Women Group Drums Support For Sen. Jarigbe
…Passed Vote Of Confidence on Him
By Gabriel Kekong
A group of Women professionals from Cross River North, under the aegis of Women Accountability Watch (WAW), have thrown their weight behind the Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, while passing a vote of confidence on him.
Recall that a faceless blogger had alleged that Senator Jarigbe used a company of family members to execute constituency projects.
But, the group in a statement signed by their public relations officer, Agbo Aruku, faulted the report, stressing that the respected lawmaker has not violated any known procurement law in the country, describing the report as malicious and bad politics.
According to the group, the fact that the projects in question were duly executed were of more importance than who executed it.
They further said at a time when “we only hear about approvals for contracts without seeing their execution in some parts of Cross River State, Senator Jarigbe has scored high in his attraction and execution of contracts in Cross River North.
“Senator Jarigbe remains unbeatable in project execution amongst his peers in the state. He has delivered on roads, solar light installations, borehole drillings, schools renovation and equipping as well as in empowerment and scholarship awards.
“We wish to caution all those behind the allegations to desist from distracting our Senator from the developmental work he is carrying out in the constituency or face the full weight of wrath.”
Aruku highlighted that the Procurement Act 2007 in Sections 16(1) and 54(1)(b) together imply that:
– Family members of public officials aren’t barred from bidding if they meet eligibility criteria (Section 16(1)).
– Public officers shouldn’t have private interests in procurement contracts, emphasizing transparency (Section 54(1)(b)).
Drawing from the above, the group said Senator Jarigbe has not breached any law as he is not a director in the company, and the company was duly eligible and the projects executed transparently.
They restated their confidence in Senator Jarigbe and his style of representation, adding that Cross River North has never had it so good.
