By Onwa Ekor
In furtherance of the Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu’s resolve that the 2026 Budget is birthed largely from citizens’ priorities and not the desk of bureaucrats alone, the Southern Senatorial District budget consultative forum has been concluded.
Held at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, with traditional rulers, lawmakers, civil society groups, women leaders, market leaders, and youth representatives as participants, the forum reviewed the performance of the 2025 budget, with inputs from stakeholders to shape the 2026 fiscal plan.
Similar consultative sessions had earlier held in Ikom and Ogoja for the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts respectively, underscoring the Otu administration’s embrace of every region and community into the state’s development agenda.
Special Adviser to the governor on Budget Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Otu Ita, described the exercise as a practical demonstration of the People First philosophy, anchored on inclusion, transparency, and citizen participation in governance.
He said the series of zonal budget consultations reflects government’s resolve to institutionalize a bottom-up planning process that captures the real needs of communities across the state.
Ita emphasized that the Southern Consultative Forum offered stakeholders an opportunity to contribute to the state’s fiscal direction, ensuring that no community is left out of the budgeting process.
Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Okon Owuna, commended the participatory budgeting process, describing it as a hallmark of responsible governance, with assurances that the House of Assembly is committed to approving a budget that reflects the collective aspirations of Cross Riverians.
He highlighted the need to sustain funding for key sectors such as road, agriculture, and education to drive inclusive development across the state.
Impressed at the turnout, which the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mike Odere, ascribed to a reflection of trust in Otu’s People-First administration, he said government’s approach to fiscal planning is deliberately transparent, ensuring that both revenues and expenditures are publicly accounted for.
Accountant General, Dr. Glory Effiong, commended the governor’s leadership for strengthening institutional efficiency and restoring public confidence in governance.
She noted that under the current administration, service delivery has improved significantly, with faster project clearances, prompt approvals, and better coordination across ministries.
“This is a government that values both the aged, the youth, and even generations yet unborn,” she said, adding that “The governor has redefined public service ethics, and that is why today, people are proud to serve under this administration.”
Imploring citizens to be tax compliant, the Chairman, Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS), Mr. Edwin Okon, described taxation as a shared responsibility in nation-building.
He revealed that from January 2026, the state will implement a new harmonized tax system which will eliminate multiple taxation and introduce a simplified, technology-driven compliance mechanisms.
According to him, “We are not taxing poverty; rather, we are automating tax administration to ensure fairness and efficiency. Anyone earning ₦800,000 or less per annum will be exempted from personal income tax, that’s how people-centered this government is.”
The Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council, Ovai Solomon Edward Osim, commended the governor for sustaining high levels of budget implementation across all sectors, rating the 2025 budget performance at over 70 percent.
He lauded government for keeping the traditional institution actively engaged in policy consultations, averring that “This is the first time in recent memory that the traditional council is directly part of the state’s budgeting process.”
On her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Edema Irom, called for deliberate gender inclusion in the 2026 budget, emphasizing that the needs and aspirations of women must be adequately captured across all sectors.
“We must always ask how many women benefit from agricultural inputs, empowerment grants, and enterprise funding,” intimating that
“True development is inclusive when women thrive, families and communities prosper.”
She further advocated for sustained funding for programs addressing gender-based violence and rural women empowerment.
