Cross River State Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has pledged to intensify efforts towards wealth creation and economic prosperity as farmers, market women, tricycle operators and other transport workers endorsed him for a second term in office.
Addressing the gathering at the Governor’s Office premises in Calabar, Otu described the groups as the backbone of the state’s economy, noting that their contributions to food production, distribution and transportation were essential to economic growth. “These are the real sectors that are holding life in this economy and in this state. When you take away the farmers, the drivers, the Keke operators and market women, there is no life,” he said.
The Governor said his administration had prioritised smallholder farmers through agricultural support and extension services, recognising their role in producing food and other agricultural commodities for consumption and commercial purposes.
He also acknowledged market women as a vital link between farmers and consumers, assuring them of continued government support to improve their trading conditions and strengthen their businesses.
On economic empowerment, Otu disclosed plans to introduce a savings-based support scheme modelled after the traditional osusu system to benefit market women, farmers, tricycle operators and other transport workers. He said the initiative would complement existing interventions aimed at supporting small businesses and improving livelihoods.
Addressing concerns over road infrastructure, the governor assured transport operators that his administration would sustain efforts to improve road conditions across the state. He acknowledged that persistent rainfall had affected some completed and ongoing projects but expressed optimism that more visible progress would follow the rainy season. “Immediately these rains recede, you are going to see some more fabulous work done on our roads,” he said.
Reflecting on his three years in office, Otu said his administration had focused on laying a solid foundation for sustainable development, adding that the next phase would centre on wealth creation and prosperity. “The next phase is wealth creation and prosperity. This three-year journey has not been easy. It has been a journey to set a proper foundation for progress and development, and that we have done,” he stated.
The governor reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the Federal Government’s economic reforms as necessary while acknowledging the hardship faced by Nigerians. He expressed hope that the benefits would increasingly reach citizens and urged eligible residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to participate actively in the democratic process.
Earlier, the President of the Nigeria Bloggers Association, Prince Jay Imonikhe, said his decision to support Otu followed a personal assessment of the administration’s performance across the state. He explained that although he had previously been approached to use his social media platforms to criticise the government, he chose to investigate the allegations before forming an opinion.
Imonikhe said he visited several communities, including rural settlements, where he interacted with farmers, women, young people and other residents to obtain firsthand accounts of their experiences with the administration. He added that the feedback informed his decision to support Otu and organise a one-million-man march in appreciation of the government’s activities.
He said representatives of farmers, market women and transport operators subsequently approached him to support their proposed endorsement, leading to his participation in the gathering. Imonikhe encouraged residents to acknowledge beneficial government interventions while continuing to hold public officials accountable.
The State Coordinator of the Cross River Market Women Forum, Mrs Veronica Effiom, said the women endorsed Otu in recognition of what she described as his administration’s unprecedented efforts to organise and support women traders. She said the establishment of the forum had provided a platform for market women to engage with the government and access business support initiatives.
Effiom disclosed that beneficiaries of the programme receive monthly grants of ₦50,000 to support their businesses, expressing the women’s desire for the initiative to continue. “We are in full support. We want this to continue. That is why the women are here to endorse our dear governor for a second term,” she said.
The Chairman of the Great Achievers Union of Keke Riders at Marian Market Stadium, Mr Dominic Sunday, declared the union’s support for Otu ahead of the 2027 governorship election. He said the reduction in the gate fee paid by tricycle operators from about ₦1,000 to ₦500 was among the reasons for their endorsement.
However, Sunday appealed to the government to address what he described as excessive enforcement against tricycle operators, urging the relevant authorities to apply regulations fairly without unnecessarily disrupting their businesses.
A farmer, Mrs Grace Effiong Okon, said she and other farmers attended the gathering to appreciate the state government for its agricultural interventions, which she said had improved their farms and encouraged continued participation in farming. “We are farmers. If you come to our farms, you will see how clean and beautiful they are because of the products the governor has given us,” she said.
Okon added that the farmers had gathered to share their experiences and express their desire for the continuation of the government’s agricultural support, which they considered beneficial to their farming activities.
The groups declared their support for Otu at the endorsement gathering, citing interventions by his administration in agriculture, commerce and transportation as reasons for backing his second-term bid.
By Daniel Bebia
