Calabar –Prominent lawyer and former presidential aide, Okoi Obono-Obla, has criticized the twelve members of the 10th National Assembly, NASS from Cross River state for their inability to secure equitable federal appointments for the state. His comments come in the wake of recent appointments to the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA), which many believe disproportionately favor Akwa Ibom state NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
The NASC appointments, released on 19th February 2025, saw Dr. Savior Enyiekere from Akwa Ibom State named as Chairman. However, the inclusion of Hon. Mary Ekpenyong, also from Akwa Ibom State, as one of the two commissioners representing the South-South zone, has drawn sharp criticism.
In a Facebook thread, Obono-Obla expressed his frustration, stating: “Why would Akwa Ibom state produce the Chairman of the Commission, and one of the Commissioners representing the South-South also comes from Akwa Ibom State? I intuitively saw the imprimatur of the Senate President, who is also from Akwa Ibom State. Yet, our two senators from Cross River State always boast about how close they are to the Senate President but cannot influence him to also give to Cross River state.”
The discontent deepened with the composition of the CRBDA board, where out of 10 members, only two—Chairman and Executive Director of Finance—are from Cross River State. Key positions such as Managing Director, Executive Director of Agricultural Services, Executive Director of Engineering, and Executive Director of Planning and Design were all filled by appointees from Akwa Ibom state.
Obono-Obla lamented: “The same scenario played out in the appointment of the board of the Cross River Basin Development Authority. Out of the appointment of a 10-member board, only the Chairman and Executive Director of Finance were from Cross River State. The rest of the board includes Mrs. Glory Ekpo Oho, Managing Director (Akwa Ibom), Ms. Ebiere Etuk Udoh – Executive Director, Agricultural Services (Akwa Ibom), Engr. Charles Usua Akpan – Executive Director, Engineering (Akwa Ibom), and Dr. Ndom Abia, Executive Director, Planning and Design (Akwa Ibom).”
Obono-Obla directed his ire at the twelve Cross River’s representatives in the National Assembly, accusing them of failing to leverage their positions and relationships to secure appointments for the state. He specifically called out the state’s two senators suspectedly from the All Progressives Congress (APC), who have often boasted about their closeness to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who hails from Akwa Ibom state.
“Our Senators from Cross River state should desist henceforth from intimidating us with how close they are to the Senate President if they cannot leverage that relationship to get something for their people,” Obono-Obla said.
He further emphasized that the position of Senate President was conceded to the Akwa-Cross region of the South-South geopolitical zone, and therefore, Cross River state should also benefit from it.
Obono-Obla’s post sparked a flurry of reactions from other commentators, who echoed his sentiments and criticized Cross River’s political leaders for their perceived ineffectiveness.
Sunny Collins Omagu said “Akpabio will always do everything to outsmart Cross River state. He didn’t start it today.” Bassey Ita argued that “Taking the place of Cross River in terms of Federal Appointments, after the ‘gruesome seizure’ of our oil wells, is unfortunate, and indeed a sad commentary in the history of the relationship with our sister state of Akwa Ibom. Where do we go in this relationship?” Abang Owan observed that “Cross River Political class have always been concerned about self only. They never cared about building capacity for the state by encouraging real manpower development and empowerment. Their idea of empowerment still revolves around giving out sewing machines, generators, and motorcycles. This is the reality we are cursed with. They are only close to the SP for the crumbs they pick from the office.”
Obono-Obla urged Cross River’s political leaders to prioritize the state’s interests and ensure equitable representation in federal appointments. He called on the state’s National Assembly members to step up and use their influence to secure more opportunities for Cross River.
