The match, held inside the custodial facility on Sunday, was organised by the Council for Unemployed and Small Scale Business Owners of Nigeria (CUSSBON), Cross River State Chapter, in conjunction with inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Calabar.
By Frank Ulom
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Published on October 20, 2026
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4 min read
Inmates of the Afokang Correctional Centre in Calabar, Cross River State, have honoured Governor Bassey Edet Otu with a novelty football match to mark his 67th birthday.
The match, held inside the custodial facility on Sunday, was organised by the Council for Unemployed and Small Scale Business Owners of Nigeria (CUSSBON), Cross River State Chapter, in conjunction with inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Calabar.
The event was organised to celebrate Otu, whom the organisers described as a humane, compassionate and reform-minded leader, while promoting sports as a tool for rehabilitation, teamwork and social reintegration among inmates.
Speaking at the event, the Officer-in-Charge of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Calabar, DCC V.U. Muokebe, said the inmates were inspired by the governor’s People First administration, particularly its interventions in prison decongestion, inmates’ welfare and justice sector reforms.
Muokebe said the celebration recognised the governor’s leadership and provided an opportunity to promote the role of sports in the reformation and reintegration of inmates.
“First, we celebrate the life, leadership and legacies of His Excellency, who has continued to demonstrate commitment to the welfare and development of the people of Cross River State. Second, we use sports as a veritable tool for reformation, teamwork and reintegration, a key pillar of the Nigerian Correctional Service mandate,” he said.
He commended CUSSBON’s Cross River State Chapter for partnering with the custodial centre to organise the event, describing the initiative as a demonstration of inclusion, hope and respect for human dignity.
“Your decision to partner with this Custodial Centre and to mark this celebration with our inmates sends a strong message of inclusion, hope and human dignity. You have shown that no one is forgotten and that rehabilitation is a collective responsibility,” Muokebe said.
He urged the participating inmates to demonstrate discipline, unity and sportsmanship, noting that the match provided an opportunity to celebrate a common leader and their state.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, Governor Otu thanked the inmates for the gesture and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to justice sector reforms, inmates’ welfare and rehabilitation.
The governor, who made cash donations to the organisers and the inmates, described the match as a thoughtful initiative aimed at bringing laughter, relief and social interaction to people living under challenging circumstances.
He also assured residents that his administration remained committed to the welfare of all citizens and was working to restore the glory and dignity of Cross River State.
The chairman of the organising group and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, said the match was organised to honour Otu for his interventions in improving the lives of inmates within his three years in office.
Ugbo said the governor had supported efforts to upgrade facilities at the correctional centre, adding that the initiative was intended to recognise his administration’s approach to governance and its impact on inmates.
He explained that the event went beyond football, conveying a message of hope, reformation and belonging to inmates who are often excluded from wider social activities.
According to him, the initiative was inspired by Otu’s compassionate leadership and People First philosophy, which he said had given inmates a sense of inclusion in the affairs of the state.
Ugbo thanked the management of the correctional centre for supporting the initiative and praised the inmates for their discipline and enthusiasm during the celebration.
He said the event demonstrated that talent and humanity could thrive even behind prison walls, while praying for the governor’s good health and renewed wisdom to lead Cross River State to greater heights.
The celebration climaxed with a keenly contested novelty football match, after which inmates and other participants chorused, “Happy Birthday, Your Excellency,” within the custodial facility.
