By Michael Jegede
Since his assumption of office as the Governor of Cross River State on May 29, 2023, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, fondly called Sweet Prince, has worked ceaselessly and tirelessly with high spirit and great determination to fulfil his campaign promises, as contained in his People-First manifesto presented to Cross Riverians before his election.
With his unflinching desire to enhance connectivity across the length and breadth of Cross River, so as to open up the state for socio-economic growth and development, Otu has made road construction/rehabilitation a top priority in his administration. Within the period he has spent in office, the governor has initiated several road projects all in a bid to bring succour to the people and make life much more bearable for them.
His remarkable progress in road construction/repair has attracted applauses from Cross Riverians, including members of the opposition in the state. Some believe that the banker turned politician was ordained as governor by God to come and rescue them from the agony they have been going through for years due to poor road infrastructure.
Commitment, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, is what transforms a promise into a reality. The people are particularly delighted to see that Otu is totally committed to fulfilling his promise to provide good road infrastructure for Cross Riverians.
On July 5, 2024, the Governor, represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, performed a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of 5KM road project in Ukelle, Yala Local Government Area (LGA), as a fulfilment of the promise he made to the people.
When Otu visited Ukelle last year to do an assessment of the road linking Cross River to Benue State which is said to have been abandoned for about two decades, he met with the Clan Head of Wanokom, Chief Denis Ugede at his palace, and made a vow to complete the road project to ease vehicular movement and stimulate economic activities in the area.
The governor had reportedly told the Chief that “I decided to drive through all wards in Ukelle, particularly this area bordering Benue State, to appraise the roads. This is with the view of bringing back the economic life of this area. The road has been a problem to my people. So, I decided to come personally for an on-the-spot assessment.”
Responding to the governor, Chief Ugede, was quoted to have said that “the people of Ukelle can now sleep after such heart-warming assurance from the government. God is using the governor (Otu) to liberate the people of Ukelle from prolonged suffering. We are happy that after several years of hardship due to lack of access road, God is using you to liberate Ukelle.”
Speaking on behalf of the governor at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ukelle-Benue Road, the deputy governor, Odey, said the road project was planned to bring relief to the populace, assuring the residents that the government would not delay the commencement of the second phase upon the completion of the first phase.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Pius Ankpo, revealed that the first phase of the road will be completed within 18 months, noting that “the development is set to transform Yala Local Government Area and enhance transportation in line with the Governor’s ‘People First’ mantra and Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
In his remarks at the ceremony, the Commissioner for International Donor Coordination, Elder Hippolatus Lukpata, while applauding Governor Otu for authorizing the construction of 5KM Ukelle-Benue Road, stressed that “Once completed and commissioned, the road will not only alleviate the longstanding hardships faced by the agrarian people of Ukelle but also enhance infrastructure, unlock economic potential, bridge gaps, and improve access to healthcare, education, and investment opportunities.”
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River, Barrister Alphonsus Eba, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 5km Ukelle-Benue Road, expressed profound gratitude to “the ‘People First’ Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, Deputy Governor Odey, and others for their sincere commitment to initiating this commendable project aimed at addressing the area’s infrastructure needs.” Eba enjoined the traditional rulers and inhabitants of the area to give “the needed support to the current government and contractor of this historic project to ensure the timely completion of the project’s first phase.”
A day after the ground-breaking ceremony at Ukelle, Governor Otu, again represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Odey, officially flagged-off the construction and rehabilitation of two major roads in Yala and Ogoja LGAs, the 3KM Akreha-Yache-Benue and Ndok Junction-Abakpa-Igoli-Moniaya Junction roads and other ring roads in Ogoja town, all within the northern senatorial district. Maintaining that the state government under the pragmatic and proactive leadership of Otu was determined to continue to embark on development projects geared towards enhancing the wellbeing of Cross Riverians, Odey gave the assurance that “Governor Otu’s administration would construct at least 20km of road in each of the state’s 18 LGAs and embark on other infrastructural expansion programs to directly benefit the residents.”
The member representing Yala 1 State Constituency in the Cross River House of Assembly, Hon. Brian Odey, was among the state legislators, government and party officials that witnessed the road construction flag-off. The lawmaker lauded Governor Otu’s unwavering commitment towards changing the face of Cross River with his impressive move to construct and repair previously abandoned roads that had adversely affected the people’s lives.
Hon Brian stated that the residents were overwhelmed with joy at the governor’s intervention in the road construction and rehabilitation, while declaring that it will ease the movement of the people and their farm produce in the communities that had been cut off from having access to other surrounding localities.
In a Facebook post by the assembly member, he said: “I praise the governor’s proactive intervention to construct the road to enhance easy movement of the people and transportation of their farm produce which will boost their economic growth and livelihood.
“It is on record that for decades, this road have been abandoned. No governor in the State has ever come to our rescue except Governor Otu. I am indeed happy that the Governor has fulfilled his promise to construct the road that links Yahe -Ebo- Wanakom -Wanikade -Wanihem Benue Border communities, a promise he made recently.
“We thank him for fulfilling his promise and we assure him of our continuous loyalty and support for his visionary leadership, transparency and accountability.”
The Adiabo-Ikoneto Road in Odukpani LGA which appeared to have been neglected by successive governments at the state and federal level since the award of the road project about 30 years ago during the military regime of late General Sani Abacha, was last month formally flagged off for construction by the Otu administration.
At the flag-off of the Adiabo-Ikoneto Road, the governor said: “This road has been a vision and dream. It gave me a lot of pain when work on this project stopped a few decades ago and looked like its completion would never happen. But I never knew that God was going to use me to get this project to fruition.
“We know what infrastructure does to every community. We are making an effort to take infrastructure to all nooks and crannies in the state. What we are doing here, we are also doing in Calabar; in the central district, and in the northern senatorial district. We are not leaving any locality out of it. We have shared the resources in a way and manner that is balanced so that our aggregate growth as a state can come off structurally.”
Several appeals said to have been made over the years by the affected communities for the Adiabo-Ikoneto road project to be revisited had always, according to reports, fallen on deaf ears. The people were left to remain in a state of despondency and frustration as no one seemed to hear their cry for help on the road. But with the reactivation of the road project coming at the Season of Sweetness under Otu’s compassionate leadership, the people of Adiabo and Ikoneto communities full of praises for the governor can now breathe a sigh of relief.
The lawmaker representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency at the National Assembly on the platform of Labour Party (LP), Hon. Bassey Akiba, hailed the commencement of the Adiabo-Ikoneto road construction.
A report published by Progressive News indicated that Hon Akiba via a statement said: “This intervention grants the local people a renewed sense of inclusion.” The LP federal parliamentarian acknowledged “the prolonged hardships endured due to the previously abandoned road,” emphasizing that “this project underscores Governor Otu’s commitment to improving lives in line with his ‘People’s First’ mantra.”
He implored “the community to continue to support the administration’s efforts in rural and urban development,” while pledging his collaborative support with the Cross River government ably and competently led by Otu.
Michael Jegede, a journalist, writes from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.