{"id":176651,"date":"2025-08-29T08:21:55","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T07:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security"},"modified":"2025-08-29T09:28:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T08:28:44","slug":"cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security","title":{"rendered":"Cross River Residents Prioritize Peace and Security"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The people of Akpabuyo Local Government Area in Cross River State are determined to chart a new course for peace, security and prosperity in the area.<\/p>\n<p>This is as they celebrated the 34th anniversary of the council\u2019s creation, marking the milestone with cultural displays, communal festivities, and renewed optimism for peace, security, and prosperity.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the recent event, which held at the Council headquarters, former PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr. Emana Duke Ambrose-Amawhe, expresssed joy that peace had been restored in the area, noting that insecurity in past years would have made such a gathering impossible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince His Excellency, Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu came into power, he put all measures in place to ensure calm and peace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, people can sleep in their houses with their eyes closed, and that is why you see this turnout from far and near,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Highlighting Akpabuyo\u2019s strategic location as a natural maritime gateway bordered by rivers, Bakassi, and the Atlantic Ocean, Dr. Ambrose-Amawhe revealed that ongoing government investments in dredging, deep-sea port development, and marine ecosystem preservation will position Akpabuyo as a hub for maritime trade and economic growth.<\/p>\n<p>The APC stalwart stressed that farmers and fishermen stand to gain immensely from these initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the pace of growth, Akpabuyo will contribute even more to the economic advancement of Cross River State and Nigeria. More jobs will mean more stability for our people,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>She further explained that a major highlight of the celebration was the reopening of Akpabuyo\u2019s historic barter trade market, the only one of its kind in West Africa, which had been shut for years due to insecurity.<\/p>\n<p>Describing the revival of traditional exchanges such as fish for garri and palm oil, she said it was not only a testament to the community\u2019s cultural resilience and economic rebirth but also a boost for the APC-led government in Cross River State and Nigeria at large.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Emana placed particular emphasis on women, describing them as the \u201cbackbone of agriculture and trade\u201d in the area, and commended ongoing empowerment programmes designed to give them greater opportunities to thrive in both farming and commerce.<\/p>\n<p>In his remarks, the Chairman of Akpabuyo Local Government, Hon. Effiom Bassey Effiong, expressed joy at hosting the first-ever official anniversary of the council\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are celebrating the birthday of Akpabuyo, and it happened during my time as chairman. The turnout shows how happy our people are. By next year, it will be even bigger,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He credited the prevailing peace for the success of the event, to Governor Bassey Otu, noting that only minimal security presence was required.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe place is calm and safe. We have Marine Police, the Navy, the Army, the Airforce, and our local vigilantes. Investors from China and other countries are already showing interest; some have even acquired land to build a university and industries,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n<p>Hon. Effiong also announced plans to remodel the barter market into a world-class commercial hub and attract more investors.<\/p>\n<p>Already, cross-border traders from Cameroon and beyond are boosting local economic activity.<\/p>\n<p>The council chairman further urged Akpabuyo youths to embrace their cultural heritage, particularly the Efik language, which he said was at risk of being lost among younger generations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe value our culture and tradition. We encourage our youths in higher institutions to learn our mother tongue because our children no longer speak our language,\u201d he appealed.<\/p>\n<p>Agriculture also took center stage at the celebration.<\/p>\n<p>Effiong noted that as an agrarian community, Akpabuyo is already benefiting from Governor Otu\u2019s mechanized farming initiatives, which are creating jobs, strengthening food security, and opening up rural communities.<\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on the creation of Akpabuyo from the old Odukpani Local Government in 1991, speakers agreed that the 34th anniversary was more than a cultural festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a showcase of Akpabuyo\u2019s resilience, its growing economic importance, and its potential role in shaping Nigeria\u2019s maritime and agricultural future,\u201d Effiong concluded.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Nigeria<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. The people of Akpabuyo Local Government Area in Cross River State are determined to chart a new course for peace, security and prosperity in the area. This is as they celebrated the 34th anniversary of the council\u2019s creation, marking the milestone with cultural displays, communal festivities, and renewed optimism for peace, security, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":176650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[3059,649,254],"class_list":["post-176651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-akpabuyo","tag-cross-river","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cross River Residents Prioritize Peace and Security - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The people of Akpabuyo Local Government Area in Cross River State are determined to chart a new course for peace, securi ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cross River Residents Prioritize Peace and Security\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The people of Akpabuyo Local Government Area in Cross River State are determined to chart a new course for peace, securi ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-29T07:21:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-29T08:28:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1756443688.332556.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"810\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Cross River Residents Prioritize Peace and Security\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-29T07:21:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-29T08:28:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\"},\"wordCount\":680,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/08\/sm_1756443688.332556.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Akpabuyo\",\"Cross River\",\"Nigeria\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/cross-river-residents-prioritize-peace-and-security\",\"name\":\"Cross River Residents Prioritize Peace and Security - 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