By Cecilia Odey

Dr Erasmus Ekpang, the Cross River State Commissioner for Information, has reaffirmed Gov. Bassey Otu’s determination to rebirth the state in all its ramifications.

Ekpang affirmed this in an interview with some members of the FCT Chapter of the Cross River State Journalists Forum (CROSSJOF) in Abuja.

Ekpang said the Otu administration took over a state that was in a sorry state.

According to him, the story is different today because the Otu administration has come to rebuild the state and return it to its former glory.

“Cross River is the cleanest state in Nigeria, a cultural paradise, the most secure, serene, and peaceful town.

“It isn’t about discarding the past but recovering what was lost and strengthening what we have,” he said.

The information commissioner applauded Otu’s “Recovery Strategy” aimed at restoring functionality, reclaiming lost assets, and laying the groundwork for sustainable development in Cross River.

Ekpang acknowledged that Cross River State is celebrated for its tourism potentials and beautiful natural environment, but explained that in recent years, it has suffered visible decline, as crumbling infrastructure, stalled government projects, and environmental degradation, contributed to a general perception of stagnation.

He said Otu, unlike his counterparts elsewhere, has opted for continuity in governance with a more strategic approach, focusing on completing and reviving existing projects, particularly those that had consumed large sums of taxpayers’ money but failed to deliver expected returns.

According to him, one of the first moves was to recover state-owned assets such as Tinapa Business Resort, which had been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, and the Obudu Cattle Ranch, which had reportedly changed hands outside the public glare.

He said, “Also on the governor’s radar is the Deep Sea Port project, a long-proposed maritime hub that remains largely on paper.”

According to the commissioner, by revisiting these legacy projects, the administration seeks to harness their economic potential and reestablish Cross River as an investment destination.

“The governor is not in office to start afresh with abandoned dreams. He’s here to make those past efforts count,” the commissioner added.

Otu’s commitment to continuity is perhaps most evident in his aggressive asset recovery programme.

Ekpang said the government in a strategic land recovery move has negotiated the buyout of a failed land concession to a private firm, reclaiming 18,000 hectares for potential agribusiness investment.

The same land has now been leased to PRC Plantation Ltd, a subsidiary of Wilmar, which employs over 5,000 Cross Riverians.

Ekpang said that more recoveries were made by taking over the official lodges of the Speaker and Deputy Governor, once privatised, but now fully renovated and reinstated for government use.

The commissioner added that the cornerstone of the present administration policy thrust is agriculture.

“Recognising the state’s vast arable land and the urgent need for economic diversification, the government launched a comprehensive soil mapping project to assess the fertility and crop suitability of different types across the state,’’ he stated.

He said that the initiative was designed to boost food production, promote agribusiness, and reduce dependency on federal allocations, adding that the ultimate goal is not just food sufficiency.

Export-oriented agriculture can earn revenue and create jobs for the people among others.

The administration is also working to provide raw materials for agro-processing plants, such as the cocoa processing facility in Ikom established by a previous administration.

By connecting agricultural output to industrial use, the government aims to activate value chains that can strengthen rural economies and reduce poverty.

He noted that agriculture remained central to the administration’s economic agenda, with the completion of a soil mapping exercise to guide crop cultivation.

Also, expansion of existing processing plants like the cocoa factory in Ikom is aiming for food self-sufficiency and export viability.

Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, has significantly improved, growing from 20 billion naira in 2022 to over 40 billion niara in 2024 as a result of plugging leakages, automating payment systems, and fostering taxpayer confidence.

The state is also partnering with Afreximbank to finance the Deep Seaport project, with a 3.5 billion dollars facility on the horizon.

Ekpang stated that another major focus of the governor has been on improving the physical state of government institutions.

“Government buildings, including the ministries and the Governor’s Office itself, have undergone substantial renovation.

“Until recently, Governor Otu operated from a temporary office for nearly two years while the official Government House was being refurbished.

“Today, the Governor occupies a revamped, fully functional office designed to meet the administrative and ceremonial needs of the state’s top leadership.

“This wasn’t just about convenience; it was about restoring dignity to governance. A befitting Governor’s Office sends a strong message about the seriousness of leadership,” Ekpang said.

He stated further that in contrast to high stakes political branding, the Otu administration has quietly pursued its objectives.

“There have been consultative forums such as economic and policy roundtables to engage stakeholders and draw in investors.

“The government is also pushing internal reforms to align ministries and agencies with its broader goals of accountability, service delivery, and long-term planning.

“Although it is too early to fully assess the long-term impact of these interventions, but the signs of policy consistency, asset recovery, and administrative reorganization are seen as positive indicators.”

On healthcare delivery, Ekpang said two new oxygen plants have been established in general hospitals, while over 100 primary healthcare centres are undergoing renovations across the state. In Ikom, a new general hospital is being built from scratch.

Recognising the terrain challenges in reaching remote communities, the state has introduced drone technology for drug delivery. Additionally, the government has upscaled nursing schools in Itigidi and Ogoja and hired 65 doctors and 135 nurses to boost capacity.

