Our ranking on fiscal performance index a deliberate dint of hard work, fiscal responsibility

In the last 19 months, Cross River State has witnessed a remarkable change in developmental drive encompassing road construction, educational transformation, welfare programmes as well as the economy. In this interview, Governor Bassey Edet Otu offers insights into his administration’s journey to economic growth, writes Iheanyi Nwachukwu. Excerpts

What’s your view on Cross River State ranking as 5th on the Fiscal Performance Index by Budgit?

It was not by magic. It was by deliberate dint of hard work and fiscal responsibility on the part of my administration. We have been working very hard to make sure that we tidy up our financial records and make sure that we are clean. It was just a few issues that put us at number five. But we have shown great accountability and responsibility. We are also doing quite well in terms of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). We are almost done with automating our tax system. everything. Even with the few that are remaining, we have straightened out the financial system, and I know that by next year we would be better positioned.

What of infrastructural development and industrialisation of the state?

When we came in as a government, we promised the people that we would regain all our assets. We also promised to visit all abandoned projects. However, we discovered that the economy was the worst hit because of dilapidated infrastructure, particularly roads.

Refusing to be deterred or give excuses, we decided to take the bull by the horns in spite of the odds. So, infrastructure has been a focus for us, and, to some extent, we have tried to make sure we fix all the loopholes in that corner.

Specifically on roads, we have done quite a number in the state capital, with a focus now in the Central Senatorial District covering Yakurr and Ikom, as well as in the Northern Senatorial District also covering Ogoja and Yala. Our concentration has mainly been to open up the major roads that would lead to where we have agricultural produce and where there are major commercial activities.

In Yache and Ukelle, where we have challenging terrains, we are working hard to make sure that we get the roads in those communities restored. We are equally replicating our efforts in the villages to make sure that we open up roads where our people can bring their farm produce easily to the market. In Cross River the rain is usually heavy, and this hindered some of the projects, but we still did the best we could. We have done quite a lot, and the people are very happy.

We inherited industries built by the immediate past administration. We are reviewing the statuses and concessionaire agreements. We know that there were some hiccups, most of them financial. We have tried to bridge the finances by ensuring that we are good in terms of venture capital to support some of the concessionaires, especially where it was discovered that some were not strong enough. Within the shortest possible time, we have tried to put the necessary structure in place. If we do not see a change, we might have to get people or corporate entities who have the capacity to run these concerns.

One of the industries we were sure not to allow any hiccups to stall its operations was the Calabar Pharmaceutical Company (Calapharm). We have brought some experts in the pharmaceutical industry to take a second look at the setup. We are optimistic that once they get all their certifications from the different regulatory agencies, they will begin to roll out.

 “ So, infrastructure has been a focus for us, and, to some extent, we have tried to make sure we fix all the loopholes in that corner.”

We want to know your administration’s interventions in the agricultural sector, education, and civil service.

We recognise the fact that the state has a comparative advantage in agriculture, including but not limited to food and cash crops, aquaculture, poultry, and animal husbandry. So, it is only proper that the sector receives adequate attention. What we are doing in agriculture is massive; very massive. We are already harvesting our rice. We are also into cocoa and cassava, for which the federal government is willing to partner with us. We are looking to populate all the agro-value chains.

We have what it takes. We have restructured the sector for maximum outflow of benefits. We have done a number of soil inspections and investigations and have gotten digital reports. With what we have done, you can sit anywhere and be informed about the chemical content needed for soils. We have had meetings with a series of partners who are coming in soon. We have got schemes and are sending out people for training. We have over 200 Cross Riverians sent out for training, and as they come back, we will fix them up. So, in terms of agriculture, we are not joking at all. We are addressing our food security challenge proactively. The vision we have is to feed Nigeria, not just Cross River State. We are beginning to see prices of things come down. We are very passionate about agriculture, and we would deliver.”

As an administration, we inherited a moribund state library. And as a state desperate to reposition our educational system, there was an urgent need to change the ugly shape of our library to enhance not only research but also improve the reading culture in our people. If you look at the cost of education today, it is very difficult for the people and students to acquire all the information they need to face off with their peers around the world. And that is why the library is very important. The library will be one of the most modern in Nigeria by the time we are done with it. The edifice already gives the impression and the picture of what the library is going to be.

Generally, we have restructured our educational institutions in a way that we would be able to produce professionals in terms of middle-level manpower. Within the next few years, with the programs we have been putting on the ground, our students would be able to come out of schools and have a job. It would be recalled also that shortly after we came into office, my administration ensured that we enrolled about 16,000 of our students for the West African Examination Council, fully paid for by the government and amounting to over half a billion naira. Most of the technical jobs that we need today, we import and outsource almost all of them. This scenario is going to change very soon. Even in our medical schools, we have begun to set up programs that will rearrange that sector.

In terms of creating a conducive learning environment, last year, we put in about three billion naira, and this year we have increased it to about seven billion naira to make sure that we revive all our schools. We have provided more than enough chairs. Our population is also multiplying daily, so we are trying to moderate and strike a balance. We are doing our very best to close the gap. By the time we put in the next investment, no child would be sitting on the floor anymore.

