The Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, has reiterated his administration’s resolve to deliver improved democratic benefits to residents of the state through sustained reforms and development initiatives.
Otu, popularly referred to as the “Sweet Prince,” made the declaration in Abuja during a town hall meeting with Cross River indigenes, stakeholders and investors to mark his third year in office.
The event, organised by the state government under the theme “Inside Gov. Otu’s Three Years of Bold Rebirth of Cross River,” provided a platform to review achievements, assess progress and outline future development priorities.
The governor stated that his administration is working to strengthen key sectors including aviation, education, agriculture and others to enhance service delivery and economic growth.
He disclosed plans to expand the state’s aviation capacity, including acquiring more aircraft for regional operations across West Africa.
According to him, the state is also investing in human capital development within the aviation sector, with ongoing training programmes for aspiring pilots as well as personnel in aircraft maintenance and aeronautics engineering.
Otu noted that efforts in the aviation sector have already improved connectivity and reduced dependence on external service providers, which previously affected flight operations.
On education, he reaffirmed plans to upgrade learning institutions across the state and restructure the sector to improve teaching quality and learning outcomes.
He listed key interventions such as the payment of WAEC fees for indigenous students for 2024, 2025 and 2026, as well as the establishment of new tertiary institutions including a University of Education and Entrepreneurship and a College of Agriculture and Forestry.
He also mentioned the regularisation of salaries for staff of the Teachers Continuous Training Institute of West Africa in the state.
In the health sector, the governor said measures had been introduced to address shortages of medical personnel and improve service delivery in government health facilities.
He acknowledged the limited number of doctors in public hospitals and said the administration had taken steps to improve remuneration to attract and retain healthcare professionals.
On agriculture, Otu said the government had procured 108 mini tractors, with over 50 already distributed to farmers across the state, while 77 motorcycles were provided to agricultural extension workers to improve field operations and monitoring.
He added that his administration is implementing a food systems transformation strategy aimed at boosting productivity, creating jobs and driving industrial development.
The governor also highlighted progress in infrastructure development, including road rehabilitation, bridge construction and the expansion of solar-powered electricity projects in several communities.
The anniversary event featured goodwill messages from representatives of the three senatorial districts, presentations by commissioners and the unveiling of the administration’s third-year scorecard, followed by a ceremonial cutting of the anniversary cake.