Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has made an impassioned call for indigenes in the diaspora to return home and help develop the state through investment and active involvement.
Speaking over the weekend in Birmingham, United Kingdom, at the maiden Diaspora Convention themed “Diaspora Contribution to the Development and Sustainability of Cross River State,” Governor Otu urged Cross Riverians in the diaspora to invest in their localities and become vibrant stakeholders in the bid to shape a prosperous future for the state.
Describing the convention as a new chapter of collaboration between the state government and the diaspora, the governor said that the occasion marked a strategic moment in moving forward the relationship between Cross River and its diaspora citizens.
Convention delegates came from across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, in a show of unity and reaffirmation of commitment to the state’s development.
Delivering a stirring keynote address, Governor Otu said, “My dear diasporan brothers and sisters, this is not just a symbolic gathering, but a strategic one. We are here because the bridge home has now been built and I, your governor, have come to cross it with you.”.
He praised the diaspora community for their undying love and affinity for the state, referring to a number of local government areas Calabar, Obubra, Bekwarra, Obanliku as some examples of the deep-seated ties many still maintain.
Under his government’s People First agenda, Otu elucidated that Cross River is actively creating avenues for diaspora engagement in key areas such as policymaking, education, healthcare, mentorship, and business investments.
“This government is not only about those at home it is about all our people, everywhere. The skills, capital, and experiences you have acquired abroad must find expression back home,” he said. “Come, invest in your state, build in your communities, and let us write a story of sustainable transformation.”
There was also a symbolic act at the event where the governor was given an award by the Mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal. In his closing remarks, Governor Otu emphasized:
“You are not foreigners. You are stakeholders. You are not onlookers of the destiny of Cross River you are its architects of the future. Let no one tell you that home is behind you. As a matter of fact, home is in you.”
