The governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Arthur Jarvis Archibong, has insisted that Bassey Otu is an absentee governor who spends less than ten days in the state but spends over 20 days abroad or in Abuja.
The first time he described Otu as such was two weeks ago at a news conference where he decried the governor’s continued absence in the state he had campaigned to rule.
He had alleged that the governor’s absence has impacted the state negatively, as governance was left in the hands of aides who take critical decisions on his behalf, including the decision to arrest and detain social media critics.
But the Commissioner for Information, Ekpenyong Cobham, in a swift response at a similar conference, dismissed his claims, saying that Archibong was still in another age and did not know that with today’s technology, the governor can function from any part of the world effectively.
However, recently, in an interview, the PDP flagbearer again alleged that when critical events requiring the governor’s personal presence occur, he is never available.
“When landslides claimed lives and destroyed properties, and when fire swept through our businesses like the recent SPAR shopping mall crisis, our governor is nowhere to be found.
He noted that the Commissioner had claimed the governor’s perpetual absence was to attract businesses to the state, “but let us ask, what has all these travels produced? The governor keeps going out for the signing of MoUs, but Cross Riverians are yet to see the dividends.
“After so many MoUs, show me how many have translated to successful projects that are addressing the pitiful situation of this state.
“Where are the factories? Where are the jobs? Where is the relief for the ordinary man? You cannot be absent at home in the name of chasing investors abroad, while the house is on fire and there is no water to put it out.”
