In the annals of Cross River State’s political journey, few moments shimmer as brightly as this present season, a renaissance steered by the indomitable will and visionary grace of Senator Bassey Edet Otu. With the solemnity of a statesman and the soul of a servant-leader, Governor Otu is scripting a golden chapter in the tapestry of governance, where policies are not merely passed but are imbued with compassion, foresight, and the unshakable determination to uplift every Cross Riverian. In his wake is a trail of reforms, radiant with promise and echoing the anthem of a people finally reawakening to hope.
At the heart of this transformative symphony are three epoch-making laws recently signed into existence — the Cross River State Road Maintenance Agency (Amendment) Law, the Lotteries and Gaming Agency Law, and the Senior Citizens Centre Law, all of 2025. These are not mere bureaucratic instruments; they are philosophical declarations of a governor who governs not from a throne but from the very soul of his people. Each law, crafted with poetic precision and strategic depth, speaks to a cornerstone of his “People First” creed — a doctrine that places the citizen not at the periphery but at the glowing center of governance.
The amended Road Maintenance Agency Law, with its ingenious funding structure drawn from the pulse of the local government treasuries, is a masterstroke in sustainable infrastructure. No longer will the arteries of Cross River’s commerce be left to erode under the weight of neglect. Instead, from the bustling markets of Ikom to the tranquil hinterlands of Ogoja, roads shall now breathe with continuity and care. This is not merely construction; it is the reconnection of communities, the revitalization of movement, and the resurrection of trust between the governed and the government.
Even more tender and ennobling is the Senior Citizens Centre Law — a legislative blossom in the garden of Governor Otu’s welfarist philosophy. In a nation where the elderly are too often cloaked in the invisibility of abandonment, Cross River now rises as a sanctuary of reverence. With plans to establish wellness centers in all senatorial districts, cascading down to every local government, Governor Otu is gently restoring dignity to the twilight years of our heroes past. It is a hymn of gratitude rendered in bricks and mortar, a sanctuary where wisdom finds rest, and where the aged, once forgotten, are now embraced.
In the gaming and lotteries sector, the governor once again displays his rare alchemy of intellect and intuition. The newly minted Lotteries and Gaming Agency Law is an economic awakening, a bold realignment of state sovereignty with fiscal ingenuity. Comprising twelve robust parts, 102 meticulously crafted sections, and two detailed schedules, the law transforms what was once an unregulated grey zone into a crystalline avenue of revenue, innovation, and job creation. It is a legislation sculpted with clarity and enforced with integrity — a testament to a leader unafraid to confront disorder and channel it into opportunity.
Yet, perhaps the most exhilarating jewel in this crown of reforms is the complete digitalization of the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) issuance process. What was once a bureaucratic labyrinth of despair has now become a streamlined corridor of light. With deadlines of 21 days for government lands and 42 days for private holdings, Governor Otu has demolished the walls of delay and doubt. He has, with a stroke of genius, transformed land into collateral, dreams into documentation, and uncertainty into empowerment. This is not administration — this is emancipation.
Indeed, the echoes of gratitude have begun to resound across the land. Landlords and business owners, once caught in the cruel clutch of red tape, now stand tall with verifiable, tamper-proof titles in their hands. With QR-coded security features and a fully digital interface, Cross River is no longer playing catch-up with modernity — it is leading the charge. Institutions, investors, and individuals now gaze upon the state with new eyes, eyes that see a haven of clarity, security, and boundless promise.
What Governor Otu has accomplished in mere months is not merely governance — it is a soulful dance between destiny and delivery. He has become the bridge between Cross River’s glorious past and its dazzling future, melding the integrity of tradition with the fire of innovation. His reforms are not loud proclamations; they are quiet revolutions. They do not just reach the headlines; they touch the heartlines. In him, Cross River has found not just a governor, but a visionary, a pathfinder, a gentle architect of renewal.
And so, as the sun rises over the emerald hills and cobalt rivers of this blessed land, it bathes a state reborn in the warmth of visionary leadership. With every signed law, every paved road, every elderly hand uplifted, and every C-of-O issued, Senator Bassey Otu is declaring — not in speeches, but in actions — that the time of Cross River’s ascension is now. The people rejoice, not out of obligation, but from the wellspring of awe. For they are living in a time of greatness — and they know it.
Obogo, is Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Media and Publicity
linusobogo@gmail.com