Governor Bassey Otu has signed the amended Cross River Local Government Law, a significant legislative milestone aimed at enhancing grassroots governance and service delivery in the state.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at his temporary office in Calabar, Otu commended the state Assembly for its proactive and people-centred legislative work. He emphasised that the amended law would strengthen representation at the grassroots level and drive meaningful development.

“In no distant time, the difference at the grassroots level will be clear,” the governor assured. Reflecting on the political landscape, Otu expressed satisfaction with the state Assembly’s status as a fully All Progressives Congress (APC) legislature. He noted that with the party now fully in control, unity and collaboration were imperative to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, highlighted the transformative impact of the amendments. He stated that the revised law would accelerate economic development, encourage broader participation in governance, and enhance service delivery at the grassroots level.

Some of the key amendments to the Principal Law include Section 4(4) which increases the number of departments from seven to twelve, allowing for a more structured and efficient administration; Section 5(2) where adjustments in percentages of funds allocated to key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enhance effectiveness and efficiency were made; Section 20(1) which entrusts Vice Chairmen of councils with oversight on humanitarian affairs, peace and conflict resolution, border and boundary matters, as well as sports; Section 21, which mandates that all appointments into the Executive Councils must reflect Federal Character, ensuring balanced representation.