Being barely 3 days to the gubernatorial election and to what seems like a last minute shopping for support; the rising popularity, undying love and acceptance of Senator Prince Bassey Otu across party lines has been very unprecedented in the past days amidst endorsement from Labour Unions, religious and socio-economic organizations, while some opposition candidates in forlornness have resulted to horse-trading in a desperate attempt hoodwink Cross Riverians, using external forces and riding on people’s goodwill rather than putting forth achievements to the masses.
Sen Prince Bassey Otu , an ex-banker, one time House of Representatives Member representing Odukpani and Calabar Municipal Federal Constituency and Senator representing Calabar South, combining both legislative and administrative experiences, and chairing vital committees, has much more than enough track records of outstanding performance and excellent capacity in leadership. In fact, Otu’s sterling performance as legislator has placed him higher than other candidates. His generosity, simplicity, sagacious leadership style and god-fearing nature graciously endeared him to the people, thus the name “Sweet Prince”.
During the 16 years reign of PDP before the coming of APC, we could barely hear anything about political empowerment in north and central Cross River State but one man in the Southern Senatorial District, Sen Prince Bassey Otu made Cross Riverians to understand what political empowerment meant. Where others went and brought salt and Maggie to their constituents, Otu went with a midas touch – a man with the ability of changing rusted metal to shining gold. A very calm and unassuming gentleman. At the upper legislative chambers, Otu brought skill acquisition programs (hairdressing, plumbing, tailoring etc.) which were followed up with startup capital upon completion of training. Many southern youths became landed proprietors, and thousands became car and tricycle (keknape) owners. It is said that majority of the taxicabs and tricycles in calabar today, were courtesy of Otu’s benevolence and generosity to his people, as it is on record the Otu gave more than 2,000 taxicabs and tricycles to his constituents.
Digressing from the sweetness of Prince Bassey Otu which has been evidently established beyond reasonable doubts, another factor advancing Otu’s aspiration of becoming the number one citizen of Cross River, and militating against the main opposition candidate is the call for rotation of power which is embedded in the “Back To South” mantra. While the opposition parties decided alter the rotational arrangement of power in the state in a desperate strive to showcase might, APC stood by the rotational accord which promotes fairness, unity, equity and justice in the state. Without the rotational accord, Cross River North would have been left out of power after the south and central had their own share of the governorship. Even though candidates always come from all districts during election, the consciousness and awareness of voters overtime during election has always been a reflection of the power rotation accord in the state.
Among the three Senatorial District, Cross River North which is still having the governorship position is the greatest beneficiary of power rotation, because prior to 2015 election, campaigns and political agitations were anchored on equity, unity and rotation of power, owing to the fact that the Central and South had benefited and it was left for the north to also benefit even though they couldn’t pull a weighty force as a minority region. At the time, the Southern Senatorial district pulled their mighty weight behind Cross River North in two consecutive times (2015 & 2019).
It will be barbaric and tantamount to betrayal for the North not to reciprocate the support of the south. If not supported, it maybe consequential to the northern region and the rising youths.
Sen. Prince Otu was once a labour party senatorial candidate in 2015 but later moved to APC and in 2019, he was approached by concerned youths and political gladiators who saw genuine leadership in him to run for the governorship against Ayade and the North, but in the spirit of equity, unity and justice, Otu declined, saying it was not yet the turn of the south. Now, the wind of equity, justice and fairness enveloped in the “Back To South” agitation is climaxing, it is expedient for Cross River North and indeed Cross Riverians at large to give their votes to a refined gentleman whose overwhelming performance as a senator has no doubt placed him in the hall of fame as the “Sweetest Prince”.
A vote for sweet Prince Bassey Otu is a vote for the actualisation of the people’s first manifesto where human capital and infrastructural development are topmost priority.
©️Denis Inakefe, ANIPR
