Governor Bassey Otu in a meeting with the delegation for the movement for the creation of Ogoja State.
By Dianabasi Effiong
As the creation of Ogoja State is gathering momentum, Governor Bassey Otu and the people of Cross River State on August 21, endorsed its creation.
This endorsement was made public when a team of stakeholders from the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts comprising nine Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state met with Governor Otu and top delegation from the Southern Senatorial District led by Architect Bassey Ndem at the rebranded State Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Calabar.
The high-powered team of prominent men and women of standing was led by the Convener of the Movement for the Creation of Ogoja State, Papa Dorn Cklaimz Enamhe.
Ogoja state, when created, is expected to include four LGAs of Boki, Etung, Ikom, Obubra (Central) and five from the North which are Bekwarra, Obanliku, Obudu, Ogoja, and Yala out of the present 18. This means Cross River State will be left with nine LGAs. Two from Central (Abi and Yakurr) and seven from South which include; Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Odukpani, Akamkpa and Biase.
Without mincing words, Governor Otu thanked the leaders of the Nine LGAs for the visit saying, “from a distance alone, from Calabar to Obanliku, this state (Cross River) deserves two additional states, to make it three if the Federal Government is to be fair”.
Otu who thanked members of the Southern Initiatives for their solidarity with the Ogoja state agitators, declared his total support for the creation of Ogoja and went further to say that an additional state would bring in more development, adding that such was evident in the developments recorded by sister states.
Gov. Otu lauded the Convener of the group, Papa Enamhe for his very rare and highly commendable leadership skills, saying he had over time demonstrated a knack for always completing any assignment he decides to do and that he is a man who can be trusted and is highly dependable.
He traced the history of his relationship with the Ogoja nation to many years of interaction, including having been schooled in the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ogoja.
Governor Otu also recalled how he and a few leaders of the state had attempted several times to repatriate the remains of the former Elder Statesman and former Senate President Sen. Joseph Wayas.
He said after almost giving up, two very confident young men Papa Enamhe and Agim, SAN, came up to him to say they will undertake the task of bringing the corpse, first he doubted them but moving forward even after some people tried to discourage him, he assured them of his support and behold they delivered and gave him and the entire state a sense of pride.
Equally endorsing the agitation, Architect Ndem, the leader of the Southern Cross River Consultative Initiative Forum, informed the Governor of a long-lasting relationship that spanned more than six centuries of trade and political activities between the two neighbouring peoples.
Hence, Etubom Ndem said, the people of the South were “standing shoulder by shoulder in support of the people of the nine local government areas agitating for Ogoja state”.
He said the entire structure of the southern leaders is resolved emotionally and physically to see developments in the northern part of the state and the fastest way to achieve it is to get Ogoja a state.
Earlier Convener of the Movement for the Creation of Ogoja State, Papa Enamhe commended Governor Otu for his administration’s ‘people first’ policy, noting that he (Out) had demonstrated uncommon love in leadership and described him as “the first man in history, from the biblical days to the present day, to be willing to let go of some of his hard-earned electoral territories as Governor of 18 local governments, to let off nine local government areas.
He also appreciated the ‘Think Cross River Brand’, which had changed the narrative of the past, saying “people now think of Cross River and development, no matter their political interests, no matter their religious inclination, or senatorial origin”.
He said that the people of the State under Governor Otu’s watch had keyed in and had stopped being clannish.
Papa Enamhe thanked the Governor for adding two more fleets to the state-owned Cally Air that had come to ease air transportation from Calabar.
On his part, the Coordinator for the movement for the creation of Ogoja State, Justice Maurice Eneji (Rtd), on behalf of Who-is-Who in Northern Cross River and the larger Cross River State, thanked the Governor for doing so much in giving a befitting burial to the former Number 3 citizen in Nigeria and a son of Cross River State, RT Hon Dr Joseph Wayas, in his country home.
He emphasised that without the full involvement of the Governor, it would have been impossible to get that assignment done successfully.
Justice Eneji applauded the governor for returning the state to its pride of place as the scenic and most beautiful State, with Calabar as the tourism Hub of Nigeria, as the nauseating refuse and potholes in Calabar have been adequately addressed.
One other aspect that drew a standing ovation was in reminding the governor of setting the standard by reviving the Cally Air with the recent acquisition of two aircraft for the fleet.
Also addressing the Governor, the Co-Convener of the Movement for the Creation of Ogoja State, Johnny Agim, SAN, commented the Governor for setting the pace across the board in the governance of the state.
He disclosed that the movement for the creation of Ogoja State had presented a memorandum to the House of Representatives committee on the amendment of the constitution and creation of a State during its public hearing held in Calabar and that the group was there to inform the Governor and to formally hand over a copy of the document to him in person.
On his part, another Co-Convener of the movement for the creation of Ogoja State, CP Lawrence Alobi (rtd), also lauded Governor Otu for giving Cross Riverians a sense of belonging in the way and manner he has been governing the State.
He reiterated the essence of the meeting with the Governor for the consolidation of the agitation for the creation of Ogoja State.
The handing over of a copy of the memorandum and the address at the public hearing was the climax of the occasion.
