Cross River State governor, Bassey Edet Otu has inaugurated 31 commissioner nominees to constitute members of the state executive council and also assigned them portfolios.
At the inauguration ceremony which took place yesterday at the Temporary Governor’s Office, Dan P. Archibong Lodge Calabar, Otu urged the new commissioners to work towards ensuring that the state is brought back to life.
The ceremony which was attended by the state deputy governor, Peter Odey and the state chief judge, Justice Akon Ikpeme, also had spouses of the commissioners in attendance.
The governor assigned former senator representing Cross North at the National Assembly, Senator Stephen Odey as education commissioner, Mr Mike Odere is to serve the state as the state commissioner for finance.
Otu also assigned to ex-finance minister’s son during the Abacha’s regime, Mr Ededem Ani, as attorney general and commissioner for justice.
Others are former University of Calabar bursar, Dr Beatrice Igwe, as commissioner for housing, while a former state publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress, Mr Erasmus Ekpang will serve as commissioner for information.
He unbundled agriculture ministry and created the Ministry of Crops, Irrigation Development with Johnson Ebokpo as commissioner.
In the same vein, Ntufam Emmanuel Anom was named as commissioner for the new Ministry of Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development.
The governor also named former council chairman for Ikom LGA, Mr Kingsley Egumi as commissioner for ministry of human capital and entrepreneurial development, while Patrick Egbede was assigned to take charge of Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment.
After the inauguration, Odey promised to lift the education sector to higher heights stressing that all the experiences gained over the years would be channelled towards the development of the sector.
“I intend to improve the quality of education to compete favourable with other states who had been known to be educationally advantaged,” Odey said.
