Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba is the Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on General Duties. In this interview, Barr Akiba speaks on the impact of the Calabar-based administration on the life of a common man on the streets within the past One and a half years. He also touched other issues of importance. Excerpts:
Six to seven months of Governor Bassey Otu in power, in what way has the ‘People First’ mandate impacted the lives of Cross Riverians?
One year and seven months counting of the People First government led by our dynamic governor, a trial-blazer, a passionate leader, a transformative governor, and a transformational mission, and above all, a Biblical general, an Apostle of Christ, socio-economic indices of Cross River have witnessed a dramatic turnaround.
His Excellency has been able to redefined leadership in all sense of the word. He is redefining Cross River identity, Cross River status, Cross River statement, Cross River history, by ensuring that our aged long glories, our aged long pursuits, our aged long improvement, our aged long achievement, our aged long increase in all sense of the word is being, is given some elevations and introductions.
Cross River State is naturally endowed with a lot of potentials, opportunities, resources, name it, to enhance food security, to enhance social security, enhance tourism in the country, enhance all factors of production like you can imagine.
But over the period there have been this wining down of these opportunities. Before His Excellency came on board, Cross River State had been in the state of stagnation, political darkness, societal embarrassment, and traditional frustration.
When your economy is on the wind down, when your environment is on the wind down, when your capacity building effort of your state is on the wind down, when your security is on the wind down, when your image is on the wind down, then there is a he problem.
But one year and seven months of Excellency administration has been that of recovery, that of reassurance, that of reformation, that of reinvention, and repositioning of Cross River. There is no gain listing the transformational effort of His Excellency because it is visible to even the blind as someone once said, unless somebody is controlled by demonic powers or intentionally envious or going through some level of political malice with His Excellency and his team. It is only such individuals that would deny the level of transformative action of the Excellency at all level.
Can you please shed more light on this?
It is clear that today we have well over 60 reconstructed and constructed roads internally and externally in the state. We have been able to witness massive intervention in our infrastructure.
The State Library edifice today is now being transformed into international standard. The civil service commission edifice is now a wonder to behold. The Governor’s Office has witnessed the Midas touch of the Governor. Today, when you pass through that place, you would be proud to be a Cross Riverian.
The Presidential Lodge, The Governor’s House itself, Her Excellency’s office, Deputy Governor’s Lodge, Speakers Lodge are now wearing new looks. This is as a result of a deliberate policy of government to turn things around in the State.
Recently there was a ground breaking in Ogoja local government for Government Lodge there. His Excellency is ensuring that all sectors are given maximum attention to the best of his ability and running according to time.
So, for me, this one year running into two years of His Excellency has been full of actions, and less on words. Full of actions, less on words, because actions they said speaks louder than words.
You would agree with me that Calabar is clean, our environment is more conducive than it was. Investors are returning, our sports have been given its pride of place.
You would also agree with me that there are a lot of medical interventions for instance the ‘Health Outreaches’ coordinated by the Office of Her Excellency, and the Ministry of Health. As I speak to you over 2000 people are in the General hospital undergoing all forms of free surgeries, and a lot of referrals.
Nigerian Navy and other relevant services are mobilized to ensure that health interventions are taken to the communities. His Excellency has done a lot in terms of Primary Healthcare rehabilitations because the rural dwellers had suffered a lot of crises in terms of accessing health services.
His Excellency is doing a lot in terms of rural electrifications, because when we have rural energy people can self-survive. I say so because the man in the village would be able to do his barbing where there is electricity without bothering you for financial support. Also, the woman in the village would be able to do her business, she wants to sell her cool drinks, where there is electricity.
The government is doing a lot in terms of rural electrification, rural roads constructions through our Rural Road Maintenance Agency, and that is because the moment we have access roads in our rural communities our farm produce would be taken to the rural areas for exportation and consumption.
The Governor has done a lot in terms of the beautification of the city enters like Ogoja, Ikom, and Calabar, where we now have traffic light, where we now have Solar light. The beauty of Calabar is back.
If you go to Marina Resort you would see what is going on there, in terms of investors coming in to invest multi-millions and it would remain with us.
