Some Cross River State Youths under the auspices of Northern Cross River Youths Forum (NCRYF) has insisted that zoning must be respected even as the presidency prepares to appoint a new Chief Medical Director for the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.


While addressing a press conference the  chairman  the group Com. Nicholas Egere explained that the group decided to back Prof Ikpi, who is from the central Senatorial district of the state. Nicholas, a lecturer with the department of Mass Communication, UNICAL, said their decision to back the Central for the exalted office in the Hospital was for the sake of peace and justice as it is only fair that the position of the CMD be given to the Central senatorial district of the state after the south and northern parts of the state have enjoyed their opportunity.



His statements reads in part: "This briefing is basically to express and establish the position of the youths of northern cross river over the very important issue of appointment of Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.


The peace and progress of Cross River State is built on a tripartite stand of respect, fairness and justice and it is on this platform or premise that strategic positions in the state are rotated among the three senatorial district of the state". 





The group noted that other parts of the state have benefited from the position and the northern part of the state who is a present beneficiary of the  process cannot sit down and watch the process being destroyed when it was the same process that enabled them benefit from the position ahead of the more connected and powerful zones.




Egere gave an analogy of how the positions have been held between the three zones from 1984  and said "from the south we had  

Professors. E. B Attah, (1984-85)
Itam H. Itam (1985-88)
 Iwatt (1988-1992)
Larry Bassey (1993-1994) and
 Etetim Asuquo (2002-2010)


From the Central was 

Prof. Roland Ndoma Egba (1994-2002)  while the north has Prof Thomas Agan (2011-219) 


Egere gave example of other positions in the state that are been zoned and pleaded that the CMD position should not be an exception:


"Our brother and son Gov. Ben Ayade is governor today because the whole state agreed that it was the turn of the north to produce governorship, our brother too the Vice Chancellor of Unical is benefitting from that same zoning arrangement, even the present CMD is from our zone and he is there because Liyel insisted it was the turn of the north to hold the position so we cannot sit down and allow anybody jettison a process we have benefited so much in.




So having looked at the three successful nominees, we plead that Prof. Edet Ikpi the only successful candidate from the Central senatorial district who luckily has an exceptional CV be appointed as the next Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for the continuous peace and progress of Cross River State."