By joshua NMA Platinum Award Conferred on Governor Otu: A Landmark Recognition
By Michael Jegede
Critics argue that Nigeria’s history of broken political promises and governance stagnation has exacted its highest toll on the nation’s healthcare sector. Decaying clinics, chronic underfunding, infrastructure deficiency, and a demoralised workforce, observers point out, are among the direct consequences of the leadership failure.
Public hospitals stand as stark symbols of institutional neglect, driven by a protracted lack of political will. The structural challenges within the healthcare system frequently exacerbate manageable health issues, turning preventable conditions into critical medical emergencies.
However, under the proactive and pragmatic leadership of Governor Bassey Edet Otu, Cross River State is widely believed to have broken away from this trend. Under Otu’s watch, the state’s healthcare system has undergone a remarkable turnaround – a transformation recently recognized by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) with the conferment of its prestigious Platinum Meritorious Service Award on the governor.
The Platinum Award is the highest category of recognition the NMA confers, reserved for individuals whose policies, investments, and leadership have produced measurable impact on the health sector and the wellbeing of citizens.
The NMA, Cross River State Branch, in recognition of the Otu administration’s landmark strides and pivotal achievements in the health sector, bestowed its highest honour, the Platinum Meritorious Service Award, on him. Unanimously approved by the NMA members at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), the honour, which is said to have never been previously conferred on anyone by the state chapter, was described as a validation of Governor Otu’s strategic investments in healthcare financing, infrastructure upgrades, human resource development, institutional restructuring, and security.
While presenting the award, Dr. Ezoke Epoke, the immediate past Chairman of the Cross River NMA, declared that the honour acknowledges tangible achievements that have positively transformed the entire health sector in the state.
He explained that with Otu, fondly referred to as Sweet Prince, at the helm of affairs, health sector funding has consistently exceeded 10 percent of the state budget, a significant rise from the five to six percent range seen in previous administrations.
According to Dr. Epoke, “This clearly shows that there has been a remarkable increase in the budgetary allocation to the health sector.” This fiscal boost, he noted, provided the vital foundation needed to roll out several urgently needed interventions across the healthcare system.
The medical body also lauded Governor Otu for prioritizing workforce development, specifically highlighting his approval of a 100 per cent increase in doctors’ pay. This milestone salary review successfully aligns the earnings of Cross River-employed medical doctors with their colleagues in federal institutions and other states.
The NMA equally commended the lifting of the embargo on health-sector recruitment and applauded the policy extending the retirement age of frontline health workers to 65 years or 40 years of service – a strategic intervention designed to curb brain drain, address severe shortages, and retain experienced professionals. The association further cited the comprehensive upgrades of primary healthcare centres and the phased reconstruction of general and cottage hospitals as clear evidence of the administration’s long-term infrastructure strategy.
Dr. Epoke pointed to three landmark laws signed by Governor Otu as game-changers for the healthcare sector. He emphasized that the State Hospital Management Board Law, the Medical Quackery Prohibition Law, and the Drug Management Agency Law will drive lasting reforms well beyond Otu’s tenure in office. In his words, “These three laws did not exist in Cross River State before now. His Excellency signed all three of them into law, and they will outlive his tenure and strengthen the healthcare sector for the foreseeable future.”
The Ex-Cross River NMA helmsman hailed the administration’s security efforts for making medical practitioners and their families safe from kidnapping, stating that this once-serious threat is now a thing of the past. He said: “Doctors can now practise in Cross River State without the fear of kidnapping. It was a major problem for us in the health sector, and we are very happy that that problem has been solved.”
The NMA stressed that its assessment was based strictly on measurable performance, entirely free from politics or sentiment. It said: “There is no politics here. On the metrics we use to analyse performance, His Excellency has done very, very well for the health sector, and there is more to come.”
In his response, Governor Otu expressed gratitude to the NMA, noting that the accolade serves as both an acknowledgment of his administration’s achievements and a call to greater public service.
