PATRICK ABANG Calabar –
Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has assured Cross Rivererians that the responsibility of taking the state to greater heights remains the core of his administration.
Governor Otu echoed his commitment on Thursday, during the All Progressives Congress, APC, Stakeholders Meeting held at the Calabar International Convention Centre.
The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, said: “God has bestowed upon us the responsibility of taking our dear state forward. Cross River had suffered under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I thank God for using my predecessor, Senator Ben Ayade, to break the state free from the shackles of the PDP.
“Let me also thank Cross Rivererians, especially the APC faithful, for your efforts and support, which saw us trounce every opposition at the last elections. Today, PDP is history in our state,” the governor remarked.
Otu said barely few months on the saddle, his administration has been able to rejig and put things in proper perspectives, assuring that in no distant time, Cross Rivererians would begin to reap the fruits of the ‘Peoples First’ agenda.
Addressing stakeholders over the seeming disquiet within the APC ranks in the state, the governor promised to set up caucuses across all local government areas to ensure due consultation and possible resolutions to issues identified.
He urged the party faithful to recourse to dialogue for peaceful resolution of all differences, informing them that more appointments would be made to avail party stalwarts the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of the state.
He, however, warned against self-centeredness, pointing out that “the Cross River Project takes precedence over any individual’s interest.
“We are on course to building a virile economy that would make political appointments unattractive. Economic prosperity is imminent.”
Speaking on government as a continuum, the governor expressed his administration’s commitment to completing the Obudu Cargo Airport before the end of the year, enlarging the Cally Air fleet, as well as turning the Bebi Airstrip in Obanliku into an Aviation School.
“The quest to regain Bakassi has also begun in earnest. We also want to be compensated in terms of land mass,” he stated.
“We intend to serve creditably well so that Cross Rivererians would indeed be glad that they voted us at the end of the day,” the governor conclusively reassured.
The event, which drew the who’s who in the APC in the state, include the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, state chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Eba, former Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, former Senate Leader, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senators Eteng Williams and Asuquo Ekpenyong, Member representing Abi/Yakurr in the House of Reps, Rt. Hon. Alex Egbona, Etinyin (Dr.) Asuquo Ekpenyong Sr, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Ntufam Peter Ojie, Etinyin (Amb.) Nya Asuquo, High Chief Peters Higgins, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, former Acting National Chairman of the APC, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, High Chief Eugene Akeh, among others.
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