By Onwa Ekor
Justifying his campaign promises in line with the ‘People First Mantra,’ of his administration, Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, recently assented to three bills making them laws of the state.
The bills includes the Cross River Road Maintenance Agency Amendment law 2025, Senior citizen centre law 2025, as well as, the Lottery and gaming Agency Law 2025, which has the powers of the Supreme Court.
Speaking at the event which took place in Calabar, the Cross River capital, the governor applauded the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Elvert Ayambem, for his proactiveness, leadership role and response to issues that affect the people.
Otu also thanked members of the House of Assembly for the partnership, cooperation and commitment as displayed in the discharge of their duties.
Otu said: “We came into office campaigning and letting the people know that it is People First and I believe that close to two years in office, we have justified and the impact at least is dovetailing down to the grassroot,” adding that “these three laws are laws that affect our people directly.”
Giving the essence of the laws already assented to, the governor informed that the Senior citizen centre was long overdue as the aged who have put in lots of years to building what has turned out to be a state this day, need attention and protection.
“This government, because it is People First, we do not segregate whether you are young or old but it is very clear that the elderly are even more vulnerable, they need that guidance and protection.
“This is something that we are very committed and we are going to follow it very seriously to the latter to make sure that while the younger ones are sacrificing and investing all the energy they have, they are guaranteed and have that believe that in the future they have that fall back position, which of course, government will take care of that,” the governor said.
On the Road Maintenance Agency law, Otu remarked that his administration decided to tackle challenges associated with roads as without such, no economic activity would flourish.
His words: “What we are trying to do now is to institutionalize and approach so that whether there is a particular government that likes the people or not, the Road Maintenance Agency will have money to do the needful in terms of trying to do the things that they are required to do.”
On the Lottery and gaming law, the governor reasoned that some state funds are being trapped elsewhere due to inability to assent to the law in the past, assuring that, with the new development, the situation would change for good.
Earlier, while giving a breakdown of the bills before the governor for assent, the Speaker, Rt. Hon Elvert Ayambem, affirmed that the Senior citizen centre bill has 30 sections and a schedule which seeks to establish senior citizen centre in the state capital to cater for retirees and seeks to establish sub centres at the 18 local government headquarters to care for the aged and vulnerable, a development which further buttresses the governor’s welfarist policy under the People First mantra.
He added that the Road Maintenance Agency Amendment law No.5, 2009, seeks to create additional source of revenue for the agency as provided in Section 10 of the Principle Law.
“The amendment is done in furtherance to the recently amended local government law which makes provision for four percent contribution by the 18 local government councils from their monthly federal allocation for the maintenance of roads,” the Speaker hinted.
On the Lottery and gaming Agency Law 2025, Ayambem disclosed that it has 12 parts, 102 sections and two schedules, explaining that, the bill which seeks to establish an agency to manage and control the gaming sector in the state, was passed by the State House of Assembly, after careful consideration of the recent Supreme Court judgement which empowers states to regulate lotteries and gaming activities within their domain.
According to the Speaker, “when assented, the gaming and Lottery activities within the state will be controlled by the Agency established and with reasonable percentage of the revenue retained in the state.”
Ayambem further hinted that all of the bills when assented to by the governor, would create vistas of employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed citizenry, while also boosting the financial base of the State.