He reassured the NMA that healthcare will remain a top priority, aligning with the core principles of his administration’s ‘People-First’ agenda. The governor also pledged a long-term partnership with the association and other professional bodies to improve healthcare delivery, emphasizing that his administration will focus on reforms that yield lasting institutional benefits.
His words: “I receive this award with humility and a profound sense of responsibility. For me, this is not simply an award to the Governor; it is an award to every doctor, nurse, healthcare worker and stakeholder who continues to give his or her best in the service of our people.
“We will not rest on what we have achieved. The task before us is to build a health system that our people can trust, a system that attracts and retains the best hands, and where every Cross Riverian can access quality care…
“This award challenges us to do even more. We accept it with gratitude, but more importantly, we accept it as a call to greater service.”
In a June 2026 article titled ‘Inside Gov. Otu’s Three-Year Healthcare Revolution,’ Kingsley Agim, an information officer with the Cross River State Ministry of Information, observed that “What makes this (Otu’s healthcare) transformation particularly noteworthy is that it extends beyond the construction of hospitals and the procurement of medical equipment. It reflects a deliberate effort to strengthen every layer of the healthcare ecosystem; from primary healthcare and maternal and child health services to health insurance, disease surveillance, workforce development, health commodity management, nutrition, and the deployment of innovative technologies such as drone-enabled vaccine delivery. At the same time, the state has intensified responses to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, Mpox, cholera, Lassa fever and other public health threats through strengthened partnerships, revived counterpart funding arrangements, and improved institutional coordination.
“At the centre of this effort is the Health Cluster, comprising the Ministry of Health, the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), the Nutrition and Immunization Programme, the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), and the Cross River State Agency for the Control of AIDS (CRSACA). Working in concert, these institutions have implemented reforms and interventions that are redefining healthcare delivery across the state.
“The story of Cross River’s health sector over the last three years is therefore not merely one of projects completed or programmes executed. It is the story of a government investing in human capital, strengthening public institutions, expanding access to healthcare, and laying the foundation for healthier and more productive communities.”
As contained in Agim’s piece, the Otu administration has aggressively invested in healthcare infrastructure by upgrading 196 Primary Healthcare Centres under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and revitalizing an additional 96 across the state. The piece noted that the state has further strengthened secondary and emergency care through hospital rehabilitation, new palliative care facilities, specialized maternal health centres, and oxygen production plants.
The NMA Platinum Award therefore highlights what can be achieved when there is a clear demonstration of political will and purposeful leadership from leaders entrusted with governance. By addressing systemic bottlenecks such as funding, security, legislative gaps, workforce welfare, etc, the Otu administration has established a benchmark for sub-national healthcare delivery.
The award stands as a milestone, indicating that Cross River State is forging a resilient system built to deliver accessible, quality care for all its citizens. It serves as a definitive, landmark recognition of a leader who looked at a collapsing healthcare system and chose to rebuild it. Through robust infrastructural renewal, unprecedented welfare reforms for medical professionals, and a commitment to universal health coverage, Governor Otu has redefined public health administration in Nigeria.
By honouring Governor Otu, who sees healthcare as critical to national wellbeing and economic growth, the NMA affirms that leadership and policy choices matter – and when they are right, they deserve to be celebrated and emulated. The NMA Platinum Award to Otu resonates with three distinct audiences: for health workers, it is validation that their struggles are finally seen; for government, it is both encouragement and a mandate for accountability; and for citizens, it is hope that the system can work when guided by sound leadership and sustainable vision.
The true value of recognition lies not in the plaque, but in the direction it points. That direction, in connection to the NMA award conferred on Otu, is clear: invest in people, fund primary care, respect health workers, and protect the poor from catastrophic health costs. This historic Platinum recognition confirms that the ‘People First’ mantra is not a mere political slogan, but a lived reality for Cross Riverians who now have access to reliable, dignified, and affordable healthcare.
The award presentation was more than a formality; it was an endorsement of a governance philosophy that places health at the centre of development. By accepting the award, Governor Otu has renewed his covenant with the people of Cross River State. The bar has been set remarkably high, and the administration is now expected to build on this foundation.
Michael Jegede, a journalist, writes from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja