Cross River State Ministry of Works

15/01/2026

CRS HEAD OF SERVICE PUSHES FOR A BETTER TRAINED AND FUNCTIONAL SERVICE

BY DOMINIC KIDZU

If things work according to the plans already laid out by Barr. Orok Bassey Okon, the Head of Service of the state, civil servants will never be the same again in the next one year. In the last three months his office has developed a critical framework for optimum service delivery and is creating a more progressive environment for staff development and actualization. Some of these initiatives include the following:

1. Development of a Performance Management System.

2. Development of a new curriculum for the Management Development Institute, MDI, which is to be upgraded to a Public Service Leadership Academy.

3. Drafted a new Pension Bill, in consultation with PenCom, that mirrors current best practices, drawing lessons from earlier pitfalls of similar legislation of other States. The draft Bill has been forwarded to the Attorney-General for his review and presentation to Exco. This legislation when passed will migrate to the CPS, all employees of CRSG and LGCs employed from 1st January 2021 onwards.

4. Negotiated and reduced arrears of electricity bills of CRSG owed PHED down to N163mn as at 30 November 2025 and also negotiated monthly charge for all CRSG premises across the State, excluding Water Board facilities, to the the sum of N13mn.

5. Revised the Public Service Manual, a veritable educational material that teaches critical ingredients in Public Administration and a "must own/read" for all personnel in CRSG/LGCs.

6. Banned the lien on salaries of Civil servants by unlicensed financial institutions masquerading as "service providers" who have caused untold hardship to personnel who took loans at unwholesome interest rates.

7. Commenced maintenance of external sanitation of office premises of MDAs in the Executive branch.

8. Engaged the Nigerian Legion who will be assisted by men of the Peace Corps, to provide 24/7 security coverage of all CRSG office premises, excluding the Governor’s Office.

9. Plans are ongoing to hold the maiden Walk/Jog Exercise on the last Friday of each month, commencing in January 2026. This follows the Greek philosophy that a healthy mind is to be found in a healthy body ( men sana incorpo sano).

10. Renovation of offices including buildings housing staff canteen, crèche, business centres and staff clinic is at advanced stage.

11. Opened discussion with a payroll/pension roll developers to support the clean-up of the payroll to w**d out ghost workers and ghost pensioners. The consultant will start work in February.

12. The Office of the HoS has also designed questionnaires to audit educational certificates and promotions across the Service. Hundreds of millions of Naira will be saved monthly as it is common knowledge that majority of the credentials presented by civil servants are forged, while instances of fake promotions are rife. When staff are returned to their correct ranks and grade levels, based on genuine certificates, the wage bill of the state will crash. This exercise will run simultaneously with the payroll audit.

13. Trained 720 Administration and Planning officers on basic IT proficiency, in collaboration with MEDA at the State Computer Hub. Further trainings have been scheduled throughout 2026 for other cadres/ranks. These trainings are a prelude to a paperless civil service in the State.

14. The Ministry of Lands is to allocate 50 hectares of land in each senatorial district for the development of Integrated Staff Housing Schemes for State and LG workers. The project will be funded from the pension funds and other schemes being promoted by the Fedetal Hiusing Authority.

All these plans and initiatives of the Head of Service have received the approval and blessings of Governor Bassey Otu. Barr. Orok Bassey's appointment as Head of Service is without a doubt akin to putting a square peg in a square hole as is evidenced by these strategic initiatives and policy implementation in just about three months of his coming into office.

08/10/2025

This is Otop Abasi Police Barracks.

07/10/2025

construction of Adiabo/Iseku Road. Indeed, the season of SWEETNESS is here.

19/09/2024

Etim Edem Street by Watt Market

29/05/2024

28/04/2022

IT CAN ONLY BE GOD FOR ALL I AM TODAY.

ENGR. DR G. A. AKEKE FNSE, FNICE, Permanent Secretary Cross River State Ministry of Works on Sunday 24th April, 2022 invited Friends, Family and well wishers to his ancestral home in OHONG, Obudu for a THANKSGIVING SERVICE in APPRECIATION to God for the height he has attained today.
Ministry of Works Calabar was fully represented.

06/04/2022

The Head Of Service of Cross River State Mr. Akwaji Timothy Ogbang in company of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works, Engr.Dr. Godwin Akeke and Management Staff of the Ministry in an- on- the- spot - Assessment of the State Ministry of Works Headquarters in Calabar.
You may recall that, the office complex was completely vandalized by hoodlums during the protest (2020).

15/02/2022

BIRTHDAY CHEERS TO OUR DEAR PERMANENT SECRETARY - ENGR. (DR) GODWIN AKEKE.
WE PRAY GOD'S WISDOM UPON YOU TODAY AND EVERY OTHER DAY OF YOUR LIFE.

