Hot Source
The Chief of Staff to the Governor of Cross River State, Dr. Emmanuel Ironbar, has commended the governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, describing him as “a divine gift to Cross River State and to Nigeria at large”.
In a birthday tribute, Ironbar described the governor as “a visionary, a reformer, and a lighthouse of hope whose leadership has transformed lives and rekindled faith across the state”.
The chief of staff said the occasion of the governor’s 66th birthday presented “a moment not just to celebrate Your Excellency’s life, but to pause, ponder and reflect on the blessing you have been — to me, to my family, and to the entire people of Cross River State”.
He said Governor Otu has continued to prove that leadership, when rooted in faith and love for humanity, becomes a channel of divine sweetness.
According to the chief of staff, “Your Excellency, you have consistently and unequivocally demonstrated that you are not only a leader but a visionary and a reformer. Through your unwavering faith in God and virtuous example, you have ushered in an era of sustainable sweetness, transforming our beloved state from a civil service enclave into a thriving hub of entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive growth.”
He added that under the governor’s inspiring stewardship, “dreams have taken root, destinies have been transformed, and hope has found a home once again in the hearts of our people”.
Reflecting on the sweeping impact of the Otu administration, Ironbar declared: “From the sun-lit mangrove-curated shores of Calabar, across the emerald rainforests of Boki, to the cloud-crowned hills of Obanliku, your administration exudes a sweet fragrance of peace, mending fissures and drying the tears of the people.”
He lauded the governor’s “prayerful and compassionate diligence” which, he said, “has knitted our people together, forged hope in place of despair, nurtured socio-cultural progress instead of retrogression, and generated economic development in place of stagnation”.
The chief of staff observed that Governor Otu’s “uncompromising commitment to transparency, integrity and magnanimity has rekindled public trust in governance.”
He noted that the governor’s people-first philosophy “has built bridges across political divides, embraced every creed and culture, and ensured that no citizen is left behind”.
According to him, “From rural electrification to expansive road networks, from empowering security services to revitalizing tourism, Your Excellency has governed and fathered a renaissance — one defined by peace, opportunity and shared prosperity.
“Your Excellency, you are the blessing the Most High sent to Cross River State at the appointed time. You have brought sweetness to our polity, hope to our people, and direction to our development.”
Ironbar praised the governor’s humility and spiritual depth, describing him as “a man whose faith anchors his leadership and whose compassion binds the state as one family under God”.
On this “glorious occasion of your birthday,” Ironbar said, “we join the heavens and the earth to celebrate a man whose life is a divine gift, a leader whose light continues to illuminate the path of greatness for our state and nation.”
He prayed that God would “continue to bless you with excellent health, divine wisdom, unshakable strength, and boundless courage”.
“Happy birthday, Your Excellency, my boss,” the Chief of Staff concluded. “May your days be long, your legacy eternal, and your leadership continue to inspire future generations. May the sweetness you have brought to Cross River State flow endlessly, and may your name remain inscribed in gold as the symbol of hope, unity and purposeful governance.”
