By Linus Obogo
On the 21st of April, 2025, three days from today, the Northern Cross River Coalition (NORTHCCO) will not simply convene; it will converge—with clarity, conviction, and a cause that rings louder than ever before. This is more than a General Assembly. It is a reawakening. A gathering not just of people, but of destiny.
For too long, the narrative of the Northern zone has been filtered through the aperture of division—its diverse tongues mistaken for dissonance, its complex cultural map misunderstood as chaos. But those days appear over. The April 21st General Assembly marks a turning point: where scattered fragments are gathered, aligned, and transformed into unshakable force.
Here, in the crucible of collective will, something extraordinary will be forged.
The NORTHCCO General Assembly is not just a political event—it is a cultural and psychological reckoning. It is where long-held grievances are not brushed aside, but brought to the table with dignity. Where marginalization is met with mobilization. Where silence is replaced with speech, and despair gives way to determination.
It is a homecoming for every son and daughter of the North who has longed for unity with purpose. A space where identities are celebrated, not negotiated. Where the Bekwarra, Yala, the Mbube, Ejagham, the Bette, and every other proud people of the region speak not just for themselves—but for each other.
This Assembly will not be built on rhetorics; it will be grounded in real needs. Every conversation is a building block. Every resolution taken, will be a step forward.
The socioeconomic flourishing of the region will no longer be a distant ideal—it will be a blueprint drafted in real-time, by real people, for real impact.
What makes this moment even more crucial is the leadership being looked up to. His Excellency, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, they are not just servant leaders, they are in touch with the incongruities that plague the North, attuned to the heartbeat of the region. Their governance is marked by vision, decisiveness, and a firm belief that unity is not weakness, but power.
In resolute harmony, NORTHCCO, ahead of 2027, casts its full weight behind the indomitable tag team of His Excellency, the Sweet Prince, whose leadership is both a promise and a pathway and his loyal and steadfast Deputy, son of the soil, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey. With each stride they take, the region surges forward, shedding hesitation and embracing its own power.
The power of this moment lies not only in who is at the table, but in who is finally being heard. Women whose voices have too long been hushed. Youth who have ideas waiting to be unleashed. Elders whose wisdom still burns with urgency and relevance. Entrepreneurs, educators, artisans, farmers—this is their forum, their future, their fight.
From the outskirts of Obudu, the Rocky mountains of Obanliku, the sleepy villages of Bekwarra, the saline steads of Yala to the bustling heart of Ogoja, the message rings clear: the era of waiting is over. The age of acting, together, has begun.
Let it be noted that the North is no longer a fragmented tale of forgotten potential. It is a rising force, organized around shared pain, bound by shared hope, and propelled by shared purpose.
Let the Assembly echo with visions that outlast speeches. Let it birth decisions that endure beyond the moment. Let every handshake signal partnership, every policy reflect the pulse of the people, and every promise carry the weight of commitment.
This is NORTHCCO’s bold new dawn. A dawn where unity will no longer be an aspiration, but a discipline.
Where identity is not a source of strife, but a song of strength.
Where the North no longer waits for a seat at the table—but builds the table itself.
Let the flame be lit.
Let the North rise, not in fragments, but in force.
Obogo is NORTHCCO Director of Information and Communication
