FROM DUST TO DESTINY: CROSS RIVER’S DOUBLE TAKE-OFF
Anthony EKPO BASSEY
Once upon a time, the Cross River State Library was a relic wrapped in rust and riddles, more mausoleum than museum, more forgotten than functional. But today, thanks to a visionary with verve, it has shed its cobwebbed cloak and emerged a gleaming gateway to global literacy. From faded to futuristic, from passé to premier, the library now stands as a brain bank built to international specification, a smart sanctuary where knowledge is not only power, but polished.
No longer a bookworm’s burden, the library is now a lighthouse of learning. Call it a comeback, call it a cultural coup either way, it is a chapter well written. The Governor, His Excellency, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, did not only dust the shelves; he rebooted the whole system. In an age where some leaders pay lip service, he has served the people a feast of foresight, bound in hardcovers and air-tight plans.
But he did not stop there. With the ink barely dry on this intellectual investment, he lifted ambitions even higher, quite literally. Two brand-new aircraft, sleek and strategic, have been added to the state’s fleet. Not for flair or fanfare, but for flight with foresight, commercial ventures aimed at boosting the bottom line and not just the balance of headlines.
This is not about jet-setting for show. These aircraft are assets, airborne allies in the war against economic stagnation. In a climate where some politicians are grounded by inertia, Cross River is cruising on cruise control, with development as co-pilot.
Call it a tale of two turnarounds: one on tarmac, one on tables of knowledge. Whether it is the runway or the reading room, this Governor has proven he is not just winging it. He is mapped the mission, manned the engines, and is miles ahead in the journey towards a smarter, stronger state.
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but when the cover is this compelling and the content this consistent, judgment is joyfully passed. The Governor has flipped the script, turned the tide, and put Cross River on the map, not only as a destination, but as a direction. In Cross River today, the only thing outdated, is doubt.
Kudos to pages polished and planes purchased, to a leader who does not merely promise progress but pilots it. The books are open, the skies are clear, and the future is flying first class.
