The President of the Nigeria Bloggers Forum Association, Prince Jay, has explained the motivation behind the One Million March for Good Governance held in Calabar to commend the Cross River State Government for its achievements under Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
Prince Jay, who is from Edo State, said the association is committed to promoting good governance and using the media to both hold leaders accountable and recognise governments that are performing well.
According to him, the decision to organise the peaceful rally followed his assessment of developments in Cross River State and his belief that positive achievements in the state are not receiving enough publicity.
He said the rally was designed to bring together residents for a peaceful walk to the Governor’s Office as a show of appreciation and encouragement for the administration’s efforts over the past three years.
Prince Jay Calls for More Focus on Carnival, Security
Prince Jay commended Governor Otu for developments in areas including education, healthcare and security, while urging the administration to sustain its efforts.
He particularly called for greater investment in Carnival Calabar, expressing hope that the festival would attract visitors from across Nigeria and beyond in future editions.
He stressed that his support was not unconditional, maintaining that leaders should be praised when they perform well and criticised when they fail.
“If your governor is doing well, praise him. If he is not doing well, call him out.”
Phyna Supports Promotion of Good Governance
The 2022 Big Brother Naija winner, Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, also expressed support for the peaceful march.
Phyna said she became interested in the initiative because the same energy often used to criticise bad governance should also be applied to recognise and encourage good governance.
She urged citizens and the media to be vocal about positive developments by their leaders, noting that public recognition can encourage government to do more.
Deputy Governor Commends Organisers
Speaking during the event, Cross River State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, commended Prince Jay, the Nigeria Bloggers Forum Association and Phyna for their contributions and positive messages about the state.
Odey clarified that the rally was not organised by the state government but by Prince Jay and his team based on their assessment of developments in Cross River.
He highlighted ongoing projects and renovations across the state, stressing that the administration’s development efforts extend beyond Calabar to various local government areas.
The Deputy Governor also spoke on security, describing Cross River as increasingly peaceful and safe for residents and visitors.
He further disclosed ongoing efforts to improve transportation and tourism infrastructure, including developments around Obudu Mountain Resort and the Obudu airport, which he said is expected to be completed before December to facilitate easier access to the resort.
The Deputy Governor assured Cross Riverians that the administration would continue working to improve infrastructure, security, tourism and other sectors of the state’s economy.
The One Million March for Good Governance therefore served as a platform for citizens and stakeholders to publicly recognise government efforts while encouraging the administration to sustain and improve its performance.
GALLERY: 
Hope you find the Above publication useful, Calabargist will love to keep you updated via our newsletter by subscribing with your email.
