Cross River State has spent the last three years recovering from what Archbishop Josef Bassey described as a “deep pit” of debt, institutional decay and abandoned public assets inherited by the administration of Governor Bassey Otu in 2023.
Archbishop Bassey, the Territorial Archbishop of Calabar and Convener of the Cross River Christian Leaders Forum, made the assessment during a press briefing on the state of the state.
According to him, the state government inherited a difficult financial situation, including domestic debt of more than ₦200 billion, unpaid pension arrears dating back to 2009, a weakened civil service and deteriorated public infrastructure.
He said the situation meant that the administration had to devote significant resources to recovery before it could fully concentrate on aggressive development.
However, the Archbishop acknowledged what he described as notable progress under Governor Otu, citing a reduction in the state’s domestic debt.
Figures from the Debt Management Office showed that Cross River’s domestic debt fell by ₦71.7 billion, from the earlier level to ₦132.3 billion as of March 2026. He also noted an increase in internally generated revenue, which rose from ₦21.1 billion in 2022 to ₦31.56 billion in 2023, while state records put the figure at ₦46.3 billion in 2024.
Archbishop Bassey also listed the recovery of Tinapa from AMCON and the rebuilding of the Governor’s Office, State Library, Cultural Centre and government lodges among the achievements recorded during the recovery period.
He further said pension arrears had been cleared up to 2015.
But the cleric stressed that the state could no longer remain focused primarily on recovery, saying the next phase should be centred on aggressive economic development.
“We have spent three years buying back our past, climbing out of a pit we should never have fallen into,” he said, urging the government to build on the recovery and move the state into a stronger phase of development.
He identified the Bakassi Deep Seaport, agricultural transformation through Project Grow and the pursuit of Cross River’s maritime rights as areas capable of shaping the state’s future economic development.
The Archbishop also called on Governor Otu to make changes within his administration, particularly by removing appointees he believes lack the capacity to effectively handle their responsibilities.
He argued that some appointees were occupying offices beyond their competence, urging the governor to place capable individuals in positions where they can deliver results.
The comments come as the Otu administration approaches the latter part of its first four-year term, with attention increasingly shifting from recovery and rehabilitation to questions about the pace and impact of development across Cross River.
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