Otu dedicates 66th birthday to widows in Cross River

The Cross River State governor, Prince Bassey Otu, on Friday marked his 66th birthday with widows spread all over the 18 local government areas of the state.

Otu while addressing them at the event hall of the state library complex, Calabar, said “this year birthday, I decided not to celebrate myself rather look at the society and people who for one reason or the other must have lost something very important and irreplaceable and use this moment to tell them that God remains their husbands and will continue to be their strength.”

He maintained that women play significant roles in the lives of all especially when procreation is considered amid very challenging economy, a situation the governor assured, would soon turn around for the good of all.

“The economy has been very difficult and truly the government is doing its best to reach everybody at the point of reach, so for this celebration today, I dedicate it totally to widows,” the governor remarked

Charging the citizenry not to relent in sacrificing for the state, Otu informed that Cross River has grown in content and character as the state and its citizenry are respected the world over.

“Travel to anywhere and say you are from Cross River, you will be given special respect and what we are identified with is integrity, though somehow something happened but gone are those days as the things we saw yesterday, we will not see again rather we will be going forward and nothing will stop us,” the governor said.

He pointed out that his administration has established a complaint desk to check hostile citizens who engage in the collection of unnecessary tolls while causing pains to people, stressing that defaulters will be prosecuted and forced to return all wares illegally seized.

Wife of the governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, described her husband as one who thinks about others before self, amiable, humane and a governor who leads and loves to see others progress.

She explained that biblically, women were the first to see Christ both at birth and resurrection, hence widows in the state turning out as the first to celebrate the governor on the occasion of his birthday.

“We are seeing what he is doing and cannot pretend not to see, hence we have come out here to motivate and encourage him to keep doing what he is doing best,” the governor’s Wife said.

Archbishop Margaret Ene-Ita, Commissioner for Social welfare and Community Development, on her part thanked God for seeing the precarious situation of the state and offering a humane, God-fearing and indefatigable leader in Otu, to rescue the state.

Quoting 1 Chronicle 11: 1, Ene-Ita said: “Then all Israel gathered themselves to David at Hebron saying, behold we are thy bones and thy flesh,” admitting that, “this is the basis for which we are gathered here today.”

The trio of Mrs. Florence Dan Archibong, Mrs. Felicia Iyaba and Chief (Mrs.) Monica Okom, in their goodwill messages commended the governor for offering a new lease of life to women in the state irrespective of party divide.

Pledging loyalty to Otu, they unanimously affirmed that the over 7000 widows in the State have declared a no vacancy into the Pellegrino house in 2027, as the governor has impacted tremendously on the citizenry.

The event featured special presentation by Poet Inyang and MC Senator as well as dance by the women sealed with cutting of the birthday cake officiated by Mrs. Ann Essessien.

By: Archibong Emmanuel

(Snr. Reporter)