By Edem Enifon
The true measure of a government’s vision is not always found in the projects it inaugurates, but in what it saves from ruin. Roads, buildings, institutions and enterprises may lose their lustre through neglect, yet their value does not disappear. Recovering them, restoring their usefulness and securing them for future generations is itself an act of responsible governance.
This is the deeper significance of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s asset recovery drive. Against the backdrop of years of institutional decay, the administration has made the reclamation, rehabilitation and productive utilisation of public property an important component of its restoration agenda.
The significance extends far beyond physical structures. It is about recovering public value, protecting taxpayers’ investments, preserving Cross River’s heritage, rebuilding institutional confidence and unlocking economic opportunities embedded in assets created for the benefit of the people.
When Otu assumed office in May 2023, Cross River was facing formidable challenges. Years of institutional deterioration had weakened public systems, while insecurity, failing infrastructure, low morale in the civil service and declining standards compounded the difficulties confronting the state. Several public facilities and enterprises that once embodied Cross River’s ambition and ingenuity had fallen into disrepair or neglect.
It was against this difficult background that the administration embarked on its restoration journey.
Few developments better illustrate this commitment than the return of Tinapa to state control in 2025 following the settlement with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. Conceived as a landmark tourism and commercial destination, Tinapa had gradually become a symbol of unrealised potential. Its recovery has reopened the possibility of transforming the complex into a vibrant centre for tourism, trade, hospitality, investment and other productive activities.
Yet ownership alone does not constitute recovery. The real measure of success will be whether Tinapa can once again generate employment, attract investors, stimulate enterprise and contribute meaningfully to Cross River’s economy. Reclaiming the asset is the first step; making it commercially viable and sustainably managed is the greater task.
The administration’s effort to document and recover encroached government properties points in the same direction. Properties associated with Government College, Ikot Ansa, and the University of Cross River State are among those receiving attention. The digitalisation of the state asset registry and the establishment of recovery committees across the 18 local government areas further indicate an attempt to replace fragmented oversight with a more coherent system.
This matters because public property can gradually disappear from institutional memory when records are inadequate, boundaries are uncertain and custodianship is poorly defined. A comprehensive digital registry can give government a reliable account of what it owns, where those assets are located, their condition and how they are being utilised.
The attention given to Summit Hills and the Calabar International Convention Centre, alongside the completion of the long abandoned Local Government Service Commission complex and renewed attention to the State Library and Governor’s Office, reinforces this philosophy. The audit of government vehicles stranded in workshops also demonstrates that recovery should not be confined to high profile facilities. Every government asset represents public investment and deserves appropriate care.
The revival of the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, with the Nigerian Chronicle repositioned as a modern information hub, provides another compelling example. For decades, the Chronicle was more than a newspaper. It was an important institution in the state’s history of journalism and public communication. Its decline mirrored the deterioration that affected several public institutions.
Its revival therefore transcends the rehabilitation of a newspaper. It represents the rescue of an institution with historical value and the restoration of its capacity to serve the public in a changing media environment.
Obudu Ranch Resort carries a similar significance. Once among Nigeria’s most celebrated tourism destinations, the resort became a casualty of prolonged neglect, contributing to the decline of Cross River’s tourism fortunes. Its restoration offers an opportunity to reclaim a vital part of the state’s tourism identity while generating employment, stimulating local enterprise and improving the prospects of communities around the resort.
Tinapa, Obudu Ranch and the Chronicle belong to different sectors, but they tell a common story. Each represents an effort to rescue something valuable from deterioration and reconnect it with its original public purpose.
However, recovery is only the beginning.
A facility reclaimed today can become tomorrow’s abandoned project if professional management, clear custodianship, routine inspection and regular maintenance are not embedded in government policy. Rehabilitation without a maintenance culture merely postpones another cycle of decay.
This is where the administration must go beyond the excitement that accompanies recovered assets. The ultimate objective should be to establish systems that protect public property irrespective of political transitions. Digital records, transparent ownership structures, scheduled inspections, maintenance plans and clear institutional responsibility should become permanent features of public administration.
The broader restoration agenda must be governed by the same principle. A renewed civil service must uphold professionalism, discipline and merit. A revitalised healthcare system must deliver quality and accessible care. Schools must equip young people for a competitive future. Urban renewal must be matched by effective waste management and responsible planning. Security gains must be sustained to enable citizens, businesses and investors to operate with confidence.
Governor Otu deserves credit for placing the recovery of neglected public assets within the larger conversation about Cross River’s renewal. But recognition must always be accompanied by accountability. The success of the initiative should ultimately be measured by what these recovered assets deliver to the people, not merely by their physical appearance or the ceremonies surrounding their restoration.
Cross River does not simply need new structures. It needs institutions capable of preserving them. It does not merely need projects. It needs systems that keep those projects functional, productive and relevant long after their commissioning ceremonies have ended.
The recovery of Tinapa, the revival of the Chronicle, the restoration of Obudu Ranch and the wider reclamation of public property should therefore be viewed as parts of a larger journey from neglect to renewal and from wasted potential to productive value.
The enduring test of Otu’s restoration agenda will not be how dramatically forgotten assets return to public consciousness, but how faithfully they continue to serve the people who own them.
For in the final analysis, restoration is not complete when an abandoned asset is reclaimed. It is complete when that asset becomes useful again, remains protected and continues to create value for generations yet unborn. That is the restoration Cross River deserves.
Edem Enifon is tax administrator, seasoned technocrat and public affairs analyst.