12/01/2022

EXCERPT FROM RECEPTION CEREMONY OF THE MINISTRY'S (MOW) NEWLY SWORN- IN PERMANENT SECRETARY, ENGR.(DR) GODWIN A. AKEKE.

02/09/2021

*FEC Approves Contract For Reconstruction Of Calabar-Itu Road, Other Projects*

THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, Wednesday, approved about N89.6 billion worth of contracts for award under the ministries of Works and Housing as well as Aviation.

The road contract cut across Cross River and Akwa Ibom states


The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola who, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, specifically said the approval was made for the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road at the cost of N79.649 billion.

Fashola briefed alongside his Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development counterpart, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk.

The Minister said the approval for his ministry was in relation to the section from Oku Iboku Power Plant to Abak of about 26 kilometre stretch.

According to him, “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented the memorandum for the completion of the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road. And this is in relation to the section from Oku Iboku Power Plant to Abak of about 26 kilometre stretch.

“Council approved the award to Messers Sematech Nigeria Ltd for N79.649 billion to be executed over 16 months.

“So, this will help complete the dualization gaps between the one awarded to Julius Berger and the section awarded to CCECC. When this is done, motorists in that area will now have an option of the dual carriageway instead of the existing single carriageway.

“And this is in recognition of the heavy cargo that passes through that area from the south-south through to the north-central, Benue through Katsina-Ala through to the southeast to Abia. It’s very very important trade link for the country.”

Part of the road project had in 2020 been awarded at the close of N54 billion.

Asked to give an update on the 2020 contract award for the same project, Fashola regretted that there had been paucity funds to implement the project.

He said: “Okay, first of all, it’s important for us to have a common understanding of the area, that is the rain forest area of Nigeria, mangrove areas, very high water table and rains in seven, eight months of the year.

“So, when we awarded the first section, from Odukpani-Itu to Julius Berger in 2016, they could not move to site because of the limited budgetary requisitions.

“So, that slowed down work in that area and they didn’t move to site until 2018. And the second section, which was from Abak to Ikot Ikot Ekpene was awarded in last year, February 2020. We have had to mobilise some Sukuku resources to the area.

“Sometime last year, you might recall that I was there visiting with the governor, I actually went twice and we focused first on the link road from Alese Ugep area because that was a very big bad one, that one use to take like, three, four days to traverse a 70 kilometer road

“Now, we have that under control, resolved, motorable in the first phase to Odukpani. That has reduced the journey time there to less than two hours, from days. So, again, it’s a work in progress.

“We’re still challenged by resources. What we can mobilize there when you look at the contract amounts is about N54 billion, as you rightly pointed out, we have about N4 billion, N5 billion in the Suku. And if you look at this year’s budget for the whole area, the amount approved by parliament was N100 million.

“So, again, we’re hoping that we can fund this one, because we’ve proposed it for this year’s Sukuku. So, these are the challenges that we face.

“We mobilized the contractors. Now is to keep them resourced and financed so that they can do the work, especially during the forthcoming dry season.

“So, when you see the Minister of Finance, talking about the deficit that needs to be financed by borrowing, this is what is largely deployed to. But it’s just not enough because almost all of what was left undone for about two decades, we’ve inherited it, and we ask for the job and we commit to doing it.”

Fashola blamed the collapse of a section of the Lokoja-Kabba road on natural causes, saying: “As we go through the rainy season, this is the context in which to locate the Lokoja-Kabba. It’s a failure caused by nature and aging. And, again, an opportunity to share with you what we have. We expect that these things will happen, but we don’t know where it will happen every time.”

While noting that his ministry was often unable to respond to such failures, he called for the setting up of a contingency maintenance fund, which he said should have a sizable amount.

The minister added: “So we’ve been proposing that Nigeria should have an emergency provision in the works budget, but we haven’t been successful enough. There must be a contingency, a sizable sum, because when we see failures, last year, we had a problem like that in Kebbi, where roads were washed away. We couldn’t respond because we didn’t have the resources. But we will lean on FERMA.

“Well, traditionally back in Lagos when I was governor, I think we used to provide about five 5% of our capital expenditure as a contingency fund for emergencies. Something between three and 5% varies across the world.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, who briefed on behalf of the Minister of Aviation remarked that the Ministry of Aviation brought the memo for the approval of award of contracts for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; and Katsina Airport in Katsina.

He said for Lagos, it was for the expansion of terminal building at domestic terminal G*T, for the sum of N2,817,579,271.99. For the Katsina Airport, its expansion of Katsina Airport Apron, awarded at N527,353,693.12.

According to him, there were also the expansion of Lagos Cargo Apron Area awarded at N1,982,943,242.81, expansion of Abuja Domestic Apron Area at N795,976,947.94 and, expansion of Kano Apron Area at N1,059,120,234.37. So those are contracts awarded in the Aviation sector.

