- Says infrastructure transformation in full throttle
BY COBHAM NSA – With a pledge to translate government policies into tangible improvements and lasting prosperity for residents across the state, Cross River Governor Bassey Otu is doubling down on his “People First” agenda delivery.
According to him, the government is committed to delivering democracy dividends to the people and they will certainly see real, measurable progress and true prosperity in their daily lives.
Governor Otu, who made the pledge in Abuja during a special Town Hall meeting with Cross River indigenes, stakeholders and investors to mark his third year anniversary in office, said to fast-track real progress for Cross Riverians, the administration is transforming and repositioning core sectors like aviation, education, and agriculture among others for impactful service delivery.
Organised by the State government with the theme, “Inside Governir Otu’s Three Years of Bold Rebirth of Cross River,” the Town Hall event was packaged to celebrate the administration’s milestone achievements, evaluate ongoing initiatives and momentum while also collaboratively mapping out a clear, bold and actionable vision for the future.
In a seeming ‘talk-is-over’ stand heading to the 2027 general elections, the governor said his People First administration is focused on upgrading and upscaling educational institutions across the state, promising that the education sector restructuring will provide higher quality teaching and learning for the people.
He highlighted major academic milestones, specifically showcasing the multi-year funding of WAEC exam fees for local students spanning 2024–2026, alongside the groundbreaking establishment of the specialized University of Education and Entrepreneurship, and the modern College of Agriculture and Forestry.
Governor Otu said under his watch, commitment to education has seen stabilization in the livelihoods of educators, ensuring that faculty members at the Teachers Continuous Training Institute of West Africa now receive regular, timely salary payments after previous periods of financial uncertainty.
Shifting attention to the State’s aviation successes, the governor said: “We will be looking to buy more aircrafts, and it will be a regional aircraft, not just jet or an internal aircraft, the vision is quite huge. We are looking at plying the whole of West Africa.
“We are already training over 16 people to become pilots. We are looking to train a little more, in terms of aircraft engineering, aeronautics engineering, and in other areas.
“Some few airlines were making sort of steer and we were at their whims and caprices. They cancelled flights to other states, but those things have stopped since we started.”
On healthcare delivery, Otu explained that government has made deliberate efforts at tackling the critical shortage of medical staff and elevating the standard of care across the state’s hospitals to create a more resilient healthcare system that residents can depend on for their daily medical needs.
He said part of the comprehensive strategic measures in place to transform healthcare delivery in the State include strengthening the workforce through active recruitment and retention initiatives to address chronic manpower deficits in local clinics and hospitals.
Additionally, elevating patient care has continued to receive priority attention with new operational guidelines being enforced to ensure that health facilities deliver faster, more reliable, and higher-quality medical services to members of the public.
While acknowledging that there were few doctors working in the hospital facilities across the state, the governor disclosed that proactive steps have already been taken to enhance compensation packages across the industry in order to strengthen the workforce and elevate service standards across board
On laudable strides recorded in the agricultural sector, Governor Otu stated that 108 mini tractors had been procured, with not less than 50 of them already distributed to farmers across the state.
He explained that the government also distributed 77 motorcycles to Agricultural and Extension Officers to solve transportation challenges, ensuring they can easily reach rural farmers to deliver better services, strengthen monitoring activities, and keep field projects on track.
The governor, fondly styled “Sweet Prince,” by his supporters, stated that his administration is steering agricultural development through a food systems transformation pathway, adding that this strategy uses policy support and targeted interventions to create jobs, drive industrialization, and boost economic growth.
He said the administration is also championing a transformative and sweeping infrastructure rollout, driving the completion of vital roads and bridges while electrifying rural communities with sustainable, solar-powered energy.
Aside from presentations made by some Commissioners before the official unveiling of the administration’s third Anniversary Scorecard and cutting of the Anniversary Cake, goodwill messages also came from representatives of the three Senatorial Districts in the State, Cross River North, Cross River Central and Cross River South.
Serving as a grand showcase of the State’s progress and limitless potential, the landmark forum brought together key stakeholders government officials, former and present political leaders, visionary investors, development partners and the Cross River diaspora in Abuja to celebrate the administration’s legacy and build a prosperous future.
