By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
Territorial Archbishop of Calabar and Convener of the Cross River State Christian Leaders Forum, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has declared that Cross River State is “profoundly better” under Governor Bassey Edet Otu than it was when he assumed office in May 2023.
Bassey, who spoke at a world press conference in Calabar on Friday, said Otu had performed remarkably despite inheriting what he described as a state in “profound fiscal, institutional, infrastructural and security distress.”
According to him, the governor inherited about ₦204 billion in domestic debt, accumulated pension and gratuity arrears, deteriorating public institutions, poor roads, insecurity and the loss of major state assets, including Tinapa.
He said the reported domestic debt had since dropped to about ₦132 billion, while internally generated revenue had increased, describing the fiscal direction of the state as deserving of “considerable weight.”
The Archbishop also cited the rehabilitation and reconstruction of government facilities, including the Governor’s Office, State Library, Cultural Centre, Nigerian Chronicle complex and Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, as evidence of the administration’s recovery efforts.
On infrastructure, Bassey said the administration had embarked on more than 608 kilometres of road interventions, comprising new roads, rehabilitation, dual carriageways and other road networks across the three senatorial districts.
He also credited the administration with restoring peace and security in the state, saying Cross River had moved from a period marked by kidnapping, armed robbery and cult-related violence to a situation where residents could move around with greater confidence.
Bassey said improved air connectivity had also helped reconnect Cross River to other parts of the country, while the recovery of Tinapa from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) represented an important restoration of the state’s patrimony.
The cleric further commended the government for addressing pension and gratuity arrears, upgrading primary healthcare centres and investing in human-capital development, agriculture, sports and vocational training.
However, he said the administration still had significant work to do, particularly in transforming recovered assets and ongoing projects into productive ventures capable of creating jobs and generating wealth for the people.
Bassey specifically challenged the government to make Tinapa economically viable, ensure the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport becomes operational and develop agricultural processing and value chains around the state’s growing agricultural production.
He also criticised some members of the state government’s cabinet, saying certain appointees lacked the competence and capacity required to drive the governor’s vision.
The Archbishop urged Otu to replace officials who could not deliver measurable results, stressing that the next phase of governance required competence, character, capacity, track record and effective execution rather than political considerations.
While acknowledging that the administration was not perfect and that some liabilities, unfinished projects and promises remained, Bassey said his assessment was based on the evidence available to him rather than political affiliation.
He declared: “Cross River State is profoundly better today than it was in May 2023,” and endorsed Governor Otu for a second term, arguing that continuity was necessary to consolidate the recovery achieved and move the state into an era of aggressive development, investment, job creation and wealth generation.
