…accuses Eba of making what he described as “unguided” comments against Governor Otu
By Frank Ulom
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Published on July 3, 2026
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3 min read
The Chairman of the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Cross River State Chapter, Comrade Francis Finian Offionor, has called on the Cross River State Government to constitute a probe panel to investigate the compensation exercise for the Okuku–Okpoma–Mfom road project executed during the administration of former Governor Senator Ben Ayade.
Offionor made the call in a statement issued while responding to recent remarks by the immediate past Cross River State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alphonsus Ogar Eba, over Governor Senator Prince Bassey Otu’s administration.
In the statement, Offionor accused Eba of making what he described as “unguided” comments against Governor Otu and alleged that the former APC chairman should be investigated over the handling of compensation funds linked to the Okuku–Okpoma–Mfom road project during his tenure as Director-General of Due Process under the Ayade administration.
He alleged that the compensation process was characterised by fraud and mismanagement, claiming that many affected residents suffered losses while the project remained incomplete for years. He further alleged that funds meant for compensation were diverted, resulting in hardship for communities affected by the road construction.
The NYC chairman urged Governor Otu to establish a judicial or administrative panel to investigate the compensation exercise, as well as other projects executed during the previous administration, including the NorthFest programme and the proposed Yala/Ogoja aluminium roofing factory, alleging that public funds allocated to the projects should be scrutinised.
Offionor also defended the performance of Governor Otu in the Northern Senatorial District, arguing that the current administration has undertaken significant infrastructure and rural development projects across the area.
According to him, the ongoing 25.5-kilometre Okuku–Okpoma–Mfom road project has reached about 75 per cent completion within a relatively short period. He also listed the Ndok–Mbube Road, Ukelle Road, Yache–Akreha Road and several roads within Ogoja town among projects currently being executed by the state government.
He further claimed that the Otu administration has invested billions of naira in solar-powered and rural electrification projects across the Northern Senatorial District, describing the projects as visible evidence of the government’s commitment to the region.
Offionor maintained that Governor Otu has fulfilled his electoral promises to the northern part of the state, noting that the district gave the governor substantial electoral support during the 2023 governorship election.
He criticised Eba’s recent comments against the governor and urged political leaders in the Northern Senatorial District not to remain silent over what he described as attempts to misrepresent the region.
The NYC chairman insisted that allegations surrounding the compensation exercise and other projects under the previous administration deserved a thorough investigation in the interest of accountability and transparency.
The allegations contained in Offionor’s statement have not been independently verified; however, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, in an interview with The Whistler, published on June 30, did launch a blistering attack on Governor Bassey Otu, accusing him of disrespecting the people of Northern Cross River and treating them “like clowns.”
Eba said his political disagreement with Governor Otu was never about securing a second term as APC chairman but about resisting what he described as the systematic marginalisation and humiliation of the Northern Senatorial District.
“He looked at all of us as poor in reasoning, poor in wealth, because we gather every day to gyrate.
“We are like clowns before him. If we all are blind, somebody should stand and say, ‘No, we are not.’ It takes only one man to stand and say no,” Eba told The Whistler.
