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By Friday Egege
Cross River State Governor Bassey Edet Otu is all set for the 2027 election in which he is seeking a second term.
In this interview, the state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr Moses Odogi, who is also the Bassey Otu Campaign Coordinator speaks on the governor’s achievements in the last three years.
What are the major achievements of Governor Otu, which qualify him to seek a second term?
He has made significant achievements which I believe should make the electorate re-elect him. His achievements are glaring. We don’t need to strain our eyes to see them because they are everywhere. This is a man that came and inherited an almost empty treasury and those of us who were in the early part of the governor’s administration knew that there was nothing in the coffers of the state. Despite this, he was trying as one who was sent by God to redeem the state. His coming was a divine one. It was God who sent him to salvage the situation in Cross River State. However, without being biased Senator Bassey Edet Otu has done enormously well, and I am saying not because I am serving in his administration. One of the reasons governments fail is the tendency to abandon certain projects done or initiated by predecessors. For instance, when Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Ben Ayade were there, there were a lot of abandoned projects which they had left but when Prince Bassey Edet Otu came on board, he never abandoned them to start new projects that will be recognised as his own projects. Our state was severely affected by the #EndSARS protest. We suffered the most devastating impact of that protest. So many places were vandalized and destroyed. A place called Tinapa was brought down and destroyed completely by vandals. No structure was left there. If you knew Tinapa before and saw what happened to it during the #EndSARS protest, your heart will bleed. I went to Tinapa and saw the damage done there, but go to Tinapa today and see how he has been able to revive it.
He has been able to revive the Chronicle Newspapers Limited to a global standard after the tremendous damage done to it during the #EndSARS protest.
Again, the State Library was equally damaged and vandalized during the protest but today go and see our Library. It is of a world class standard. He has spent so much energy and resources to refurbish facilities in the state to international standards.
Moreso, in the past, if you visited the Government House premises and used the convenience it was an appalling situation during the era of former Governor Ben Ayade but today the Government House is one of the best of such facilities as far as this country is concerned. It is classic and it shows a man who has a taste for standard. It is not seeing the money, but knowing what to do with the money you are seeing. There are a lot of people that will see money, they will not know what to do with the money and will not do half of what he has done today in Cross River state.
There were a lot of potholes in the Calabar metropolis before but today you can hardly see a pothole in the Calabar metropolis. To crown it all the major aspects of what any average Cross Riverian in any part of the state is applauding is the security situation in the state. The state is very peaceful, no harassment by thugs like before when thugs would molest people in the presence of security personnel.
I was a victim in 2017, when I was kidnapped during my daughter’s birthday. I never anticipated or envisaged it because what I went through, the physiological trauma alone was so massive. My brother, I can attest to you that in the security situation what Governor Bassey Edet Otu has achieved is great. Cross River State is the most peaceful state if not number one in the country today.
Last year, I visited the Ministry of Environment in December and I saw people moving around enjoying themselves without being molested, unlike before when these thugs would molest people before security personnel but today it is a thing of the past.
Furthermore, you can drive anywhere from Calabar to Obudu with no robbery incident but between August and December you would be hearing about armed robbery incidents and things like that. All these are now things of the past and you can move to anywhere in Cross River State without any molestation.
He has invested seriously in the security apparatus and the safety of Cross River State people. The man has given this much; we don’t need to think twice because every reasonable Cross Riverian should know that the best that will happen to us is to bring Prince Bassey Edet Otu back for a second term in office without much stress.
Let’s recall that we have been having issues with Akwa Ibom State over oil wells. When he came on board, he fought hard to get the oil wells back.
Some critics have said that some senatorial zones in the state haven’t benefitted from Otu’s administration. They say he does not deserve their votes in 2027. What is your take on that?
One thing is sure: 95 per cent of those critics are sponsored enemies of this state. They are enemies of progress because they have seen the trackrecord of this man and have seen that he is going to surpass all the past governors of the state and they are not happy with that.
In fact, if a man could achieve all these things I have mentioned in every sector – education, health, infrastructure and security, tell me what is remaining.
If this man can achieve all these in three years, how much more in eight years? It is going to be massive and as we speak he is one of the best governors in this country. If you allow him to complete eight years he is going to be the best governor in this country.
Opposition parties and the majority of Nigerians are alleging that Tinubu’s reforms are creating more pains and hunger than benefits for citizens. What is your reaction to that?
Those are people that are not informed and there is nothing like opposition because all the parties are the same, only the nomenclature is different. The players of this game are the same. Atiku was one of the critical stakeholders as far as this country is concerned. He was a Vice President and held a very critical position, so what is he telling us? What is happening in Nigeria today is a global thing and is happening all over the world. I went to Dubai in 2023 and they were complaining about how things had gone up. Is that Nigeria? The hardship is a global trend that is happening everywhere.
Before my brother died, he was in the United States of America and he would tell us how difficult things are over there. Is the US Nigeria? No. Only that they have an organized system which I know one day Nigeria will be well organized. I can tell you that our system is not well organized for now but how old is the US and how old is Nigeria? And how old are those countries that they are comparing it to Nigeria.
Do you think that the APC campaign council in your local government has what it takes to deliver President Tinubu’s and Governor Otu’s re-elections?
If you have listened to my analysis, I thank God you are using Cross River State as a case study. I cannot talk about other states because I am not from those states. But I can talk about Abuja where the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is doing fantastically well and then come down to Cross River State, everybody who has featured as a candidate in APC will win five over five. We have all the indices without any argument that we are going to win. We have done well.
Let me inform you that recently the governor gave each council ward N10 million. It is different from the projects the chairmen are doing.
This one is to identify and execute a project in your council ward. It has never been like that before. You can see the governor’s wife going round the state giving empowerment to people. In Cross River State nobody will see our back because by 12pm on the election day we have won the election. The other people are just joking and are making noise.
What would you say informed the governor’s decision to appoint you as the campaign coordinator?
It’s very simple. The governor is a father and as a father you know the capacity and worth of your children. You have so many children and you know the capacity of each of them. In my constituency, which is Abi constituency in Abi Local Government Area, he knows that I have what it takes to deliver when it comes to election issues. He appointed me as a commissioner, and he has seen the way and manner in which I have operated tenaciously. I have delivered in my own capacity. He knows that I will be able to deliver if assigned on election issues. That is the reason he has given me the responsibility and I know that I will deliver for the good of the people, the governor and the government.
Finally, what is your message to Cross Riverians as the election approaches?
First and foremost, they should appreciate Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s efforts in building the state infrastructure. He has tried very well for us. If we appreciate him, he will be motivated to do more in his second term. Winning a second will be a walkover for him. I have not seen anybody that will give Prince Otu a tough time.
My advice and message to Cross River State people is that they should pray for the governor for more wisdom, protection and long life. They should be patient with him and don’t listen to those frivolous things some people are saying. With him in power for a second term, so many good things will happen to Cross River.
