Beyond the Gaming Revolution: Why Governor Otu’s Second-Term Bid Is Crucial to Sustaining Cross River’s Developmental Strides

 

By Michael Eja

Governments should not be judged only by what they start, but by what they are able to sustain, consolidate and turn into lasting institutions.

That is why the debate over Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s second-term bid should go beyond politics.

It should be about continuity and whether the foundations being laid across Cross River can be strengthened enough to deliver lasting benefits.

The Cross River State Lottery and Gaming Agency is one example. As its pioneer Director-General, I witnessed its transition from an idea into a regulatory institution, supported by the Cross River State Lotteries and Gaming Agency Law, 2025.

Its significance goes beyond gaming. It represents an effort to regulate an emerging industry, protect consumers, create jobs and develop legitimate revenue opportunities for the state.

The next task is consolidation-modernising its systems, improving compliance and positioning it to become a stronger contributor to Cross River’s revenue architecture by 2031.

But the larger story is the broader development agenda.

Cross River must continue to diversify its economy through agriculture, oil and gas, maritime investment, tourism and private-sector development.

Its potential in cocoa, cassava, rice, oil palm, rubber, cashew and fisheries requires sustained investment in production, processing and value chains.

Education and healthcare also require long-term commitment. Student support, STEM and skills development, modern health facilities, specialised services and healthcare training are investments whose full benefits will emerge over time.

Security remains fundamental, particularly across the 18 local government areas, the riverine communities and the Cameroon border corridor from Bakassi to Obanliku. Without security, investment, agriculture and tourism cannot thrive.

Infrastructure is equally important. The Bakassi Deep Seaport, investment in water transportation, the blue economy, improved roads and stronger air connectivity through Cally Air can expand economic opportunities if given consistent policy attention.

Tourism perhaps offers Cross River its most distinctive advantage. The revival of the 32-day Calabar Festival and Carnival Calabar should be complemented by a deliberate effort to reposition the state’s wider tourism assets.

Tinapa must be part of that conversation. Its return and repositioning as a major tourism, hospitality, entertainment and investment destination could complement Carnival Calabar and other attractions, create jobs and strengthen Cross River’s tourism economy.

The central issue, therefore, is continuity.

What happens to the Bakassi Deep Seaport? What happens to emerging oil and gas opportunities?

What happens to security along the waterways, border and riverine communities? What happens to Tinapa and the wider tourism strategy?

What happens to reforms in education, healthcare, agriculture, aviation and revenue generation?

These are development questions, not merely political questions.

No administration can solve every problem within four years. But where foundations have been laid, abandoning them before they mature can be costly.

Governor Otu’s first term has created foundations in several areas. A second term should therefore be about consolidation, completion and scaling up-not starting again.

For the Lottery and Gaming Agency, it means moving from establishment to institutional maturity.

For tourism, it means making assets such as Tinapa, Obudu Cattle Ranch and Bebi Airstrip part of a stronger year-round tourism economy.

For agriculture, it means moving from production to value addition. For healthcare and education, it means strengthening institutions and human capital.

For infrastructure and security, it means sustaining the work required to unlock wider economic opportunities.

Cross River has the people, resources and strategic advantages to reclaim its place as one of Nigeria’s leading destinations for tourism, investment and innovation.

But potential alone does not build a state.

Vision must become policy. Policy must become implementation. Implementation requires continuity.

That, in my considered view, is why Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s second-term bid deserves serious consideration—not simply as a political proposition, but as an opportunity to consolidate the foundations already laid and take them further.

Not because one man knows it all, but because Cross River is bigger than all of us.

The work of building its future must continue with leadership that identifies opportunities, activates ideas and places the right people in the right positions to deliver results. 

And that leader, at this time, is His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu.

Michael Eja

Pioneer Director-General, Cross River State Lottery and Gaming Agency

Writes from Calabar