to him, civil servants on Grade Level 13 and below would work from five to three days per week while those on level 14 and above would still be expected to work for the usual five days a week.
