The Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade has expressed sadness over the demise of a member of the State House of Assembly, Lady Elizabeth Edem Ironbar.
Lady Ironbar, who was representing Akpabuyo state constituency in the Cross River House of Assembly died Tuesday evening after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.
Governor Ayade, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Christian Ita, described the lawmaker’s death as a huge loss to the state.
“As a government, we are saddened by the unfortunate departure of Hon. Elizabeth Edem Ironbar. She was a proud daughter of our dear state and a consummate lawmaker.
“Her demise is a huge loss to Cross River and the State House of Assembly. Hon. Ironbar’s robust contributions to legislation in our state will be sorely missed,“ the governor said.
While condoling with the Ironbar family and the state House of Assembly for the irreparable loss, he prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased.
Elizabeth Edem Ironbar was elected a lawmaker in 2015 and reelected to the state House of Assembly in 2019.
She was one of the eight legislators, who remained in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after the defection of Governor Ben Ayade to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Late Ironbar is the fourth legislator to die while in office since 2015 after late Stephen Ukpukpen of Obudu State constituency and Simon Nkoro, who represented Ikom 2 during Governor Ayade’s first tenure.
The other lawmaker, who died of in the governor’s second tenure due to COVID-19 related complications in 2020, was Godwin Akwaji of Obudu State constituency.
