Governor Bassey Otu has met with the Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Councils of Cross River State in a strategic session aimed at strengthening security, enhancing citizens’ welfare and assessing the progress of his People-First administration as the year draws to an end.
Speaking during a recent meeting at the State Executive Council Chamber, Governor Otu said the foremost item on the agenda was the security of all local government areas, stressing that government must remain vigilant and proactive.
“The number one item on the agenda of this meeting is the security of our local government councils,” he stated. “Number two is the fact that we are coming to the end of the year, and there is need for every of our citizens to feel the impact and break out of the middle of the situation, not just the city centres but also all the wards across the state. Number three is a period for self-assessment, to know whether we are on the proper path of the People-First government or not.”
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Governor Otu noted that the meeting was strictly focused on these priorities and said there would be limited room for other matters, highlighting the urgency attached to the issues discussed.
Addressing journalists after the closed-door session, Chairman of the Forum of Local Government Chairmen, Hon. Yibala Inyang, described Governor Otu as a “concerned and caring leader” who consistently engages with council chairmen on key governance matters.
“The meeting was to interact on key issues about the welfare and security of our people,” he said. “Cross River State is poised to deal with pockets of security threats left, and so we came out with key factors that must be put in place to ensure that the state remains very protected and everybody lives in peace as usual.”
While he declined to disclose specific strategies for security reasons, Inyang assured that the modalities agreed upon would be immediately deployed.
On efforts to enhance citizens’ welfare, Inyang said the council chairmen had also deliberated on ways to ensure that residents feel the direct impact of government support.
“For security to be tackled, there must be happy moments, people must be happy,” he noted. “We have considered measures that will help citizens begin to get direct assistance. Livelihood will be improved, and we will make life better for our people.”
He explained that consultations were ongoing, as more data and indices were being gathered to finalise the welfare plans to be rolled out before the end of the year.
Responding to a question on self-assessment, the LG Forum Chairman maintained that the councils were on the right track.
“For the time we are in and what people have seen, it is enough to say we are still on course,” Inyang emphasized. “We are improving a lot in terms of standard of living. Development across the state is picking up, and our plans are geared towards placing Cross River on the development map.”
He added that the regular engagement between the governor and local government chairmen was a testament to an administration committed to listening to the people and responding to their needs.
