By Kelvin Obambon
The Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, has called on the people of Ikom, Boki, Obubra, and Etung (IBOE) to cast aside historical divisions and forge a united front to accelerate socio-economic development and strengthen their political relevance within the state.
Delivering a keynote address at the IBOE’s Special Dinner and Strategic Engagement with Governor Bassey Edet Otu at Hogis Hotels in Calabar on Tuesday, Prof. Owan-Enoh described the four local government areas as the vital engine room of the state.
“If the north is the head and the south are the legs, we are the heart,” Owan-Enoh stated. “Because we are the heart, when we stop beating, the body ceases. We are proud of who we are.”
Addressing a crowd of traditional rulers, community leaders, politicians, and youth representatives, the SSG x-ray the historical infighting that has hampered the Central Senatorial District’s collective progress despite its vast agricultural wealth, liberal culture, and high economic potential.
“Development is unity; unity is development,” he declared. “We are the most economically viable, but unfortunately, we are also the most divisive. We never unite; we never sing with one chorus. That disunity is perhaps what has put us where we are today. We have come today to tell ourselves that enough is enough.”
Prof. Owan-Enoh dismissed criticisms that the gathering of the four local government areas was aimed at fracturing the Central Senatorial District, explaining that cohesion is a prerequisite for broader state unity.
“We have not come to divide; we are not jealous of anybody. We only want to learn and copy how the north and south have come together so that our communities will be truly developed,” he noted. “We want to strengthen ourselves so we can strengthen the central district.”
Looking at the political trajectory, Prof. Owan-Enoh reaffirmed the district’s backing for Governor Otu, urging the people of IBOE not to be misled by opposition rhetoric or grand promises. He emphasized the fairness of maintaining the established rotational power-sharing arrangement among the state’s senatorial districts.
“In going forward, from Obubra to Ikom, from Boki to Etung, we stand with Senator Bassey Otu,” he asserted. “He must spend his eight years. The South gave to the Central, from the Central it went to the North, and the North returned it to the South. It must complete its full turn.”
The SSG praised Governor Otu’s administration for prioritizing the completion and consolidation of projects of previous administrations rather than abandoning existing infrastructure.
“Today, we have a governor who says he will not take any unnecessary new path – he will combine tourism, rural development, and industrialization for the overall development of the state,” Owan-Enoh said. “It is more difficult to rebuild than to start a new building. This man is busy trying to correct the errors of the past, and we must give him the time and support to succeed.”
He therefore extended a hand of reconciliation to aggrieved political stakeholders following recent primary elections, calling for a grassroots, house-to-house campaign ahead of upcoming elections.
“Although the party is supreme, the people are more supreme,” Owan-Enoh remarked. “We are determined to call all our brothers and sisters who lost in their primaries to come back to the family. There is no victor and no vanquished.”
He expressed appreciation to traditional rulers, paramount chiefs, youth organizations, and community representatives present, urging them to carry the message of unity and renewal back to their respective towns and villages.
