Archbishop Asks Gov Otu To Sack Incompetent Appointees

Territorial Archbishop of Calabar, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has advised Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River State to disengage incompetent appointees from his cabine.

He warned that weak personnel could undermine the gains recorded by the administration over the last three years.

In a chat with journalists yesterday on the “State of the State” at Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, Bassey said what the state needs is competent hands and not mediocres brought into government for political reasons.

Bassey, who is also the convener of Cross River State Christian Leaders Forum, said that while the government deserves commendation for steadying the state, the next phase will be won or lost on the quality of those driving the policy of government.
“Some appointees in this administration are simply not good enough. I will not pretend otherwise,” he declared.

“Some have neither understood the vision nor demonstrated the capacity to execute it. Some appear to have mistaken appointment for arrival and public office for an opportunity for self profiling.”

The Archbishop was blunt on what should be done. “If a man cannot take obsessive ownership of Governor’s vision, and practically translate it into measurable reality, he should not occupy strategic public office.

“If he lacks competence, remove him. If he cannot execute, replace him,” he said.

“You can lose with a good team, but can’t win without one. In football for instance, a team searches the world for the right players and will pay any price it can reasonably afford to get the best.

This must be the way to go. Cross River cannot afford political settlement in appointments.”
While acknowledging the administration’s achievements, Bassey stated that domestic debt inherited by the Otu’s administration as at June 2023 stood at about N204bn stressing that the debt had dropped to N132.30bn as of March 2026.

He said that Internally Generated Revenue grew from N21.1bn in 2022 to N46.3bn in 2024 adding that the administration has also recovered Tinapa from AMCON, rebuilt the Governor’s Office, State Library and Cultural Centre, and has paid gratuity backlogs up to 2015 after 14 years a development which the cleric said its laudable.

“Measured against what was inherited, the resources available, the liabilities carried and the economic circumstances, the achievements of Governor Bassey Edet Otu in three years are absolutely extraordinary,” he said.

The cleric warned that three years had been spent “buying back the past” through repairs and debt servicing funds that should have gone into development.

He urged the administration of Governor Otu to shift its focus to agriculture, processing, the Bakassi Deep Seaport process, and the pursuit of Cross River’s maritime and petroleum rights if the administration have intention to turnaround its fortunes for the good of the people.

“Recovery restores what was lost. Development creates what never existed,” Bassey noted, stressing that execution, not announcements, will define the future.

He concluded that his loyalty remains to Cross River State. “Where government fails, I will speak. Where government succeeds, I will acknowledge it. Where government must do more, I will demand it,” the Archbishop said.

“The next phase requires character, competence, capacity, track record and execution. Nothing less. We have spent three years buying back our past. Now, we must build our future. Cross River remains. And Cross River must win,” the cleric maintained.