By Antigha Edem Gill
It is crucial to address the sweeping accusations leveled by Agba Jalingo against SEMA, which is currently under my stewardship as the Director General. My assumption of the DG role at SEMA Cross River State commenced on November 7, 2024, and my leadership has consistently upheld accountability and responsibility in executing our designated mandates and duties.
It is entirely erroneous and unethical for a renowned media professional like Agba Jalingo to pass judgment and disseminate, via his social media platforms, a verdict reached without first hearing from the leadership of SEMA.
Upon assuming office, the State received a consignment of relief supplies from the Operations office of NEMA in Uyo, which were subsequently stored in our warehouse in Calabar. As customary, every item and material allocated to the state by NEMA is meticulously documented for distribution, and the distribution process is regularly overseen and inaugurated by NEMA officials. In this instance, the supplies received on December 22, 2025, were officially flagged off for distribution, which was duly carried out in January 2025, within a timeframe of three weeks.
The list of beneficiaries included youth organizations, women’s associations, traditional leaders, among others, including National Assembly members who had specifically requested assistance from NEMA to assist their constituents; Each entity received their due share.
To ensure transparency, the current administration took measures to compensate the staff and temporary workers involved in the loading and unloading processes, while those who overstepped their boundaries in trying to obtain more without authorization were appropriately reprimanded. Administrative actions were taken to uphold accountability.
Any distorted information possibly relayed to you by an aggrieved party of administrative decisions is unfounded. The most prudent and ethical course of action would be to seek clarification from the management directly.
Since then, SEMA has not received any further consignments from NEMA nor procured any supplies independently. It is worth noting that the SEMA warehouse is occasionally utilized by various government agencies for temporary storage of items and materials. The consignment you mentioned that arrived on January 31, 2025, is a case in point. SEMA Cross River State is unequivocally committed to promptly distributing relief supplies intended for the populace. Notably, the state governor, who espouses a “people first”ethos, would never condone such malpractices.
Please disregard any insinuations of official misappropriation or malfeasance by the SEMA management as it currently stands. Media practitioners are our allies in fulfilling our duties, akin to the security personnel; hence, we have opted for this refutation without rebuke.
Antigha Edem Gill,
DG SEMA, Cross River State
