The recent article by Paul A. Obi, titled “Cross’River, Otu and the Crisis of Governance,” published in THISDAY, attempts to paint a picture of administrative failure in Cross River State. However, a factual examination of Governor Prince Bassey Otu’s administration reveals a deliberate “People First” agenda that prioritizes human dignity and long-term economic justice. It is essential to note that Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu is not a leader who seeks public attention, propaganda, or empty praise-singing. He is a silent achiever whose singular aim is to transform Cross River State to the glory of other states through quiet, impactful work rather than noise.
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The Governor has made worker welfare a cornerstone of his tenure, ensuring that civil servants are truly “over-living.” Since May 2023, the administration has maintained a flawless record of uninterrupted monthly salary payments, typically credited by the 25th. Furthermore, Cross River emerged as a national leader by implementing the ₦70,000 new minimum wage as early as December 2024, while simultaneously restoring yearly incremental steps and promotion benefits that had been frozen for over a decade.
The administration’s compassion extends equally to senior citizens, where the “Sweet Prince” has moved aggressively to settle the mountain of debt inherited from previous years. By approving a ₦10 billion gratuity fund, Governor Otu began addressing a backlog of unpaid pensions dating back to 2014. To ensure these resources were used judiciously, a rigorous audit successfully expunged over 2,000 ghost pensioners. This fiscal discipline was paired with innovation through the Retiree Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI), which empowered 500 retirees with ₦250 million in grants to foster sustainable post-service businesses.
Perhaps the most significant milestone is the Governor’s relentless and sophisticated fight to reclaim Cross River’s status as an oil-producing state. Defying years of administrative marginalization, the Otu administration moved beyond political rhetoric to employ a “Case Management Strategy” rooted in scientific evidence. This effort reached a historic turning point in February 2026, when a Federal Government Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) report projected that Cross River should be re-listed as an oil-producing state. By identifying over 239 oil wellheads, including key assets in OML 114 Governor Otu has proven that “the reservoirs do not lie.”
The narrative that development is localized solely in the South is thoroughly debunked by strategic projects transforming the Central and Northern districts. In the Central Zone, the Governor has undertaken the massive 28-km Boki East-West Road project. In the North, the administration is establishing a “Medical Village” alongside the 10-km Ndok Junction–Mbube–Okubushuyu road project. Efforts to revitalize the Obudu Cattle Ranch through a ₦60 billion partnership further highlight this regional commitment.
Further proving this commitment, the administration has successfully revitalized the 50,000-hectare rice farm in Ogoja. By integrating local out-growers with the state-of-the-art Ogoja Rice Mill, the “Sweet Prince” has ensured that northern farmers no longer just grow crops but are active participants in the value chain of one of the largest rice processing facilities in Africa. In a historic first, the Governor launched the dry season wheat farming project in the Northern District. This initiative, supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB), provides northern farmers with high-yield seeds and subsidized fertilizers, positioning the region as a primary contributor to Nigeria’s food security. To move away from the “hoe and machete” era, the government established mechanization centers across the North, providing subsidized tractors and modern tilling equipment to farming cooperatives in Yala, Bekwarra, and Obudu.
It is therefore disingenuous for Paul Obi to misinform the public when the North is also a primary beneficiary of the $150 million AfDB-backed SAPZ project, which focuses on creating processing clusters for cocoa, oil palm, and cassava, ensuring raw materials are processed locally to create jobs.
Regarding the political claims made by Paul Obi, it is evident that these are the scripts of a paid agent of a senatorial candidate, hired to rubbish the good work of the government and the unity it has restored. The administration has ensured a state where no individual or ethnic group feels marginalized. To even contemplate that the Governor is “bringing back a Kakum chief” is not only an insult to the sensibilities of Northern Cross River indigenes but a direct attack on the hard-won unity of that senatorial district.
Furthermore, Obi’s claim that local government funds are being mismanaged is an outright falsehood. Today, the 18 local governments are independently managed with zero interference from the Governor. It is also exceptionally petty for Obi to ascribe a domestic violence issue involving an assembly member as a failure of the Governor. This marital issue has nothing to do with the Governor’s office, and notably, the Governor publicly condemned the action while the State House of Assembly suspended the legislator.
Comparing an administration that is barely three years old with past eight-year tenures is a disingenuous joke. Given the aforementioned infrastructure milestones, it is obvious that Obi is either bereft of information or is deliberately attempting to embarrass himself as a poor researcher.
“A success story doesn’t blow his trumpet; rather a trip from the creeks to the hills of Obanliku will confirm what the average Cross Riverian is saying about the good governance of the Sweet Prince.”
Fidelis Duker is a Filmmaker/Media Practitioner who writes from the rocks of Abuja