We have also introduced a program where we would get to them better by utilising the services of retired teachers in the localities as inspectors. The government has also extended the initiative to our health care system to have real-time feedback on what is working and what is not working. That way, we will know where exactly to put in more effort.

As a government, we recognise that the civil service is the engine that moves the government of any administration. It is unfortunate that the civil service has suffered a lot of setbacks, both in terms of retirement and a lot more. But in this administration, we have a focus. That is why we keyed into the 70,000 minimum wage, despite the burdens we are carrying at the moment. We have placed a lot of priority on the Civil Service. We are introducing training and other things to make sure that we have top-class civil servants that are able to deliver on their mandate. Once we put that in place, you would also see the change. Even before the nationally agreed minimum wage, we had raised the minimum wage almost by double. We have been giving allowances. Promotions were not done in many years; we did it, paid arrears, and outstanding gratuities are being paid in phases to boost their morale.

What of the Bakassi Deep Seaport?

High-powered projects like the Bakassi deep seaport take time to get on stream. My predecessor had a deep vision in initiating the project, and Cross Riverians cannot thank him enough for conceiving the idea and getting the necessary regulatory framework in place, like the Outline Business Case (OBS), among others. Upon my assumption of office, I made a commitment, an unwavering commitment at that, to see to the realisation of the project. The actualisation of the project will be based on public-private partnership (PPP). This is one project that is capable of bolstering the state’s economic prosperity.

On the basis of this, it will be recalled that in September this year, critical stakeholders came together to sign and commit themselves to support the actualisation of the project.

Among the prominent stakeholders who pledged their dedication to the project were representatives from Africa Export Import Bank (Afrexim), Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Customs, the Nigerian Shippers Council, the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and leaders of the local community. For me, the realisation of this project remains a paramount goal of my administration. Work is currently ongoing at the site, and we are doing our best to ensure that by the time full activities resume, we will have the capacity to keep the project going.

What’s your administration doing on Obudu Ranch, the airport, and the resurrecting of Tinapa?

The Obudu Ranch Resort is one of the most popular places in Cross River State. Its serene ambience has been compared to what obtains in Europe, hence its reference as the ‘Switzerland of Nigeria. The establishment of a cargo airport by the last administration will put the ranch in the eyes of the world.

So far, we have spent well over 8-10 billion naira in terms of investments in the airport. We were almost done when it was discovered that there was a water seepage when the inspectors came. We had to get to the root of the water, even though it was not easy, being an airport being built on a rocky surface. They were, however, able to get to the root of it, and the technical people have come up with a new drawing. We are following the corrections suggested. We believe that by the time they come again, the issue will have been resolved. All other things have been put in place. It is just to pass the technical examination, and an aircraft can actually come with a number of people and land safely at Obudu Airport.

For the ranch, it is now looking better but not the standard we expect. The challenge, basically, has to do with the airport and the road. We are looking to sort these out as soon as we can. We have some of the biggest hospitality institutions who would be coming on board. The Presidency is also interested in the ranch. We have gotten some funds to ensure uninterrupted electricity. That is one place that all Nigerians would want to come for their holidays, weddings, and honeymoons.

We have done a lot of underground work for Tinapa with regards to having AMCON relieved of the asset. Our offers have been accepted, and the funds are ready. It is just the central bank that is still ensuring that due process is complied with. But Tinapa is already within our purview. We are trying to add a trade zone to make it more active. We already have a textile factory coming up there and some entertainment facilities on the other side. I believe that Tinapa will become active not too long from now.

What are the plans for sustaining the Carnival Calabar?

One of the things we picked up that underscores our position as the tourism destination is the carnival. We have done all the groundwork to have a better outing this year. This is why, for this particular carnival, people have shown more interest. More people are coming, and we are putting everything in place to have a great outing and a grand hosting. One challenge we have is that of flight. We have some aircraft, and we are trying to acquire more to make sure that people are flying from all locations to Calabar. We look forward to having everyone come and experience the biggest street party in Africa.

What of your administration’s efforts on transportation and security?

Mobility is a challenge to the people of Cross River State, especially given the deplorable state of federal roads. That is why the idea of a rail line to link the north to the state capital was a welcome one. We have studied the feasibility, and the company investing in the railway project has just completed the survey, and resumption of payment of compensation would commence soon. The moment they are done with that, I believe that they would move to the next level. The survey was very important in order for them to note the tracks. But before that, we will have a meeting with stakeholders, following which we would commence work. Everything is moving according to plans.

Safety is a paramount need of the people at all times, especially in the face of crime-related challenges like robbery, kidnapping, and the like. People will always feel quite safe and secure as far as this government is concerned. We have invested quite a lot to ensure that the state is safe for everybody. All of the prevalent security issues before now have all been dealt with.

When you go to hitherto volatile areas like Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Ikom, and so forth, people now sleep more peacefully, and, in some places, people stroll out in the middle of the night. We believe this is the safest state in the whole country, and we would continue to maintain that position.

I want to assure Cross Riverians that we will continue to do our very best. Though it is not my style to blow my trumpet, I believe we have made quite a difference, and people will see the difference as we continue to go along. Our revenue streams have increased. Our GDP has gotten better; we have added to all areas you can think of, even our health. We are actually making visible progress. All we want from the people is prayers and for us to keep loving one another and believing that we can be greater together.