On First Day As C’River Gov, Otu Raises Hopes on Tinapa, Bakassi, Purposeful Leadership

There are hopes that life will return to the abandoned multi-billion naira Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort in Calabar. The newly sworn-in governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otuwho gave this indication also said in his inaugural address on Monday that he will make efforts to revisit the Bakassi issue with a view to taking back the land that was ceded to Cameroun by the federal government.

Otu also gave the indication that unlike what used to happen in the days of the immediate past government, his administration will only come up with what he called realistic budgets.

“The state will be given an immediate facelift through critical infrastructural repairs, clearing of waterways, trimming of overgrown trees, repainting and refuse evacuation.

“Security confidence will be strengthened by greater illumination of the Streets, Monitoring crime flashpoints and creating welfare synergies with Security operatives, community leaders and hidden security watches for maximum impact,” he noted.

According to the governor, “immediate attention will be given to the reward and operational systems in our Civil/Public Services and Local Government to ensure that morale are significantly boosted.

“On your behalf, we commit ourselves to a rewarding relationship for the next 4 years. We trust in the capacity of the incoming President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support our efforts of making our State a paradise from Marine, Aviation and Defence angles.

“We shall further engage the Federal Government and international community to review obnoxious judgments against us with the aim of creating relief in the pains accruing to the loss of Bakassi and the ceding of our 76 Oil wells as well as streamline our boundaries to minimize communal crisis.

“At the international plane, our administration will place Cross River State firmly within the league of global players in the development orbit and business community.”

He said he would deliberately undertake some meaningful reforms towards making the business environment friendly for the people. “Enabling reforms and relevant legislations will be engaged to rekindle confidence and scale up the morale of international agencies. Friendly tax policies, fair weather investment atmosphere, realistic State budget and commitment to good governance will constitute the official architecture to attract donor funds and grow the organized private sector in our state.

“We will escalate the agro industrial revolution with the foundation already put in place by my predecessor with the goal of converting the extant “food on the table and sells funds in the pocket” to a workable and productive economy. Leveraging on our 3E policy direction which is, Emancipation, Education, and Empowerment as encapsulated in our People-First manifesto, we will pay special attention to our young men, children and women by ensuring that government’s programs, policies and laws are framed in such a way that will break all forms of gender biases.

“I am determined to change the fortunes of Cross River State by implementing a vibrant Agricultural ecosystem supported by various trade consolidation centers.

“For instance, In Calabar, palm oil and fisheries shall be reactivated, while the trade consolation centers for cocoa in Ikom and rice in Ogoja shall be developed and promptly established. We will also explore all trade and legal openings for Tinapa to properly take off.”