The Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, has described the administration of Governor Bassey Otu as a period of bold rebirth, transformational leadership and strategic reforms that have repositioned the state for sustainable growth and prosperity.
Dr Ekpang stated this while delivering his opening remarks yesterday at a special Town Hall Meeting with Cross River indigenes, stakeholders, development partners and investors in Abuja to commemorate Governor Otu’s three years in office. The event, themed “Inside Gov Otu’s Three Years of Bold Rebirth for Cross River,” was held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel.
The gathering attracted a large audience of Cross River stakeholders resident in Abuja, local and international investors, development partners and prominent political leaders who converged to assess the administration’s achievements and chart a path for greater collaboration and investment in the state.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were Governor Bassey Otu; Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Peter Odey; Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem; former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN; APC National Deputy Treasurer, Engr Ben Akak; High Chief Higgins Peters; Rt Hon Larry Odey; High Chief Peter Ojie; Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr, representing Cross River South Senatorial District, alongside several business leaders, traditional rulers and members of the Cross River community in the Federal Capital Territory.
Welcoming participants to the event, Dr Ekpang said the town hall meeting was deliberately designed by Governor Otu to engage Cross River indigenes, investors and critical stakeholders beyond the state’s borders, while showcasing the administration’s achievements and investment opportunities.
“This is not just another gathering; it is a bold statement by Governor Bassey Otu to reach out to Cross Riverians, investors and stakeholders who share in the Cross River dream,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the decision to commemorate the Governor’s third anniversary in Abuja demonstrated the administration’s inclusive approach to governance and its recognition that Cross River belongs to all its sons and daughters, regardless of where they reside.
He praised Governor Otu for fulfilling key promises made to the people and initiating reforms that have restored confidence in government and strengthened the state’s development trajectory.
“In just three years, Governor Bassey Otu has placed Cross River on a new horizon and ushered in a genuine rebirth for our state and our people,” he stated.
Dr Ekpang highlighted several landmark achievements of the administration, including the institutionalisation of quarterly Solemn Assemblies, the resumption of gratuity payments covering retirees from 2009 to 2015 under the first phase of the programme, reconciliation with Cross Riverians in the diaspora, and the unprecedented recognition accorded to former governors of the state.
He further noted that the administration had empowered farmers through training and grants, provided N500,000 business grants to 500 retirees under the Retiree Enterprise Development Initiative, improved security across the state and sustained efforts towards the development of the proposed Calabar Deep Seaport.
The commissioner also pointed to the recovery and revival of the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, the attraction of the Federal Government’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone for the South-South to Calabar, and the successful bid to host the Afreximbank-ASFnet Conference in the state as major milestones achieved under Governor Otu’s leadership.
Beyond economic development, Dr Ekpang said the administration had embarked on extensive infrastructure renewal across the state, with numerous road projects completed and commissioned in Calabar and other parts of Cross River.
He listed major infrastructure interventions to include the dualisation of the Esuk Utan–NNPC Depot Road, rehabilitation of key urban roads, renovation of the Cross River State Library Complex, completion of the Local Government Service Commission Complex, rehabilitation of courts, and the acquisition of two additional aircraft to strengthen the Cally Air fleet.
The commissioner further highlighted investments in renewable energy projects, the upgrading of broadcast facilities at the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC), and the comprehensive renovation of the Cross River Newspaper Corporation, including the procurement of a modern digital printing press.
In the agricultural sector, he disclosed that the administration had procured 108 mini tractors, distributed more than 50 units to farming cooperatives, trained operators, launched a statewide agricultural traceability programme and implemented irrigation initiatives aimed at boosting year-round food production.
According to him, Cross River has also emerged as a leader in agricultural innovation through programmes supporting homestead farming, yam seed multiplication and soybean production under Project Grow.
Dr Ekpang noted that significant progress had equally been recorded in the health sector with the commissioning of oxygen plants, primary healthcare centres, a fistula centre, a revitalised tuberculosis reference laboratory and an upgraded state drug warehouse.
He said the administration had prioritised healthcare access through ongoing hospital upgrades and the construction of additional healthcare facilities across the state.
In education, he described the payment of WAEC fees for indigenous students for three consecutive years as one of the administration’s most impactful interventions.
He also highlighted the establishment of the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa, the College of Agriculture and Forestry in Obubra, and the regularisation of salaries for staff of the Teachers Continuous Training Institute of West Africa.
The commissioner further applauded the achievements of the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), which he said had trained thousands of entrepreneurs, empowered retirees, supported women-owned businesses, strengthened youth skills development and facilitated access to billions of naira in funding opportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises.
“These achievements are not isolated successes. They are part of a bigger vision to make Cross River a state of pride, productivity and prosperity,” he emphasised.
Dr Ekpang stressed that the state’s development agenda requires collective ownership and sustained collaboration among government, citizens, investors and development partners.
“The rebirth we celebrate today is not the Governor’s journey alone. It belongs to all of us. It is the product of collective effort and shared commitment to building the Cross River of our dreams,” he said.
He called on Cross Riverians at home and in the diaspora, as well as investors and stakeholders, to continue supporting the administration’s vision by investing in the state and contributing to its ongoing transformation.
“As we celebrate three years of purposeful leadership, let us also recommit ourselves to supporting this vision and carrying forward the bold rebirth that has begun. Together, we can build a stronger, more prosperous and globally competitive Cross River State,” he added.
The town hall meeting featured presentations on the administration’s scorecard, investment opportunities, stakeholder engagements and interactive sessions aimed at deepening public understanding of Governor Otu’s development agenda and attracting greater participation in the state’s economic transformation.
