Gov Otu attracts €2.5b investments to C’River

• Declares Emergency In Health Sector

In a bid to achieve his manifesto of offering the citizenry a ‘Season of Sweetness,’ Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has signed-on foreign direct investments of over €2.5 billion in the state. The state government has also declared the human resource crisis in the health sector in the state as an emergency situation. The pacts signed by the state government and some private sector investors were part of the first set of investments attracted to the state by the administration.

The private sector investments include €1.2 billion urban waste management; €700 million Calabar water treatment, management and recirculation, as well as the €20 million intra-city public transportation using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) enabled vehicles. Others are a N10 billion ICT skills development hub in Obanliku and N500 million cassava cultivation and processing in Odukpani. Speaking after the sign-on ceremony, SPAC Chairman, High Chief Eyo Etim Nyong, assured the investors of the readiness of the administration to provide conducive environment for investment.

He appealed for a greater percentage of employment opportunities to Cross Riverians, adding that as corporate organisations, they owe the state some corporate social responsibilities to contribute to other social services.

Nyong remarked that SPAC, as part of its functions, would continue to advise the government on all projects, policies and programmes aimed at impacting the citizenry in line with the ‘people first’ mantra of the Otu-led administration.

The sign-on ceremony for the various investment portfolios took place at the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, in Calabar.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, while addressing newsmen over recent public outcry against the deplorable state of healthcare services in the state, said the Otu-led administration was taking urgent steps to address the situation.

The commissioner noted that in its avowed commitment to improve the standard of health services in the state, the governor has lifted the employment embargo in the sector and directed an expedited action on the process of staff recruitment.

“The governor had also directed the Ministry of Health to redeploy critical health personnel from urban locations to underserved rural communities, commence implementation of improved conditions of service for health staff to align with what is obtained in federal service, as well as engagement of contract staff as a stop gap,” he added.