The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has demanded greater transparency and accountability regarding the state’s revenue, which they estimate exceeds 220 billion naira.
In a statement released in Calabar, Mike Ojisi, the party’s Publicity Secretary, expressed serious concern over Governor Bassey Otu’s failure to effectively account for the funds that have entered the state. These funds include the intervention money provided by the President to help mitigate the economic difficulties currently affecting the nation.
The PDP highlighted that since the removal of the fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration, the state has received substantial financial support. This includes over 70 billion naira in palliative and intervention funds and more than 150 billion naira in monthly allocations from May 2023 to July 2024.
Additionally, the NG-CARES Program, which operates under a financial plan known as Program-for-Results (PforR), has allocated over 31 billion naira to Cross River State. This funding supports five key platforms: Cash Transfer, the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Enterprise Development Fund, FADAMA, and Public Workfare. Despite receiving this significant sum from December 2023 to June 2024, Governor Otu has yet to account for the funds or demonstrate tangible outcomes.
The state has also received three payments of Electronic Money Transfer (EMTL), each amounting to at least 7 billion naira, in addition to revenue from import duties, Companies Income Tax (CIT), Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), and Customs External Tariff Levies (CET).
The PDP is urging the government to uphold its commitment to putting “People First,” criticizing the current administration for its lack of transparency and accountability. The ruling APC has not yet responded to these allegations.
