The Cross River State Government says it has expanded healthcare services, upgraded infrastructure, recovered public assets and improved internally generated revenue over the past three years.
The Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers, Ekpenyong Akiba, who is also Special Adviser on General Duties, presented Governor Bassey Otu’s scorecard at a sectoral press briefing in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
Akiba said the forum remained committed to keeping citizens informed about the administration’s progress and addressing what he described as misinformation about government activities.
“The people deserve to be updated on the impact of the government’s policies and programmes. We owe our people a responsibility to bring them up to speed with the achievements, milestones, impact and improvements Governor Bassey Otu has brought to bear in his administration.” He stated.
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He added that Governor Otu is “a pragmatic leader with humility,” noting that there had been “a lot of conspiracies and mischief, which is why we do not want the public to be misled.”
Akiba maintained that the administration was focused on restoring the state’s fortunes through strategic reforms and recovery initiatives.
According to him, “The governor is recovering Cross River State, rehabilitating Cross River, reconstructing Cross River State and also reforming Cross River State. We are happy that the movement to recover all our lost assets, our lost glories, wealth and resources is achieving positive results.”
Health sector gains
The Special Adviser on Health, Dr Ekpo Bassey, said the administration had introduced reforms aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery and expanding access to quality services.
He noted that Governor Otu signed into law the Drug and Health Commodity Management Agency Law, the Hospital Board Management Law, the College of Health, Management and Technology Law, and the Open Defecation Prohibition Law to reposition service delivery in the sector.
“In his effort to strengthen the healthcare system for effective service delivery, the governor signed the bills as passed by the Cross River State House of Assembly into law,” Bassey said.
Bassey added that more than 200 medical professionals had been recruited into secondary healthcare facilities, while about 500 community health workers, laboratory assistants and pharmacy technicians were engaged across primary healthcare centres to support the drive towards universal health coverage.
Infrastructure development
The Special Adviser on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Raphael Adoga, said the government embarked on extensive renovation and reconstruction of public infrastructure inherited in a deteriorated state.
“When the administration of Governor Bassey Otu came on board in 2023, it saw the deplorable state of infrastructure and commenced deep structural renovations and remodelling of government structures, including roads across the three senatorial districts,” Adoga said.
Assets recovery
The Special Adviser on Assets Management and Recovery, Gilbert Agbor, said the administration had recovered government properties and agricultural assets previously illegally occupied or mismanaged.
“We recovered illegally occupied government lands and public properties across the state. The government also conducted comprehensive audits and verification exercises within the Etung Cocoa Estates. We have restored ownership and control of valuable agricultural assets and increased revenue accruing to the state,” Agbor further disclosed.
The forum reiterated that the administration’s “People First” agenda was yielding measurable results across key sectors and pledged continued engagement with citizens to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