Also speaking, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management, Social Development counterpart, Sadiya Farouk, said the council approved a memo for the approval of the draft national policy on internally displaced persons in Nigeria.

She stated: “And I must say that today is a great day for the ministry as well as for the government. This administration has reached another milestone for the purpose of these internally displaced persons

“The national policy on internal displacements provides a platform for all relevant actors in humanitarian and development space to key in and contribute towards a common goal. And the overall goal of the policy is to strengthen institutional mechanisms and frameworks for the realization of rights, dignity, and wellbeing of vulnerable populations through mitigation of impact and achievement of durable solutions to internal displacement in Nigeria.

“And with the approval of this policy today, a multi-sectoral structure will fully emerge, which will ensure a coordinated operational and strategic response to all the humanitarian challenges our nation is facing, providing practical and actionable solutions that will resolve internal displacement in the country.”

She also revealed that Nigeria has about 2.3 million displaced people and that government had spent about three billion as intervention funds to those affected by one form of displacement or the other.

03/05/2021

A BIG THANK YOU TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE DIGITAL GOVERNOR OF CROSS RIVER STATE SEN.PROF. BEN AYADE FOR HIS GOOD WORK IN BOKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, CROSS RIVER STATE.

By Engr. Michael Nchu Enu

With immense gratitude, let me use this opportunity to register my heart-felt gratitude and sincere appreciation to my Digital Governor, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade for his positive transformation of Boki Community.

Over the years, Boki have suffered long period of government neglect. The presence of government was not felt at all as the age long problems of lack of good road, water, electricity, and health facilities among other basic social amenities continue to plague. Boki People of the land have on their own been engaging in community self-help projects.
As a result of the long time neglect, there were insinuations such as no good road could ever come to Boki Council. No one knew that this assertion was held simply because the past governments decided to deliberately neglect this area. Many people have suffered the consequences of lack of accessible road and many have passed on with the question: “When would Boki Council headquarters ever have an accessible road?”

The past governments have played series of politics with the construction of accessible road network in Boki land. They sought for the votes of Boki people; they got the votes but did not fulfill their promises. The people of Boki were perplexed but not despair until when God in His infinite mercies sent in Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade.

It is true as further proven by my governor that when the right person rules the people rejoice. The way and manner in which Ayade came to power shows he was and he is still God-sent. There was clear evidence beyond all reasonable doubts that God's hand was at work because immediately he was sworn in as governor, he mobilise contractors to begin the construction of the Boki East-West Road in 2016.

Today I'm proud to say that the dream of having a road to our headquarters is fast becoming a reality with about 70% completion. Boki East-West Road is almost a done deal.

I wish to sincerely thank my Boss, the honourable commissioner for works Cross River State Engr. Dane Osim Asu for Facilitating the construction of Boki East-West Road, and with the assurance that the Boki East-West Road will be extended to okundi we cannot be more proud than now.
Every true Boki son must support governor Ayade to see to the completion of all these giant projects.

Boki is 100% for Ayade.

Thank you the digital governor of Cross River State Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade.

GOD BLESS BOKI NATION

08/03/2021

The Permanent Secretary Cross River State Ministry of Works and Six other Cross River Women make List of 100 Top Nigerian Women .

The Permanent Secretary Cross River State Ministry of Works Calabar Dr ( Mrs) Ihort G. C. Achu, fcipm,fnim,fosha; Cross River State Chief Judge, Justice Akon Ikpeme, the President, Nigeria Academy of Science, Professor Eka Braide; a reknown development expert, Dr. Eka Esu William; the Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Professor Florence Banku Obi; the former President, CALCIMMA, Dr. Margaret Ndoma-Egba; and former Head of Service, Rosemary Obanya; have made the list of 100 top Nigerian women for 2021.

They join the DG of WTO and former Minister of Finance in Nigeria, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s leading social crusader, Aisha Yesufu, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, and the former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili; among outstanding women profiled in the biographical compendium on top women leaders in Nigeria to mark the 2021 International Women’s Day.

The Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Leading Women is an annual qualitative profiling of phenomenal women in Nigeria who have contributed to the development of Nigeria and the world.

It is a gender-specific biographical compendium that responds to existing gender gaps in Nigeria biographical documentation and leadership.

These profiles will be published in a book and as a pull-out in livesnews.net as the most qualitative, most authoritative, up-to-date biographical profile on Nigeria’s 100 most inspirational and influential women for 2020.

This biographical compendium, jointly put together by Profiles & Biographies in collaboration with Gender Perspective, captures stories of women that are meant to inspire women to accomplish more in life.

“Coming from a year that was extremely challenging including a global pandemic which led to the world losing legends, heroes, family and friends, it is imperative that we found new ways to share stories of those have made outstanding accomplishments in a year of extraordinary tumult and disruption”.

Congratulations to our dear able Permanent Secretary and all the other great Ladies from the State and the nation of Nigeria.

Happy International Women's Day.