Catholic Bishop, John Ebebe Ayah, has rejected money the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade wanted to give to him during a thanksgiving mass held last Sunday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ikot Ansa, Calabar.
In a trending video, the clergyman was heard telling the governor to use the money he intended to gift him to pay the salaries of civil servants in the state.
Ayade was a special guest of honour at the thanksgiving mass for Justice Emmanuel Agim Akomaye, who was recently promoted as a judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He was invited to make a donation in support of the church’s 2022 harvest unveiling.
After announcing the donation which he made on behalf of “the people of the state, the state government, his family, Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the entire judiciary”, the governor went on to hail the clergyman as the Pride of Northern Cross River.
He then stated that he has a “whisper” for the bishop afterwards.
In his response, Ayah told the governor that he wanted to express himself while saying they were brothers from the same senatorial district.
“I want to talk and I want to thank my amiable governor, he is my brother, we are both from the same part of the state. He will whisper to me later; whatever he wants to give to me, let him package together and pay his salaries,” Ayah said.