By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
A political support group, Neighbour 2 Neighbour 4 Sweet Prince Political Network, has urged Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, to sustain his administration’s development efforts and ensure the completion of ongoing projects across the state.
The group made the call on Tuesday in Calabar during a press briefing by its Director-General, Bobby Effiom Ekpenyong, following a statewide tour of the 18 local government areas that began on August 23, 2026.
Ekpenyong said the tour enabled members to observe development projects, interact with residents and identify areas requiring government attention.
He said the group observed ongoing road construction and rehabilitation, infrastructure development and efforts to revive public assets, but stressed that the impact of such investments would depend on their timely completion and effective utilisation.
Among the projects highlighted were the Obudu Cargo Airport, which the group said was reportedly about 95 per cent complete, and the Governor’s Lodge and Presidential Residence in Ogoja.
The group also cited the completion and commissioning of the Local Government Service Commission Complex in Calabar in May 2025 as an example of a previously unfinished public project that had been brought to completion.
Ekpenyong said employment remained a major concern among young people, urging the state government to sustain legitimate recruitment initiatives, support entrepreneurship and expand opportunities for graduates and other job seekers.
He also called for improved roads, stronger healthcare delivery, better educational facilities and more balanced development across the state’s three senatorial districts and 18 local government areas.
On the state’s oil-producing status, Ekpenyong urged the Otu administration to sustain its engagement with relevant federal institutions over the verification of disputed oil and gas well coordinates and the state’s potential entitlement to derivation revenue.
He said a favourable outcome could improve the state’s revenue base and create additional resources for infrastructure and social services, although the outstanding technical and administrative processes would need to be concluded.
According to Ekpenyong, residents encountered during the tour expressed varied views, with some acknowledging infrastructure interventions and efforts to revive public assets, while others called for more employment opportunities and improved public services.
The group also expressed support for Otu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that continuity would allow the administration to consolidate its development agenda. It, however, urged political parties and candidates to present verifiable records and practical programmes for voters to assess.
Ekpenyong said the network would continue its grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 general election, adding that government performance should ultimately be measured by completed projects, accountable management of public resources and improvements incitizens’ living conditions.
