Governor Bassey Otu has said his administration is focused on reviving abandoned government projects and making sure they become functional instead of leaving them as uncompleted investments.
Speaking during an interview with media personality, Diana Mary Nsan, on the programme Dialogue, the governor explained that his administration has invested heavily in inherited projects such as Cally Farm, Calachika and the Ogoja Rice Mill.
According to him, Cally Farm has been completed and is now ready for commissioning.
Governor Otu said the Calachika project also required major restructuring after his administration discovered that the original production plan would not generate enough economic value.
He explained that the project was initially designed to produce about 25,000 units, but after reviewing its operations, the government decided to upgrade the machines and improve the entire production process to make it more profitable and competitive.
The governor said the additional investments and technical work have now been completed, and the project is also awaiting commissioning.
Speaking on the Ogoja Rice Mill, Otu admitted that the project is still facing technical problems and issues relating to its concession agreement.
He said the state government is currently discussing with the concessionaire to reach an agreement that will allow the rice mill to operate at full capacity.
Governor Otu added that several other projects inherited from previous administrations also came with serious technical challenges, which his government is gradually resolving.
He stressed that his administration is more interested in ensuring projects are functional and sustainable than simply declaring them completed.
The governor further revealed that his administration has gone beyond projects inherited from the immediate past government by reviving investments that had been abandoned for many years.
He cited the state's rubber estate as one of the success stories.
According to him, the plantation was almost inactive when his administration came into office, with only about 300 workers remaining.
Today, he said, the estate has been revived and now employs more than 600 people after the government recovered it from the former concessionaire and restored operations.
Governor Otu also disclosed that several government-owned farms have been brought back to life through new management structures and operational reforms.
He said the revived farms are creating employment opportunities while attracting fresh investments into the state's agricultural sector.
The governor noted that his administration is committed to ensuring that host communities and local farmers benefit directly from these investments by making them active stakeholders.
He added that plantations originally established by the former Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation and other government agencies have also been revived after years of neglect and are now contributing to economic activities across Cross River State.
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