CALABAR– The Governor of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has just attained two years in office. We can safely call it his halfway point. How has he fared? What is his score card?
This depends on whom you ask. His opponents will quickly tell you that his reign has been dismal, but his supporters hail him as having ushered the state into a “season of sweetness.” The ordinary man on the streets, the one who stands to benefit from good governance or lack thereof, will insist that there is room for improvement.
Governor Otu had a very low baseline to begin with! He initially seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to his predecessor, Prof. Ben Ayade. Prof. Ayade is said to have had too many ambitious projects, many are still unfinished. A possible defence of Ayade could be the poor economic situation of the state. He may have been hamstrung by two things: the state’s monumental debt profile and decreased federal allocation.
The current governor is in a stronger fiscal position. Cross River state benefits from President Tinubu’s economic policies, one of which is the termination of fuel subsidies which has in turn increased the allocation to states. Cross River now receives an average monthly allocation and IGR of Fifteen Billion Naira. If we include other sources of income like local government allocations of about 4 Billion monthly which still go through the state government, then we have a fair picture of the kind of resources available to the Otu administration.
After 2 years, what is Governor Otu’s score card? Many people are doubting the “sweetness” and optimism fades daily. His capital projects are nothing to write home about. He has filled a couple of potholes, tarred some roads and renovated some classroom blocks. He must however be commended for renovating the State Library that has become an eyesore. It is noteworthy that he has refurbished the U. J. Esuene Stadium with what seems like an inferior paint without bothering to re-grass the playing turf. He will also be remembered for overseeing the absolute decline of the Obudu Cattle Ranch. A five Star wonder of the world with no electricity, warm water or major refurbishment. His most celebrated project is the billions of naira renovation of the Governor’s and the Office of the First Lady offices. None of which improve the lives of the ordinary Cross Riverian. The billions spent on the Office of the First Lady, a role not constitutionally recognised, should be condemned by all well meaning Cross Riverian.
Let’s look at other indices as data does not lie. What is the state of education and health in the state? Many of the hospitals and clinics are rundown with drugs. How many of our schools have the resources to build the kind of skills that this modern age requires? Are small and medium enterprise thriving? Cross is known to be the place where businesses go to die. The average Cross Riverian is desolate. The last Multi-dimensional Poverty Index by the National Bureau of Statistics reveals that 75.4% of the state’s population is living in multi-dimensional poverty. This is what the governor should be crying about instead of how he was crying on Thursday at the last town hall meeting about his inability to get federal appointments for his friends. I personally cannot stand politicians who always accuse perceived enemies of their poor performance. I have only heard of 2 sitting Governors who have cried publicly, Cross River has the remarkable misfortune of having both, Gov Ayade and Gov Otu.
Governor Otu, you are the chief executive of the state, focus on your work and stop gas lighting us with who likes you or otherwise! We need you to cry daily about the 75.4% Cross Riverians who are poor! Just when we thought we were done with the tears of a governor and now, we are confronted with this! Senator Sandy Onor would never have cried, he would have found his way, he would have performed.
The Governor has reawakened the retired political class and is often accused of cronyism. The old gang is back in power! Those who mostly have led the state to where it is now. Apart from his family and cronies, who else has felt the positive effect of his governance? Young people and their voices have now been stifled. Say what you may about Ayade, but he recognised that our young people are the future and gave them spaces. Governer Otu forgets that the state has three senatorial zones and all are his people. Has he done anything of note in the Northern or Central Senatorial districts? How many times has he made working visits to those regions to appraise or commission projects? Any other actor who wants to contribute to the development of the state threatens his frail sensibilities. Many people know that to be in his good books is to carry tales about people He sees as enemies too. So, they act accordingly. It is surprising that with the scale of the problem he has facing him, he has the space for trivialities.
The Governor is hardly around. It will be difficult to “keep his eye on the ball” with the number of absences He has. He leaves the state for extended periods without any formal notification as the law requires. Cross Riverians need to know the truth about what is going on with Him. Who is in charge when he is away? It certainly is not the Deputy Governor, who He has turned to his condolence ambassador. Good governance is about truth telling. Your affairs when it results in frequent and long periods of unexplained absences ceases to be personal when you have been elected to lead us.
Where are the journalists and activists? Agba Jalingo has been bought and is now silent, all the questioning voices have all either been bought out or intimidated. In their absence, i am asking my duly elected governor what impact He has had made after two years at the helm of affairs of Cross River State? Cross River now gets an average of 15 Billion Naira monthly in allocations and IGR, that’s approximately N500 Million daily. What is your score card, your excellency? As the popular Nigerian saying goes, “there is no evidence” that we are in a “season of sweetness” or heading towards there as you promised. My sincere advice to you is you have 2 years left to make an impact that you will be remembered for or history will be extremely unkind to you. Remember the non-efiks in your state, build bridges and coalitions because you cannot do this alone.
Next time you cry sir, let it be about the poor Cross Riverians, whose plights you have been elected to better!