In partnership with NEWMAP, erosion is now being controlled without it pulling down homes as was in recent time. For instance, the Yellow-Duke Road erosion menace, which had swallowed homes and vehicles, has become a thing of the past.
Within this one a half year of Prince Otu’s government, retirees are smiling to the banks with their pensions and backlog of gratuities being paid. Civil service relationship has been robust
For the first time in many years, His Excellency has lifted the ban on employment. I can beat my chest to say that this the first time we have a governor that is attending to all sectors of te economy simultaneously.
Go to the International Conference Center which was destroyed during the ENDSARS protest, it has beome a wonder to behold, the Obudu Cattle Range is being brought back to what it used to be. Contract for the total turnaround of the Cultural Centre complex has been awarded.
There have been new foundations, new ground has been broken by the Governor, and the people are happy with him. There is a lot of review and upgrade even in the transport sector. Today you can go to the Adiabo Road that has been abandoned for more than two decades.
On human capacity building, today we can also say that there has been a lot of skill acquisitions, for instance, there is a partnership with China Skills International to train young people in electrical electronics.
His Excellency has been able to, within 1-year and 6-months in office, do physical interventions, seeable intervention, touchable interventions in all sectors. There is already on ground a huge investment in Agric sector
Is it our revenue? The first time it has been control in terms of paying to government covers. First time leakages have been blocked. Our Governor, for the first, has been able to increase our internally generated revenue, for the first time after several years, and even our local government internally generated revenue today is on the increase.
When your revenue is increase internally that your allocation from the federal government will also increase. Our Governor has shown transparency and moderation in leadership, he has shown contentment in leadership.
But People say he is not accessible and there are dissentions among his inner circle staff. What is your take?
This is not true. Governor Otu is the most accessible governor in Nigeria. Don’t mind the naysayers, there is no form of dissention in Prince Bassey Edet Otu’s inner circle or anywhere. I can challenge it. His Excellency is available for suggestions, for recommendations, because this government is a partnership, this government is a unified and inclusive government.
The Governor is pragmatic. That is why he has been able to secure victory for all APC states. In the South-south, we have another governor courtesy his delivery and leadership acumen.
It is this acumen that has caused the opposition to decamp enmass to APC in Cross River. Today, we have four House of Assembly members, I mean siting members of the PDP and Labour Party members moving into the APC. In Cross River today, we have a House of Reps member, who won under Labour Party, moving to APC. There a lot of movement from the other side to the APC simply because of the leadership the Governor is offering.
He does everything equitably. For the first time in Cross River State lists of people that has been employed has been published with Local Government of those beneficiaries made public, you could see in every ministry you can count number of people from different LGAs. This is transparency.
Our Excellency had made us proud and for us we will stand by such a Governor who is out to deliver without minding who would be affected. Election has come and gone, it is time to develop Cross River regardless of party and religious affiliations.
Religious leaders are with Excellency, traditional leaders are with him too, youth leaders are with Excellency, market leaders are with His Excellency, and that is because he is considering their plight, that is because he is delivering to the people, and the people are saying thank you by following him.
Most of the solid foundations laid by the Excellency are yet to be seen but would come to reality in some months to come. We are only appealing for patient, continuous support and continuous prayers.
We all know that the local government has just been put in place. What should an ordinary Cross Riverian expect from the third-tier of government?
The local government is the closest tier of government to the people, and His Excellency has said that this is indeed the ‘Season of Sweetness’ and this can only be so if it triples down to the communities, the grassroots as such the people should be happy.
Now, a channel of communication has been open through the local government structures in every ward in Cross River State. There are 18 local government chairmen that would be able to carry the ‘Season of Sweetness’ from the state to their local government and there counsellors in the 96 wards of the State who should be able to do so too.
If you noticed it, there are renovation works ongoing in the 18 local government council headquarters to create conducive environment for workers to put in their best for the good of the people.
The people should expect an increase tempo of activities at the local government with job creations and infrastructural upgrade.
Again, let us believe that with the local government counselor in your ward, you have access to government. You may not able to see the Governor but you can always chanel your troubles through your local government Charman and Counsellors to the Governor.
