By Onwa Ekor
Mindful of the quantum of achievement recorded by the present administration in the state, ably led by Prince Bassey Otu and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, Cross River Commissioners under the aegis of ‘College of Commissioners 2023,’ have formally endorsed the duo for a second term in office.
This follows a motion moved by the State Commissioner for Transport, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham and seconded by Mr. Justin Beshel who heads the Science and technology Ministry, held at the Ministry of Women Affairs conference room, Calabar.
Members of the College who after the motion gave a resounding ‘hi’ to buttress their support for a-no vacancy position in the Pellegrino House (Cross River seat of power) also included that, President Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, be returned to office in 2027.
Earlier, Chairman of the College and Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, explained that the governor remains eminently qualified in all aspects as geopolitically, Otu is qualified to run for a second term, adding that he has also achieved and met his objectives as vividly seen in the projects already embarked across the state.
For Commissioner, Establishment, training and pensions, Hon Lawrencia Ita, the governor has transformed the State in many ways including agriculture, health, works, education, as well as training and retraining of staff.
“There is no vacancy come 2027 for the governorship stool as we have one in Prince Otu, who has performed beyond his expectation and has touched the lives of CrossRiverians, travails the nooks and crannies of the State with his development projects.
“We can not enumerate all he has done, but we are in tandem with all projects in place to bring Cross River to limelight, so unequivocally, we deserve Otu for a second term in office,” Ita said.
Commenting, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Edema Irom, said the State had never had it so good in terms of road networks, empowerment of women and the establishment of One- stop Centre for gender based violence, maintaining that, the present administration in the state has also made easier the transportation of farm produce from rural areas to markets.
For Senator Stephen Odey who heads the Education ministry, “this is the only government that has recorded over 20,000 candidates for WAEC registration, a development viewed as giant palliative offered to parents,” adding that, “today, we are talking about the University of Education and Entrepreneurship where people will graduate from the University and have a skill, Otu is the man that has the foresight,” Odey said.
Other areas he mentioned that buttress their stand to endorse the governor and deputy for a second term were, renovation of the Library complex including roads construction in the northern senatorial district, among others.
