The Governor of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Otu has inaugurated the Elders Advisory Council of the Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF).
The body was established to provide guidance and a feedback mechanism for the administration of the State.
The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Peter Odey, emphasized the significance of the new council, giving the assurance that its advice would be paramount to the success of his administration.
“Governments that have this quality of advisors cannot fail, and will not fail,”
the Governor declared, adding that his government is a “people centered one, a government that believes in the people of Cross River State.”
He used the occasion to disclose the aggressive focus of his government on asset recovery, stating his determination “to reclaim all assets of Cross River State.”
The Governor specifically vowed, “let it be on record that our oil wells will be restored.
Earlier, the Chairman of Cross River State Consultative Forum, Mr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, explained that the council was established to ensure the continuity of relationships across the State’s elite and to build support for the Governor’s second term bid.
Mr. Ekpo noted that the Elders Advisory Council would act as a “filter, a feedback mechanism to monitor the application of government interventions and projects down the line of the ordinary citizens.
He also highlighted the administration’s achievements, including the completion of over 200 kilometers of roads, the employment of over 8,000 indigenes, and the successful reclamation of the Tinapa resort from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
In his address, the newly inaugurated Chairman of the Elders Advisory Council, Chief Clement Ebri, expressed his commitment to the role and the readiness of the council members.
“I want to assure you that I’m fully committed,” Chief Ebri said.
He expressed pleasure that the administration is ready to listen to other people, citing the Deputy Governor’s promise that their advice would not be taken for granted.
Chief Ebri concluded by assuring the audience of the council’s national influence.
“If we constitute a body here to go to Abuja, we will not feel inferior.”
The event also highlighted the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Otu for a second term, and the celebration of Ebri’s 73rd birthday.
