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ALGON Cross River Adopts Governor Otu’s N987.8bn Budget Of Consolidation And Renewed Hope, 18 LGAs To Replicate Budget System
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Cross River State Chapter, has adopted 100% the N987.8 Billion Budget Of Consolidation And Renewed Hope presented by Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, declaring it a village budget that belongs to the grassroots.
Chairman of ALGON in Cross River State and Executive Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area, Hon. Yibala Inyang, made the declaration in a press statement issued on 26th October, 2026 from Ugep, Yakurr LGA.
Inyang, who spoke on behalf of the 18 Executive Chairmen of Cross River State, said the budget was studied line by line and found to speak the language of the people.
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According to him, the budget speaks directly to the daily realities of rural dwellers.
“When it speaks of rural roads, it speaks of our daily bread. When it speaks of primary healthcare and basic education, it speaks of our children and our mothers. When it speaks of food security and human capital, it speaks of dignity for honest labour,” Inyang said.
“For this reason we say without hesitation that this is not just a State budget. This is a village budget, a budget planned at the bottom of the pyramid where the real owners of Cross River live, and because it was planned at the bottom, it is our budget too,” he added.
He announced that ALGON has adopted the budget in its entirety and that the 18 Councils will adopt its methodology, approach, peculiarities and style for overall development of their constituents.
Inyang said the adoption is not mere words but a commitment to domesticate the state budget at the LGA level, with the Legislative Arm of the 18 LGAs as key backers.
“We will work intimately with our Councillors and Speakers who are the authentic voice of the wards to build development laws around this budget, to craft our 2027 appropriations as village budgets with strong oversight and institutional integrity,” he stated.
“To ensure inclusive governance that the people will truly own, to scrutinize every line so that what Governor Otu has done in Calabar is replicated, domesticated and sustained in every ward from Bakassi to Obanliku, from Abi to Ogoja,” he said.
Giving reasons for adoption, the ALGON Chairman said the budget passes three critical tests: institutional capacity beyond individuals, securing justice for the poor, and priorities that survive electoral cycles.
On institutional capacity, he said:
“A good Chairman can build a road, but only a good institution can maintain it after he leaves. This budget prioritizes institutions over individuals, systems over slogans. It insists that health centres must work beyond elections, that schools must have teachers beyond politics, that revenue must be transparent and productive.”
“We at the LGA level have learnt from this, and we will now interrogate productivity in our own budgets. Every naira we budget must answer what it produces for the farmer in Ekori, the fisherman in Esighi, and the young girl learning a trade in Ikom,” Inyang added.
On freedom and justice, he noted that the budget secures freedom from want and fear by investing in rural roads, water and security, adding that LGAs will complement with budgeting for local justice, functional customary courts and market dispute resolution.
On sustainability, he said Governor Otu has locked the state into non-negotiables that must outlive any Chairman, Governor or party, including 24-hour primary healthcare, basic education with teachers present, rural roads, water and a productive economy.
The ALGON Chairman made a three-point pledge to the Governor and Cross Riverians:
“We will watch it, we will own it, and we will complement it. We will watch it as guardians of the grassroots, ensuring what is promised is delivered. We will own it by translating its meaning into our local languages so that the farmer, the fisherman and the trader can understand and hold us to account,” Inyang pledged.
“We will complement it by aligning our Council budgets to mirror the consolidation agenda, so that the State builds the highway and we build the road to the farm, the State equips the hospital and we equip the health centre, the State plans for the future and we protect it in the village.”
He concluded that the N987.8 Billion is not a figure on paper in Calabar but garri in the market in Ugep, light in the school in Obudu, and drugs in the health centre in Yakurr.
“It is our budget, and we the 18 LGAs, being closest to the real owners, will fully support it and in our various budgets we will ensure that such development components are entrenched and that every kobo budgeted touches the bottom of the pyramid,” he said.
Chairman of ALGON in Cross River State and Executive Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area, Hon. Yibala Inyang, made the declaration in a press statement issued on 26th October, 2026 from Ugep, Yakurr LGA.
Inyang, who spoke on behalf of the 18 Executive Chairmen of Cross River State, said the budget was studied line by line and found to speak the language of the people.
According to him, the budget speaks directly to the daily realities of rural dwellers.
“When it speaks of rural roads, it speaks of our daily bread. When it speaks of primary healthcare and basic education, it speaks of our children and our mothers. When it speaks of food security and human capital, it speaks of dignity for honest labour,” Inyang said.
“For this reason we say without hesitation that this is not just a State budget. This is a village budget, a budget planned at the bottom of the pyramid where the real owners of Cross River live, and because it was planned at the bottom, it is our budget too,” he added.
He announced that ALGON has adopted the budget in its entirety and that the 18 Councils will adopt its methodology, approach, peculiarities and style for overall development of their constituents.
Inyang said the adoption is not mere words but a commitment to domesticate the state budget at the LGA level, with the Legislative Arm of the 18 LGAs as key backers.
“We will work intimately with our Councillors and Speakers who are the authentic voice of the wards to build development laws around this budget, to craft our 2027 appropriations as village budgets with strong oversight and institutional integrity,” he stated.
“To ensure inclusive governance that the people will truly own, to scrutinize every line so that what Governor Otu has done in Calabar is replicated, domesticated and sustained in every ward from Bakassi to Obanliku, from Abi to Ogoja,” he said.
Giving reasons for adoption, the ALGON Chairman said the budget passes three critical tests: institutional capacity beyond individuals, securing justice for the poor, and priorities that survive electoral cycles.
On institutional capacity, he said:
“A good Chairman can build a road, but only a good institution can maintain it after he leaves. This budget prioritizes institutions over individuals, systems over slogans. It insists that health centres must work beyond elections, that schools must have teachers beyond politics, that revenue must be transparent and productive.”
“We at the LGA level have learnt from this, and we will now interrogate productivity in our own budgets. Every naira we budget must answer what it produces for the farmer in Ekori, the fisherman in Esighi, and the young girl learning a trade in Ikom,” Inyang added.
On freedom and justice, he noted that the budget secures freedom from want and fear by investing in rural roads, water and security, adding that LGAs will complement with budgeting for local justice, functional customary courts and market dispute resolution.
On sustainability, he said Governor Otu has locked the state into non-negotiables that must outlive any Chairman, Governor or party, including 24-hour primary healthcare, basic education with teachers present, rural roads, water and a productive economy.
The ALGON Chairman made a three-point pledge to the Governor and Cross Riverians:
“We will watch it, we will own it, and we will complement it. We will watch it as guardians of the grassroots, ensuring what is promised is delivered. We will own it by translating its meaning into our local languages so that the farmer, the fisherman and the trader can understand and hold us to account,” Inyang pledged.
“We will complement it by aligning our Council budgets to mirror the consolidation agenda, so that the State builds the highway and we build the road to the farm, the State equips the hospital and we equip the health centre, the State plans for the future and we protect it in the village.”
He concluded that the N987.8 Billion is not a figure on paper in Calabar but garri in the market in Ugep, light in the school in Obudu, and drugs in the health centre in Yakurr.
“It is our budget, and we the 18 LGAs, being closest to the real owners, will fully support it and in our various budgets we will ensure that such development components are entrenched and that every kobo budgeted touches the bottom of the pyramid,” he said.
This post has already been read at least 1173 times!
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