National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Paulinus Nta, A’IBOM
The Executive Governor of Cross River State, Governor Bassey Otu, declared that his administration has laid a solid foundation for a strong economy within its first year in office.
He made this assertion during the celebration of his first anniversary as governor.
In a statewide address delivered by his Chief Press Secretary, Nsa Gill, Governor Otu reflected on his administration’s achievements across various sectors, including education, infrastructure, digital innovation, agriculture, health, and economic development.
The governor highlighted his administration’s efforts to revitalise the state’s economy, improve infrastructure, enhance security, promote agriculture, and strengthen healthcare services.
He emphasised the importance of continuity in governance and the need for sustainable development initiatives.
He noted his administration’s significant efforts to reclaim lost state assets, such as Tinapa, Oban Palm Plantation, and Akamkpa Rubber Plantation.
He also mentioned initiatives to enhance digital infrastructure to boost economic growth and improve governance efficiency.
Addressing energy security, Governor Otu disclosed that the state government is bidding for the Odukpani Power Plant and seeking joint ownership of the UNIDO Power Plant in Obudu.
“The immediate impact of these innovations is the growth of internally generated revenue (IGR) from N20.5 billion in 2022 to N30.8 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 50.24%,” the governor stated.
“It also grew by 60.6% or N22.6 billion from June 2023 to N36 billion in May 2024. We recorded N16.3 billion between January 2024 and May 2024, up from N10.5 billion during the same period in 2023, representing a 55% growth.”
Otu noted that during this period, Cross River State moved from its permanent 28th position to being among the top 10 states in the accountability index, owing to the timely delivery of records to relevant authorities.
The governor’s address touched on various economic sectors, acknowledging that Cross River State is currently second only to Lagos State in the prospective advancement index.
This index considers the state’s potential resources and organisational plans.