The Governor gest feedbacks from Chairmen and Counselors. So, for me, people should expect more service delivery at the grassroot level occasioned by these channels of communicators. I call them channels of rural developers and channels of rural representative.
I call them so because they would be able to be the messenger of the people at the grassroot level. They are going to be the direct burden bearers to the people at the grassroot level.
His Excellency has said that he derived joy for being able to conduct a credible and fair local government election in which people adjudged that this is the first time that leaders at the third-tier are actually the people that are resident with the people in the communities.
The people should expect more ‘Sweetness’ at the third-tier, at the grassroot, at the rural communities, because now we have people that would easily transmit this sweetness to the people.
The Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu-V will be hosting the 13th edition of the Utomo Obong cultural festival, which is said to be part of the tourism calendar of the State Government, on Saturday, December 21. What is your take on the event?
Let me start by congratulating His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu-V, the Obong of Calabar, our Treaty King, the Defender of the Christian faith, the First-Class Traditional Ruler in this country, sitting side by side with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alaafin of Oyo, King Jaja of Opopo, Oba of Benin, amongst others.
For me the throne of Efik Kingdom is the sacred throne. The throne that commands a lot of respect, and influence, an unbreeched throne for our traditional advancement, it is an unbreeched throne for our cultural advancement; an unbreeched of our spiritual sustainability, because as a student of history I know too well that the Efik throne is a throne of grace where you can approach and obtain blessings.
It is also a throne that can influence calamity and punishment. This is because the words of the King are words of the gods. The king is the mouthpiece of the people, he is the mouthpiece of the gods, channel of delivery.
Where the kingdom progresses, the King cannot be exempted from that progress and where the Kingdom suffers the King cannot be exempted from that suffering. This is because the King can be said to be heart of the human being; when the heart stops breathing, the body is gone.
So, for me, our king having reign this long is a positive progress. Our king having superintend over the Kingdom for 16 years is great news considering the past history. And, don’t forget that the Efik Kingdom and its roots transcends into other tribes. There is no how we are not all interconnected, either you like it or not.
Obong of Calabar is a King leading from the front with many other very powerful Kings across the various tribes following, not just in Cross River but in Africa. So, we have a King that is a representation of the black race, we have a King that is a representation of the people of the South-South, we have the King that is the embodiment of distinction by virtues of history.
That is why we must celebrate the Obong of Calabar for being protected by the Almighty to sit on that throne. It is only our creator that make Kings or whether you like it or not The King on the throne is the creation of the creator.
We have to thank God for his life, thank God for his reign, we commend his sustenance of the Utomo Obong for 13 years running without any hitch. We thank the Obog of Calabar for this consistency, for the expansion, for the inclusion, for the sustainability of our culture and heritage which is very paramount because it enhance our values.
Government is doing everything within its powers to continually support this seasonal celebration of the Obong of Calabar. This is because Utomo Obong is a channel of exporting our culture, our history and all that we stand for as a people. At Utomo Obong, we exhibit of our various masquerades which interprete who we are.
Government is deliberately in support and very appreciative of the traditional institution, the court of the Obong of Calabar for sustaining this festival which also serves as a reminder of what our forebears did when they were facing extinction. Utomo Obong is a display of love and unity.
The government of Prince Bassey Edet Otu expresses full gratitude to the Obong of Calabar, and the entire cabinet, the Otu Ekongs, and the Etuboms for this feat. We are in total support of this sustained celebration of our core values, of our culture, of our heritages, and our tradition, because it is only you that can tell your story, if you don’t tell your story nobody will tell your story the way it ought to be.
Government is aware of the contribution of Utomo Obong to our tourism advancement, to our peace and security, development in our communities. This is because it has availed us the opportunity to relate and interact, and also contact are being exchanged. With this, the beauty of Canaan would have been unveil to others who are visitors.
We commend His Excellency who has been to take full responsibility in stabilizing the traditional institution, including the Efik Kingdom. We believe that the Utomo Obong will continue to grow from strength to strength for the good of the people of Cross River State.
