Alphonsus Ogar Eba, the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, has publicly leveled accusations of corruption against Governor Bassey Otu’s administration. Eba, currently the running mate for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Arthur Jarvis Archibong, addressed these claims during a press conference in Calabar.
The central accusation involves the alleged conversion of a historical federal rubber estate, dating back to the era of Sir Michael Okpara in the 1950s, into a private oil palm venture owned by the governor. Eba further claimed that the governor and his wife, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, have amassed numerous properties since taking office. Additionally, he asserted that state contracts are being steered toward associates of the administration and criticized the governor for obstructing a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) road project in his home community of Adiabo.
The state government responded through Gill Nsa, the Special Adviser on Public Affairs, who rejected all claims as politically driven falsehoods. Nsa argued that Eba’s credibility is compromised, citing his previous removal from the APC chairmanship due to alleged financial mismanagement and a lack of accountability. Regarding the Adiabo road, Nsa clarified that the project is a collaborative effort between the state and the NDDC, with officials from the commission having already praised the government’s contributions. He also noted that several ongoing projects were inherited from previous administrations, emphasizing that the state is committed to completing them to ensure governance continuity.
