Cross River Has No Business To Be Poor

In this interview, former commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Oliver Orok talks on the economic potentials through its natural resources, support for the Otu-led administration and other sundry matters.

Excerpts…

You must have done well in your previous ministry that made the former governor deploy you to a larger ministry like that of Agriculture. What is your take. 

I want to thank former governor Ayade for redeploying me from the Ministry of Sustainable Development Goals to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. And everywhere I go to, I leave foot-marks for posterity to remember that Oliver Orok was here. I am doing so for the betterment of my town and state. This is the only state we have and we must do everything necessary to make it better. We must ensure that from the civil servants working in MDAs to elsewhere there is a good working environment. We spend about eight hours daily in our offices, it is important to put our offices in order. We don't need to wait for the governor1 to do everything for us. We should be able to think outside the box and deliver on your appointment to your MDA, make a name and leave imprints in the sands of time. For whatever we do, people are watching.bIt is always good to do things right. You don't know who is watching. I was very happy for the award and I celebrated it with them very warmly. I have had a history of standing in the right path and standing tall. We will keep on standing by our Governor Bassey Otu because there is a lot of work to do. We owe him our support in order to continue to make the state a destination for all, as it has always been.

The new administration has a big mountain to climb, arising from various challenges facing the state from non payment of pension, gratuities, the depletion of the civil service, etc. Having been in the system for a while now, what tips will you give the incoming administration to immediately hit the ground running?

Well, it is very simple. It is just for him to have that determination to solve those issues. It is not much of an issue. The new administration must think outside the box and and come out with innovations to create boost our internally generated revenue and also block leakages in the system. Cross River State is blessed with an abundance of mineral resources. Such natural endowment can be harnessed to better the State's economy. But there are so many leakages, total lack of control with revenue management in the State. 

Recently, I learned that there is gold in Cross River State and it is not harnessed by the state. Proper monitoring of the exploration of our natural potentials must be checked by the incoming governor. There should be effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders to checkmate illegal mining activities while ensuring the proper harnessing of our natural resources for the good of the State. 

We will give Senator Otu the needed support and cooperation. We also need the right information. Government should go into the communities, interface with stakeholders with the aim of effectively exploring those precious resources. Cross River State is blessed with so much natural resources. We just need to tap into them and harness effectively. The State Government must also liaise with the federal government to revisit the oil well issue, and actualise the Bakassi Deep Seaport. If we can get it working, then the state will be economically prosperous. Poverty will be a thing of the past.

Does the ministry of agriculture  has what it takes to improve the revenue profile of the state?

Yes! It does. In terms of cocoa, and rice production. All thanks the ingenuity of former governor Ayade for building the Ultramodern Rice Mill in Ogoja and Cocoa Processing Factory in Ikom. There is also the groundnut processing plant. Revenue can be generated from these industries.

 Do you think Cross River, with its huge mineral deposits and comparative advantage in Agriculture can sustain herself?

Yes, Cross River has no business being poor considering the abundant natural resources across the state if properly harnessed. Cross River State is replete with the wherewithal to be a mega-rich state. Look at the cocoa, rubber, rice oil palm, and huge untapped mineral deposits. Before now, the state was known for palm produce. If we go back to Agriculture seriously, I don't think we would have any cause to complain. If the new Federal government makes the Bakassi deep seaport a reality, then the State would be better for it. I want to thank Governor Ayade for the idea of the deep seaport. By the time we have this seaport in place, reliance on Federal allocation will become a thing of the past. There are discoveries of new oil wells in Cross River state. There is no wisdom in reserving our oil. Those oil wells must be uncovered and put to use for the benefit of the generality of the State and nation at large.