By Bright Effiong
The Cross River State Government has dismissed claims of paying some cult groups N10 to N15 million monthly as alleged by one Portrait Peterson.
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Dr. Erasmu Ekpang, while responding to questions with CrossRiverWatch, said the allegations are baseless, false, unverified and intended to mislead the public.
“I decline such baseless claims. They are not verifiable and are only spreading false narratives to people who care to listen,” he told CrossRiverWatch.
He averred that the Cross River State Government remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people, stressing that the administration’s priority is governance and development rather than responding to unfounded allegations.
Recall that a netizen, Portrait Peterson, alleged that the state government pays and holds cult meetings with leaders of various gangs in order to keep the state safe.
Beyond addressing the allegation, the commissioner condemned what he described as the growing culture of abusive political discourse, saying criticism of the government should never degenerate into insults, defamation or personal attacks.
He noted that many individuals have faced legal consequences for making defamatory or abusive statements, warning that such conduct is dangerous and unacceptable.
According to him, every individual deserves respect regardless of political affiliation or differences. He questioned why some people resort to insulting political leaders, their families, communities and even deceased relatives, insisting that such behaviour contributes nothing to meaningful public discourse.
He said he would not respond to individuals whose comments are rooted in insults rather than verifiable facts and constructive criticism.
Reflecting on his time as a former Publicity Secretary of one of the political parties, he maintained that he never attacked or insulted those who disagreed with him, even after they left office.
While affirming the constitutional right of citizens to criticize government policies and performance, he stressed that such criticism should be constructive, fact-based and focused on issues instead of personalities.
He added that the administration would not be distracted by personal attacks but would remain committed to governance and the delivery of democratic dividends to the people of Cross River State.
Dr. Erasmus urged politicians and members of the public to exercise restraint in their choice of words, noting that political alliances often change and that today’s opponents may become tomorrow’s allies, and cautioned against making reckless statements that malign entire communities or respected leaders.
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