Sack Incompetent Appointees in Cross River — Cleric urges Otu

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

The General Overseer of God’s Heritage and the Territorial Archbishop of Calabar, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has called on  Governor Bassey Edet Otu of cross river to immediately sack incompetent appointees in his cabinet, warning that weak personnel could derail the gains recorded by the administration in the last few years 

Archbishop Bassey made the call yesterday while speaking with Journalists at the Metropolitan Hotel Calabar,  stating that what the state needs is competent hands and not mediocre brought into government for political compensation.

The Archbishop who is also the convener of Cross River State Christian Leaders Forum said that while the government deserves commendation for good governance, the next phase will be won or lost on the quality of those driving the policy of government.

In his words, “Some appointees in this administration are simply not good enough. I will not pretend otherwise,” Bassey stated.

According to him, “Some have neither understood the vision nor demonstrated the capacity to execute it. Some appear to have mistaken appointment for arrival and public office for an opportunity for self profiling.”

The Cleric was blunt on what should be done. “If a man cannot take obsessive ownership of the Governor’s vision, and practically translate it into measurable reality, he should not occupy strategic public office. 

“If he lacks competence, remove him. If he cannot execute, replace him,” he said. 

“You can lose with a good team, but can’t win without one. In football for instance, a team searches the world for the right players and will pay any price it can reasonably afford to get the best.

This must be the way to go. Cross River cannot afford political settlement in appointments.”

While  acknowledging the administration’s achievements, Bassey  stated that domestic debt inherited  by the Otu’s administration as at  June 2023 stood  at about N204bn stressing that the debt had dropped to N132.30bn as of March 2026.

He said that  Internally Generated Revenue grew from N21.1bn in 2022 to N46.3bn in 2024 adding that the  administration has also also recovered Tinapa from AMCON,

rebuilt the Governor’s Office, State Library and Cultural Center, and has paid gratuity backlogs up to 2015 after 14 years a development which the cleric said it’s laudable.

“Measured against what was inherited, the resources available, the liabilities carried and the economic circumstances, the achievements of Governor Bassey Edet Otu in three years are absolutely extraordinary,” he said.

The cleric warned that three years had been spent “buying back the past” through repairs and debt servicing funds that should have gone into development.

 He urged the administration of Governor Otu to shift its  focus  to agriculture, processing, the Bakassi Deep Seaport process, and the pursuit of Cross River’s maritime and petroleum rights if the administration has intention to turnaround its fortunes.