By Princewill Kingston/Magnus Effiong
Many Cross Riverians, particularly supporters of Gov Bassey Otu, have continued to applaud what they describe as remarkable strides recorded by his administration within three years in office.
And, while many respondents submitted that the Governor has brought stability to governance, improved the state’s political atmosphere and initiated developmental projects aimed at repositioning the State economically and socially, other Cross Riverians disagreed.
Governor Otu, who assumed office in May 2023 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is believed to have enjoyed increasing support from many political stakeholders and groups across Cross River State
HRM Dr Etinyin Etim Okon Edet Speaks on Governor’s Performance
Assessing the Governor’s performance, the immediate past Chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Etinyin (Dr) Etim Okon Edet had told PillarToday that Gov Otu was working day and night as if his tenure would end tomorrow.
“As you know, Governor Otu, popularly known as ‘Sweet Prince’ has performed above expectation. Since the day he was elected, I knew he will perform well considering his track record.
“I don’t know who gave him the ‘People First’ mantra and I think he is trying to put the mantra into effective use. He is improving and building on the foundation laid by former Governor Ben Ayade in areas like the deep seaport, the Cally Air, Obudu Cargo airport amongst many other key projects.
“Gov Otu is focusing on urban renewal and improving access to rural communities. He is doing well too in many areas. Look at our urban centres now wearing a new look. Work is going on everywhere as if somebody is going die or as if there will be no tomorrow.
“That is how a man of focus and integrity should work and that is what I like. He has done exceptionally well,” HRM Edet, who is also the Paramount Ruler of Bakassi, stated.
Dr Erasmus Ekpang, Barr Ekpenyong Akiba Extol Governor
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, described Governor Bassey Otu’s achievements in three years as unmatched, saying the administration imprint is felt in areas of Infrastructure, Health, Education, Environment, Agriculture amongst others
Barr Ekpenyong Akiba, Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, in a chat with our reporter, said that in just three years, the Governor has achieved what other governors before him could not achieve in eight years
An inquest by this paper indicated that a greater percentage of the masses agreed with HRM Edet, Dr Ekpang and Barr Akiba.
More findings, this time from market women and petty trader, had same response with many respondents telling our reporter that the Governor was doing his best to change the ugly socio-economic situation he met in 2023.
Watt Market Petty Trader, Mrs Uduak Dickson, Speaks too
Mrs Uduak Dickson is a petty trader at the popular Watt market. In a chat, she said, “The Governor has done our roads and given us street lights. Just look now at the sanity in this our Calabar road Watt market roundabout which used to be chaotic, there is orderliness, the place has been fixed and beautified.
“He has done many roads like Hewett and Clerks Ally streets, close to us here. Just look at Mary Magdalene Street which used to be like a refuse dumpsite, he has fixed the whole place.
“All the big potholes in Calabar, which we used to refer to as ‘deep seapond,’ during rainy season, have been fixed. Heaps of refuse which used to assault our noses with offensive smell have disappeared. If you come to our area at night at Ekpo Abasi and even new airport roads, you’ll see that everywhere is shining.
“The cult clashes which used to claim the lives of our young people during the past administrations have become history. I come from Bakassi, there was a time that bad boys took over there and became law to themselves, Otu has stopped the nonsense.
“Our lives have improved and we believe that in the next few years and with Gov Otu still in power, our lives will be better than this.”
The Opposition PDP Disagrees, Vows to Take Over in 2027
This, the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), disagreed, insisting that the praise being showered on the Governor does not reflect the true realities on ground.
The party said the government has fallen short of expectations, and that many parts of the state were still battling with poor infrastructure, unemployment, economic hardship and slow pace of development. It accused the Governor of seeking to turn Cross River into a one-party State.
Speaking through his social media handle, Barr Vena Ikem, the Chairman of the PDP in the State said “Gov Otu’s inordinate ambition to make Cross River State a one-party State is dead on arrival.”
The PDP chairman, who also addressed Journalists last week, further alleged that the State currently has only 99 nurses and fewer than 20 doctors in government employ across public health facilities.
He berated the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, for allegedly focusing on minor projects instead of addressing critical challenges in the sector, saying his party was being positioned to change the narrative.
Corroborating, Chris Edadi, the party’s Financial Secretary, in an interview, further alleged that the government was focusing more on political consolidation than aggressive governance, accusing Otu of employing “political pressure to foist a one-party system on Cross River people.”
Supporters of Governor Otu, who spoke, dismissed the allegations. They noted that defections into the APC were voluntary and largely driven by confidence in the Governor’s leadership style and performance, stressing that the administration remains focused on governance and delivering democratic dividends to Cross River people.
Continuing, the PDP’s Edadi, also said his party was back on track, and that “Due to mal-administration of the APC government, most Nigerian will fall back to PDP as the only reliable and most viable option.”
Asked on which faction of the PDP he was speaking so gloriously about considering the tumult at the national level of the party between the faction loyal to Nyesom Wike and Turaki/Makinde-led PDP, Edadi said “there is nothing like faction in PDP. We belong to the leadership that is recognized by the law and the Nigerian constitution.
“As I said, PDP has no faction. We have aggrieved members, not factions. We have our national body, our state body and at the local government and wards levels. For instance, we don’t have paralleled EXCO in Cross River. By my understanding, having factions is having parallel, equal ranking Excos.
“I’ve written several articles describing this administration as anti-humanity. It’s anti-people. Nigerians are suffering intense economic hardship because of the anti-people policies of the APC government in States and in the whole country. Security is practically non-existent. This is the reasons PDP has come to change the ugly trend.
“And we are believing strongly that come 2027, Cross River state will return as a PDP state. This I can assure you. We’re going to experience marathon, massive defection from the APC back to PDP, their home base. They will come back to join hands to rid our State and country of the evil we are witnessing.
“A surprise is certainly coming. Most ‘Honourables’ today will be ‘dis-Honourables’ tomorrow. Political parties that seemed dead will rise and be more coordinated and there’s going to be so much shaking in the APC that PDP will be their only destination of sucour.
“We will provide the umbrella for the returnees and indeed all Nigerians, and this will alter the political calculation in our State and country,” he stated.
However, Cross River people are waiting to see whether or not the PDP’s postulation would become a reality.
Gov Otu Consolidates, Stamps Authority During APC Primary
Meanwhile, political observers believe that Governor Otu was tacitly consolidating his base ahead of the 2027 elections and beyond, and that with the way he handled the recent APC primaries, no opponent in the party would want to dare him.
They observed that almost all those who emerged as APC candidates for the House of Assembly polls next year through consensus and affirmation are the Governor’s men and women, and that the administration may have also had its way on who represents the State in both the Green and Red Chambers.
This may have explained why the hierarchy and indeed all APC members in the State, last Friday, unanimously picked Senator Otu as the party’s sole candidate for the governorship polls early next year.
However, as preparations for the 2027 elections continue, debates over Governor Otu’s performance and the future of opposition politics in Cross River State are likely to intensify even as both the ruling party and opposition battle strongly for influence in this political season.