A key partnership with an international organisation has equipped health centres with laptops and digital tools for efficient data collection and management, signalling a move toward a more tech-integrated healthcare system.

Aviation sector has not been left behind by the governor, as the Otu’s administration is tackling the age-old challenge of flight cancellations and poor air connectivity in Calabar, also continuing work on the Obudu Cargo Airport, raising the completion rate from 60 per cent to nearly 80 per cent.

The runway has been extended, and the tarmac is in place.

He said although larger aircraft under the Cali Air brand struggled to justify operations due to low traffic volume, “the state is now procuring four smaller CRJ-900 aircraft, two have been acquired, to improve efficiency and revenue generation.

“The process of regulatory approval and documentation is ongoing.

“This recalibrated aviation plan complements ongoing renovations at the German Hospital in Obudu and the broader effort to revive the Obudu Cattle Ranch as a tourism and economic hub,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Angela Atabo

The Federal Government has inaugurated an Expanded Ministerial Task Team on Building Collapse as part of efforts to stem the growing cases of building collapse in the country.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, while inaugurating the team on Wednesday in Abuja, said the alarming frequency of building collapse in the country is “a national disgrace”.

“In reality, building collapse is rarely the result of a single failure. It is usually the end point of a chain of systemic breakdown design flaws that were not corrected.

“It also included substandard materials that went unchecked, construction methods that ignored specifications, approvals granted without proper scrutiny, and inadequate oversight during and after construction.

“In other words, when a building collapses, it is not just the structure that failed; it is the entire value chain that failed.

“From conception to approval, from planning to execution, from inspection to regulation, something or many things went wrong and were not caught in time,” he said.

Dangiwa said, in addressing the menace, it is important to look at it holistically and seek synergy across every profession involved in the building process.

According to him, Architects must ensure that designs meet safety standards and Engineers guarantee that structural calculations are sound while Quantity Surveyors confirm that costs and material specifications align.

He added that Builders must execute construction with integrity, Town Planners ensure developments are happening in the right places, Surveyors verify accurate measurements and land conditions while Valuers factor in the risks when assessing properties.

“This cross-sectoral nature of the challenge is exactly why we have brought together this Expanded Task Team.

“Your collective expertise, shared knowledge, mutual oversight are what we need to build a framework that works not just in theory, but in practice,” he said

The minister listed the committee members to include representatives of Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) and Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC).

Others included, representatives of Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG).

Dangiwa recalled that he earlier approved the constitution of a Committee on Building Collapse to examine the root causes of the problem and propose practical and sustainable solutions.

The minister said that recognising the importance of broad-based implementation; he directed that the committee be expanded to include key regulatory and professional bodies within the built environment.

This, according to him, is because the issue of building collapse is a deeply interconnected challenge that cuts across architecture, engineering, quantity surveying, town planning, land surveying, estate valuation, and building construction.

He said the committee’s report proposed 18 key recommendations.

He, therefore, said the reconstituted committee should examine the 18 approved recommendations and advise the ministry on effective strategies for their implementation.

He added that the committee would develop a comprehensive roadmap for addressing systemic, technical, legal, and institutional challenges associated with building collapse.

The minister said the committee should also design a compliance checklist and framework for regulatory and professional bodies to enhance oversight, promote accountability, and ensure adherence to standards and ethics in building construction and approvals.

He said the committee should further propose a national legislation to strengthen effective oversight of the Federal Government on building construction.

Also speaking, Dr Shuaib Belgore, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, urged the members of the committee to use their expertise and institutional experience in achieving the Terms of Reference. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Chimezie Anaso

The Anambra Government has approved N9.72 billion for the execution of some key projects in the state, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, has said.

Mefor disclosed this on Tuesday, while briefing newsmen in Awka on the resolutions reached at the 11th State Executive Council (ANSEC) meeting.

He said that the money was for the award of contracts for erosion reclamation, flood control, reconstruction of school blocks and rehabilitation of roads.

He said that projects awarded included the construction of access roads within the Nwafor Orizu College of Education at N2.10 billion and construction of a 2.28-km Umunze-Umuchu bypass and erosion and flood control at N3.5 billion.

Others were the construction of 3.9-km access roads within the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli Campus, at N2.65 billion and completion of the ongoing construction of a Country Club at the Ekwulobia Stadium Complex at N528.6 million.

The commissioner said that the council also approved N97.31 for the rehabilitation of Nya Ranch Road, beside the Old Government House, Awka, plus N65.68 million for additional works on the Specialist Hospital, Fegge.

“ANSEC approved N55,18 million for the installation of road signs, rumble strips, flashing caution lights, and thermoplastic speed bumps and N718.68 million for reconstruction and renovation of dilapidated buildings at Nwafor Orizu College of Education,” he said.

He also said the council affirmed its intention to start the Anambra Rebirth Programme, a project aimed at changing people’s behaviour to restore the Igbo values of integrity and hard work.

“More public schools that had not received enough attention would now get it, following the Soludo administration’s clearing of inherited counterpart financing arrears up to 2024.

“Council also plans to train and retrain drivers in the state and, thereafter, place drivers who commit major traffic violations on a blacklist,” Mefor said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sam Oditah