Ambassadorial Snub: Is Cross River losing national relevance? the debate intensifies

The recent war of words over Cross River State’s political relevance and economic direction reflects a deeper struggle for narrative control in a state that has long prided itself on stability, creativity, and cultural prestige.

Governor Bassey Otu’s defence of his administration, following criticisms by former APC National Vice Chairman Ntufam Hilliard Eta, underscores a widening divide among the state’s political elite, one that risks obscuring the real issues facing ordinary citizens.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche, at the Cross River Journalist Forum in Abuja, Governor Otu dismissed allegations that Cross River’s absence from the latest ambassadorial nominees list signals a weakening federal presence.

According to him, such appointments lie squarely within presidential discretion and must be understood within the context of career service structures, especially when most nominees were drawn from the Nigerian Intelligence Agency.

The governor further cautioned against “uncharitable insinuations,” accusing some Cross River elites in Abuja of undermining the state’s interests and actively instigating crises.

His administration, he insisted, has made visible progress, from rehabilitating state infrastructure to reviving the sponsorship backbone of Carnival Calabar, upgrading health facilities, and breathing new life into the long-neglected TINAPA enterprise.

An increase of 106 percent in internally generated revenue, he said, signals a state “on the move.”

But Eta, who chairs the NYSC Governing Board, paints a sharply different picture, one rooted not in political loyalty but in troubling socioeconomic indicators.

He argues that Cross River’s current condition is the “weakest” in recent history.

In his view, poverty is deepening, economic opportunities are shrinking, and entrepreneurial growth remains stunted despite record-high revenues flowing to the state in the last 33 months.

His criticism carries a heavy charge: that Cross River has not matched its increased income with commensurate development; that its federal visibility is diminishing; and that the state’s political actors have grown too docile to defend its rightful place in national affairs.

He cites the absence of Cross River on the ambassadorial list, the lack of appointments to major federal agencies, and even his own delayed inauguration into a federal board as evidence of a state losing relevance in Abuja’s political calculus.

Eta’s argument is further grounded in a generational imperative. He insists that Cross River cannot build a prosperous future if its youth remain locked in a civil-service mindset.

Only intentional investment in entrepreneurship, supported by leadership that embraces transparency and bold reforms, can reposition the state.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan-Enoh, adds another dimension.

Speaking through his aide, he called for a new wave of innovation-driven entrepreneurship, arguing that traditional career paths cannot absorb the ambitions of young Cross Riverians.

His message to the Forum was clear: journalism must inspire, interrogate, and champion enterprise, because “what happens in Cross River does not stay in Cross River.”

Taken together, these perspectives illustrate a broader truth: Cross River stands at a crossroads.

Both the governor’s claims of progress and Eta’s warnings of decline reflect slices of a more complex reality.

The state is indeed recording gains in certain sectors, yet struggling visibly in others.

Infrastructure upgrades and cultural revival cannot mask the economic fatigue felt by many residents. And political appointments, though symbolic, often signal the strength, or weakness, of a state’s national relevance.

The challenge before Cross River today is not merely about which political camp controls the argument.

It is about whether the state can confront its problems honestly, harness its immense creative energy, and build a sustainable future outside the familiar shadows of political patronage. For that to happen, unity among its leaders is essential, not optional.

In the end, Cross River’s redemption will require less blame and more collaboration; less posturing and more performance.

Its people deserve clarity, courage, and a leadership class willing to rise above factional battles for the sake of the next generation.

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