By Frank Ulom
The Chairman of the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Cross River State Chapter, Comrade Francis Finian Offionor, has responded to the recent remarks by the immediate past Cross River State Chairman of APC and current Deputy Governorship Candidate of PDP, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, calling on the State Government to constitute a probe panel to investigate the compensation exercise for the Okuku–Okpoma–Mfom road project executed during the administration of former Governor Senator Ben Ayade.
Offionor made the call in a statement issued in response to Eba’s remarks about Governor Senator Prince Bassey Otu’s administration.
Eba, in an interview with The Whistler, published on June 30, launched a blistering attack on Governor Bassey Otu, accusing him of disrespecting the people of Northern Cross River and treating them “like clowns.”
Eba said his political disagreement with Governor Otu was never about securing a second term as APC chairman but about resisting what he described as the systematic marginalisation and humiliation of the Northern Senatorial District.
“He looked at all of us as poor in reasoning, poor in wealth, because we gather every day to gyrate.
“We are like clowns before him. If we all are blind, somebody should stand and say, ‘No, we are not.’ It takes only one man to stand and say no,” Eba told The Whistler.
2027: Otu Sees Cross Riverians As Clowns, Blind People – PDP Deputy Guber Candidate pic.twitter.com/WXoOSmjCCF
— The Whistler Newspaper (@TheWhistlerNG) June 30, 2026
In the statement made available to Converseer on Friday, Offionor accused Eba of making what he described as “unguided” comments against Governor Otu and alleged that the former APC chairman should be investigated over the handling of compensation funds linked to the Okuku–Okpoma–Mfom road project during his tenure as Director-General of Due Process under the Ayade administration.
Below is the full statement by Offionor:
“It is comical and ironic to see Alphonsus Ogar Eba, the unfortunate immediate past APC party Chairman, trying to make himself relevant by constantly making unguided, silly statements about the government of Cross River State and the person of His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu. It is public knowledge that, Okadigbo is shameless and without integrity of any sort, with completely zero political worth, except for the fact that, the former Governor, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade found him worthy as a Nuisance for the kind of party Chairman he wanted and that was actually with the belief he would use him as a hunt dog to control the party structure when he, Ayade leaves office. Oga Ayade, sorry oh. It backfired.
Truth is, except for Governor Bassey Otu, Alphonsus Ogar is supposed to be in jail for the amount of monumental fraud and theft that he committed as DG due process and within the compensation period of the Okuku-Okpoma-Mfom road project under Gov. Ayade. I want to use this medium to call on the Governor to please set up a probe panel to revisit, investigate and probe that road compensation racket. Hundreds of people suffered and died because of the demolition of their houses and shops, yet the compensation that was sent, Alphonsus Ogar Eba took all to buy cars and started the building of the house in question today in Water Board.
Okadigbo should name one positive thing the government he served as DG due process did for the people of the Northern Senatorial District, except for the record-setting fraud committed and the humongous theft that took place under his watch as the clearing house.
The same Okuku-Okpoma-Mfom road that is supposed to be the life and breath and the economic backbone of the Northern Senatorial District, Okadigbo turned the compensation exercise into a duping spree yet, was left undone and as death trap for eight good years. That is the same road Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu has almost completed in one year of commencement of the project.
It is a 25.5 klm of road with 75% completion and presumably, the single longest road that is being done in the State presently.
Ndok-Mbube 10klm is being done, the Ukelle 5klm is being done, the
Yache-Akreha road is being done.
Over 20klm Ogoja town network of roads, most of them completed and some being done.
The government has spent almost or above five billion naira judiciously on solar and rural electrification in the Northern Senatorial District just within the period of three years. The projects are done, the physical evidence are there, fact check and quote me wrong.
Yes, it is on record that the North gave Prince Otu the highest number of votes in his election. It is also on record that Prince Otu has done the highest amount of projects in the North. Pls, fact check my claims.
Please, also fact-check me that, Alphonsus Ogar Eba had no visible means of income except running errands for Yala big boys in Abuja for stipends before he was made the DG due process in 2015 through the instrumentality of Chief Jude Ogbeche Ngaji.
Alphonsus Eba should show proof of business or a 100k he made legally apart from salaries from 2015 till date, that he became who he thinks he is today without stealing it.
It is a fact that, before 2015, Alphonsus Eba was a lawyer but he should please point to one single brief he had gotten and made a million naira, apart from charge and bail, registering companies for people for stipends and the scam of agency fees of a late Yala man’s property in Abuja.
How much was his salary as DG due process? How much was his salary as State party chairman? That he would have made the money he claims he has made? It is high time Okadigbo knows he does not belong in the level where he thinks he is yet because he is still a boy boy and should not bring the people of the Northern Senatorial District into his foolery, just to gain public sympathy that he’s not even worthy of.
The said house in water board was built on people’s sweat and blood, through that road compensation fund and their spirits has come to catch up with him, karma is real bro.
In my capacity as the chairman of the Nigerian Youth Congress, (NYC) Cross River State Chapter, I once again call on the government of Cross River State and the Governor to please, set up a probe panel to investigate and probe the compensation exercise and the entire Okuku-Okpoma-Mfom road project including the Northfest scam Okadigbo committed under Ayade and also not forgetting to investigate the Yala/Ogoja Aluminum roofing factory that Okadigbo collected billions from the government to build yet, embezzled the money.
It is also not nice for the leaders of the Northern Senatorial District to remain quiet while this hustler and charlatan of a man drags the reputation of the North into his miserable and pathetic life.
Please, watch out for more on this matter as the day goes by.
The time has come to put people in their shoes.
Enough is enough, nobody owns the monopoly of carelessness, recklessness and complete disregard to constituted authority.
His Youthfulness, Comrade Francis Finian Offionor,
Chairman, Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC)
Cross River State Chapter.“
