Otu’s 83 New Appointments: Advancing Cross River’s Governance and Economy

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has made 83 new appointments to help him drive the state’s governance and economy forward.

The list includes 28 special assistants, three personal assistants, 38 special advisers, and 14 directors-general, general managers, and managing directors into boards and agencies of the state.

While congratulating the new appointees, Governor Otu emphasized the importance of diligence and the need to bring their wealth of experience to bear in the service of the state.

However, the announcement has sparked discussions about the gender sensitivity and composition of the appointments.

Some critics have pointed out that the list of special advisers has only 8 women, which represents just 21%, while the list of DGs, GMs, and MDs, which is 14 in number, has only 2 women, suggesting a mere 14% representation.

The lack of gender parity has raised concerns about the inclusivity of the appointments.

There are also concerns about the multiplicity of responsibility in the appointments.

For example, there are Special Assistants on Students Affairs, Students Advocacy, and Students Orientation.

Additionally, the appointment of officials in the area of security seems excessive, with four security advisers already in place.

Furthermore, critics have argued that the appointments consist mainly of politicians, some of whom lost the last election, rather than technocrats.

This has led to calls for Governor Otu to review the list, bring more technocrats on board, and show commitment to the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by appointing a special adviser for this purpose, especially in the areas of conflict management and peace building.

The importance of CSOs in supporting the governor’s plans to revamp the state’s agriculture sector cannot be overstated.

The sector needs peace to thrive and the watchful eyes of CSOs on the public and private sectors to ensure transparency and accountability.

Governor Otu’s 83 new appointments have sparked a debate about the importance of gender sensitivity, the inclusion of technocrats, and the need for a balance between political and technical appointments.

The success of Cross River State’s governance and economy will depend on how well these appointments are leveraged to drive the state forward.