Buhari Drops Kifasi As HOS…Flags Off 260km C’River Road

In an effort to ensure the entrenchment of the federal character principle as enshrined in the Constitution, the Federal Government, yesterday, removed the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Barrister Danladi Kifasi.
Taraba-born Kifasi is from the same North-East zone as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, who hails from Adamawa State.
He had served as Permanent Secretary in several ministries including Federal Ministry of Finance and Petroleum and is said to have prepared for smooth handover in an event of the announcement of new HOS who may likely be from the southern part of Nigeria.
However, it was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari is looking at the South-East region to produce Kifasi’s replacement.
The South-East has been the least favoured zone since Buhari took over reins of power on May 29, 2015.
“We already heard that the position is going to the South and expect that it would particularly be South-East. South-West is not on the cards,” a senior federal civil servant told our correspondent.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, defied heavy down-pour, to perform the ground breaking ceremony for the take-off and construction of the 260km Calabar-Obudu-Katsinala dual carriage super highway project in Cross River State.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Buhari said it was heart-warming for the state Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, to embark on such a gigantic project that would impact directly on the lives of the people, stressing that it was the desire of the Federal Government to ensure that the dual carriage super highway becomes a reality.
Buhari, however, urged Ayade to do everything within his reach to ensure that the road project is completely executed within the stipulated time, and promised to visit the state for the commissioning of the road project.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Ben Ayade had commended President Buhari for honouring his invitation to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of one of his signature projects, stressing that the president‘s visit to Cross River had shown that he was really for everybody and for nobody as stated by Mr. President during his inauguration ceremony.
“Your visit to Calabar to perform the ground-breaking ceremony shows that you are really for nobody and for everybody”, Ayade maintained.
The governor stated that the super highway project when completed would link the south central and northern senatorial districts of the state, making it possible for the transformation of economic fortune of the state.
“With the construction of the highway, motorists will need about just one and half hours from Calabar to the northern senatorial district of the state. The road will serve as a Trans-African Highway,” the governor said.
Ayade averred that state government is collaborating with bank of infrastructure, several commercial banks and Israeli firms to ensure that the road and deep seaport projects are actualized.
Present at the occasion were Governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Rochas Okorocha of Imo states, as well as former governors of Cross River State, Chief Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke.
Our correspondent reports that President Buhari’s aircraft touched Calabar Airport as early as 10am yesterday, and headed straight to Obung Village in Netim Clan, Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state in spite of the heavy down-pour.