The State Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq. JP, and the State Executive Committee members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Cross River State extend our heartfelt congratulations to you, *H. E. SENATOR BASSEY EDET OTU AND YOUR DEPUTY H.E. RT HON PETER ODEY PhD* on the outstanding milestones of their first year in office as the Executive Governor and Deputy Governor of Cross River State respectively.
From the beginning of your tenure, your administration has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of Cross Riverians through various impactful initiatives encapsulated in your “People First Agenda” and “Season of Sweetness”. Foremost amongst your numerous achievements is the agricultural reform, through a comprehensive soil analysis conducted across the state, to boost agricultural output and improve the livelihoods of our citizens.
Over the past year, we have also witnessed an increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), enabling the provision of Essential Amenities and Services to our growing population, as evident in the extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads across the three Senatorial Districts, street and traffic lights, as well as the provision of clean and potable water in some parts of Calabar metropolis.
Your active engagement with foreign diplomats and international organizations, such as the European Union (EU) and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), has laid the groundwork for Economic Growth through Counterpart-funded Projects. The recent signing of contract with Afriexim Bank, to the tune of 3.5 billion US Dollars to facilitate the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the construction of a 217 km road, further underscores your commitment to economic development, migrating our dear State from a Civil–Service Dependent Economy to an entrepreneurial hotspot.
In the educational sector, your intervention through the payment of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) registration fees for indigenes of the state and the renovation of the state’s library to international standards among others, demonstrates your dedication to empowering our youths and securing the future of our beloved state.
Your focus on youth and sports development, highlighted by the rejuvenation of the Pelican Stars and Rovers football clubs and the renovation of the U. J. Esuene Stadium, has endeared you to the state’s youth and sports enthusiasts.
The women are not left out as your inclusive approach to governance has ensured significant representation and participation of women across board.
Beyond infrastructural development, your administration’s focus on civil servant welfare, evidenced by the implementation of promotions and the prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, which aligns with your “People’s First” mandate, has earned you widespread admiration.
In the health sector, your efforts to ensure universal health coverage as well as immunization interventions for children and pregnant mothers have notably reduced infant and maternal mortality rates. Worth mentioning is the innovative strategies to deliver medical products to hard to reach areas in the State, and employing the use of drones to transport drugs and commodities to some rural communities.
Worthy of note is your exemplary leadership which has fostered a harmonious relationship among the three arms of Government and the state’s parliamentary representatives at the National Assembly, creating a united front for the growth and development of our state.
We commend you for restoring the “clean and green” status of our state and reinstating the monthly sanitation exercise, which has significantly improved the aesthetics of our state.
Your relentless efforts to combat crime and criminality have had a positive impact on our state’s security architecture, restoring our pride of place as a tourist destination.
As a party, we deeply appreciate the consistent support and the cordial relationship we enjoy with your government, Your Excellencies, your outstanding leadership, inclusive approach to governance and commitment to the success of our party and development of our dear state continues to inspire us all.
Congratulations on your first year in office, and we look forward to many more years of transformative governance under your proactive and visionary leadership.
SIGNED
Hon. Emmanuel Edem Inyang JP
State Publicity Secretary
APC Cross River State
29th May, 2024.
