The Acting Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Dr. Peter Odey, has restated the administration’s commitment to investing in the training, retraining, and development of its workforce to enhance efficiency in governance and service delivery.
Odey restated when he received the Executive Secretary of the Centre for Community Policy and Strategic Development (CCPSD), Rt. Hon. John Gaul, in Calabar, the State capital.
The visit followed a successful completion of capacity-building and utilization workshop for Local Government Legislative Officials and Local Government Councils across the state.
The Acting Governor commended CCPSD for its role in equipping council chairmen, their deputies, councillors, legislative staff, and Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) with essential skills and knowledge.
He emphasized the importance of continuous training in ensuring efficient service delivery.
He noted that the government would continue to support initiatives that enhance the capacity of public officials, particularly at the local government level, where governance has the most direct impact on the people.
“As a state government, we will continue to explore partnerships with organizations like CCPSD to sustain ongoing training programmes, ensuring that our workforce remains equipped with modern administrative, legislative, and leadership skills,” Odey stated.
He further expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Victor-Felix Idem, Executive Secretary of CCPSD, Rt. Hon. John Gaul, and the Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area, Hon. Yibala Inyang, who also serves as Chairman of the Chairmen’s Forum in Cross River State, for their coordination of the programme.
The Acting Governor urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to enhance service delivery, in line with Governor Bassey Otu’s “People First” mantra and President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of CCPSD, Rt. Hon. Gaul thanked the state government for its support of the capacity building workshop.
Gaul noted that the training has strengthened the legislative and administrative capabilities of local government officials, enabling them to perform more effectively.
He urged the government to prioritize and sustain continuous training for public officials, and acknowledged the State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, and other stakeholders for their commitment to human capital development.
The Chairman of Cross River State Chairmen’s Forum and the Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area, Hon. Inyang, and the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Victor-Felix Idem, separately expressed gratitude to the state government for approving and facilitating the workshop.
The event which was graced by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Asikpo Edet, and the Chairman of the Cross River State Councillors’ Forum, Hon. Eneji Sam, featured the presentation of the “Exceptional Leadership Merit Award” to Governor Otu, his Deputy, Rt Hon. Odey, and Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Idem in recognition of their commitment to leadership and human capital development.
