Otu has wasted 16 years in public office – ADC governorship candidate, Toyo

Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, the ADC governorship candidate for Cross River State, has criticized Governor Bassey Otu for wasting 16 years in public office without delivering any tangible projects to the people. Toyo, a former ambassador to Ethiopia, made this claim in an interview in Calabar, where she discussed her prospects in the upcoming governorship election and evaluated Otu's record in the National Assembly and as governor.

She challenged Otu to provide evidence of any projects he initiated during his more than 12 years in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as during his tenure as governor. Toyo stated that during her 16 years in public service, she had contested elections seven times and defeated Otu on two occasions. However, Ekpenyong Akiba, the governor's Special Adviser on General Duties, refuted Toyo's assessment.

Akiba claimed that Otu had implemented extensive empowerment programs and constituency projects while serving in the National Assembly. He emphasized that no other politician in Cross River State had carried out empowerment programs on the same scale as Otu. Akiba also noted that the Otu administration prioritized completing projects left incomplete by previous administrations and recovering state assets.

Some of the achievements, according to him, include road construction projects across the three senatorial districts, refurbishment of public facilities such as the state library and government houses, and the settlement of state debts.