Authur Javis Archibong, governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, has criticised the Administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu, accusing it of being disconnected from the people and failing to deliver meaningful development across the State.
Archibong made his position known on Thursday, during a press conference on the state of Cross River, where he said he had deliberately refrained from publicly criticising the administration over the past three years to give the governor sufficient time to demonstrate his capacity for good governance.
According to him, with less than one year remaining in the governor’s four-year tenure, continued silence would amount to a betrayal of the people who deserve purposeful leadership.
Archibong alleged that the Administration had become disconnected from the people, particularly because of what he described as the governor’s limited presence in the State. He questioned how the governor could adequately understand the challenges facing Cross Riverians without regular interaction with citizens across the State.
He also criticised what he described as the delegation of governance to individuals who were not elected into office, arguing that such a practice had affected the quality and speed of decision-making in the state.
The PDP candidate further accused the Administration of concentrating governance around Calabar, saying the governor’s activities outside the state capital had been limited.
‘Calabar is not Cross River State. It is only the State capital, and the Governor is clearly the Governor of Cross River, and not the Governor of Calabar,’ he said.
Archibong expressed concern over what he described as inadequate supervision of projects across the State, arguing that contracts awarded without regular inspection by the chief executive could result in poor execution, abandonment and inaccurate evaluation.
He also faulted the Administration for what he described as the absence of a major signature project after almost four years in office.
According to him, much attention had been devoted to the renovation and completion of structures inherited from previous administrations, while the state lacked new projects capable of defining the present administration.
He acknowledged the importance of continuity in governance, but questioned whether the Administration had entered office with a clear development plan for Cross River State.
Archibong listed the refurbished library complex, the Governor’s Office, the completed Local Government building, the ongoing renovation of the cultural centre and some road projects as examples of projects he believed had not adequately reflected the development needs of the state.
He further compared Cross River with neighbouring States, including Akwa Ibom, Abia and Enugu, which he said were implementing infrastructure projects with long-term developmental impact.