Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu at the weekend presented his administration’s record of debt reduction asset recovery infrastructure renewal and public service reforms as evidence of progress under the People First Agenda.
He said a second term would propel the state from economic recovery to wealth creation and shared prosperity.
Otu spoke in Calabar while inaugurating the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for next year’s general election.
He urged party leaders and campaign officials to take the administration’s achievements to the electorate noting that continuity was essential to consolidating the foundations already laid for sustainable development.
Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his assumption of office in May 2023 the governor recalled that the state was grappling with insecurity a demoralised public service and underutilised public assets.
‘We did not promise all things in one year but we covenanted to stop the bleeding clear the ground recover the losses and restore abandonments’ he said describing the administration’s first phase as one of recovery and restoration.
On fiscal management Otu disclosed that his government had reduced the inherited domestic debt of more than N204 billion by over N70 billion without taking fresh loans bringing the outstanding debt to approximately N132.3 billion as of March 2026.
He also revealed that internally generated revenue increased from N21.1 billion in 2022 to N46.3 billion in 2024.
‘Every debt retired is freedom for our children and house-cleaning for fresh fiscal air’ he said adding that improved revenue and financial discipline would strengthen investment in public services.
The governor identified the recovery of strategic public assets as another major achievement citing reclamation of Tinapa from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) recovery of nearly N1 billion from Etung Cocoa Estates and other public assets and efforts to reclaim the state’s oil wells and secure its interests in the Bakassi axis and proposed Deep Seaport.
He also highlighted improvements in security lifting of employment embargo restoration of more than 3000 local government workers to the payroll and payment of first tranche of gratuities after nearly two decades.
‘The government is not just concrete – it is the people’ he said.
On infrastructure and economic revitalisation Otu cited reconstruction of Obudu Cargo Airport runway revival of Teachers Continuous Training Institute in Biase transformation of Akamkpa College into University of Entrepreneurship and concessioning of Garment Factory and Obudu Ranch through public-private partnerships.
He also pointed to road construction and rehabilitation increased and expanded Cally Air fleet and operations as well as growing economic impact of Carnival Calabar.
‘Continuity is an attitude of maturity’ he said noting that completing inherited projects and sustaining viable investments were critical to the state’s progress.
Otu highlighted agriculture and digital transformation as key drivers of future growth noting investments in cocoa rice potatoes palm fruits and cassava to strengthen food security and rural livelihoods.
He said more than 200 kilometres of fibre infrastructure had been deployed across Calabar over 600 residents had received ICT training and digital platforms were improving revenue collection and public service delivery.
He further cited Cross River’s selection by the World Bank GovTech Team for its 2026 AI in Governance and Public Administration Bootcamp in Seoul South Korea as international recognition of the state’s technological advancement.
Outlining his second-term priorities the governor pledged to turn recovered assets into productive enterprises complete major infrastructure projects expand youth and agricultural enterprise programmes establish industrial parks across the three senatorial districts and improve workers’ welfare.
Urging the campaign council to engage voters across the state’s 18 local governments and 196 wards with facts and decorum he said: ‘You do not change a farmer who has cleared the farm just when it is time to plant. You do not abandon a builder who has laid the foundation when it is time to raise the roof.’
He inaugurated the council declaring that the campaign must be fought not for an individual but for the future of Cross River and its people.