CROSS RIVER GUBER ASPIRANTS (10)

OKPUTU OCHIM JULIUS PhD

The story of Okputu Ochim Julius is that of service based on love for people. He is a human being who has been privileged to rise from the ranks in life, and thus well furnished for leadership and uniting the people.

His story by divine providence begins from the setting of a middle class upbringing in a strong family of hard work from where he was taught to see education as one of the best means of getting a head. Due to the payoff of that early inspiration, the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others has been adopted by Okputu.

Okputu Ochim Julius Was born on the 14th of July, 1966. Attended St. John’s Primary School, Wankade and then proceeded to Secondary Grammar Schools, Wanikade (1984). He further obtained a Bachelors degree and Master degree in1988 and 1994 respectively. He has since backed up his educational flight with a PhD from the University of Calabar in 2006.

PUBLIC SERVICE
OKPUTU OCHIM JULIUS (PhD) years of public service is footed on his belief from the University days where he brazenly displayed the ability to unite people for political purposes. He reached across the aisle to pan ground breaking, lobbing reform, lockup the world’s most dangerous weapons and bring transparency to the government of Cross River State.

These attributes are responsible for his subsequent entrustment with successive lofty national and states’ assignments were he proved his mettle.

His rich span of duties is as follows;

Chairman Civil Service Commission, Calabar¬ - 1996 - 1997;
Chairman, Civil Service Commission, - 1997 - 2003
Director-General, monitory and evaluation, office of the Governor, Calabar - 2003 - 2004
State Desk Officer, The Presidency, National Economic Intelligence Committee - 2004 - 2006

Vice Chairman/CEO, Cross River State Planning Commission Office of the Governor, Calabar - 2004 - 2006

Commissioner for Works – Feb. 2006 – Oct. 2006
Commissioner for Works Cross River Sate – Dec. 2006 – May – 2007
Commissioner for Environment, Cross River State – Nov. 2007 – Sept. 2010.
Member Technical Working Group for the Development of an integrated Infrastructures Master peace for Nigeria, the Presidency (NPC) – 2013

In the quest for canvassing for the opportunity to lead Cross River State, another area of interest is Education. And in the following paragraph he shares this area of passion and his own stunt at the noble profession of Teaching.

As a former teacher, he believes that it is only through reforming education that every child can be allowed the chance to take their full and equal share in citizenship, shaping their own destiny, and become masters of their own fate. Throughout history, most individuals have been the victims of forces beyond their control. But Education provides a route to liberation from these imposed constraints. OKPUTU OCHIM JULIUS once demonstrated this when he had his Youth Service at Women Teacher’s College, Kastina, tutured at Oe’yi Onwu Secondary Grammar School, Yahe, moved to Pin – Margaret Secondary School, Calabr, before founding and running Veejules Nigeria Limited as the Chief Executive Officer.

Okputu’s POLITICAL ASSIGNMENTs include;

Chairman Contact and Mobilization Committee, People’s Democratic Party Governorship Election Campaigns 2003 for the state. He was the Secretary People’s Democratic Party Governorship Election Campaigns for the State in 2006 and also Coordinator Cross River State Northern Senatorial District General Election in 2011.

ASPIRATION

Okputu has aspired for the Governorship of Cross River State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party in 2007.

He firmly believes that he is amply qualified to take over the Governance of Cross River State in the next political dispensation.

Dr Okputu is conscious of the giant efforts of democratic administrations in Cross River State from 1999 to date in providing the requisite building blocks for the development and prosperity of the state. Indeed, he has identified the element of policy continuity as sustainable hallmarks of Imoke’s administration and governance style aimed at advancing the good cause which is anchored on seven (7) point’s agenda with infrastructure transformation as the spur.

He does not intend to re-inventing the wheel, rather to do a SWOT + on the seven point agenda to identify what gaps there may be and the strategies to fill them.

Topical on his agenda is to elevate security as number Eight (8) with emphasis on internal conflict resolution, food and social security towards the maintenance of internal peace and harmony; the preservation of our capital assets and the preservation of our natural ambience as the haven of peace.

He shares in Senator Imokes’s belief that our people are our greatest asset and therefore their empowerment the focal essence of governance; that “we should take government to the people that need government most”.

Moving forward, he is guided by the belief that government as the enabler, facilitator and regulator should continue to play the catalytic role of attracting private sector investments in productive sectors of the economy with priority focus on Agriculture, Tourism, Healthcare and Education with Security as cornerstone. The Objective is to establish a fool-proof security Architecture for the protection of FDI assets, legacy investments and the promotion of internal harmony, peaceful co-existence and violence- free Politics. The style of politics in Cross River State remains the greatest brand in this country.

Dr Okputu intends to complement the vision given with commitment to:

-   Develop sector specific policies to guide prioritization in resource allocation.

-   Streamline all the NEEDS assessment/surveys that have been done from 1999 to present day, scrutinise them to determine status of projects and programmes implementation and establish gaps.

-   Examine all the policy documents, sectorally to enable prioritization of projects and programmes in line with policy objectives.

-   Hold a stakeholders summit to deal with NEEDS and priorities towards setting the NEW AGENDA.

-   Hold an economic summit to draw up a template toward sustaining the gains of a non-oil economy, develop an FDI framework, an industrial master plan with a worst case scenario in mind- ‘an Abuja financial eclipse’ zero FAC for Cross River State.

-   Increased investment flow and IGR targeted investments with an initial target of $500million annually.

-   Leveraging on tourism assets, consolidating the status as a conference and convention hub of the country, promoting education, health and religious tourism.

-   Encourage the continued development of industrial, oil and gas parks and their separation from residential areas.

-   The development of an environmentally compliant industrialization master plan.

-   Set up a Standard Regulatory Commission.

-   Develop an environmental blueprint, complete with an architecture toward the continued restoration of the Calabar, Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu master plans, the expansion and development of new urban centres in the eighteen (18) local government areas, the development of an effective waste management system, an effective environmental control/housing development mechanism.

-   Towards employment generation and wealth creation, upgrade the job placement unit in the office of the Governor to a Bureau of Opportunities and Employment Generation

-   Continue the development of urban and rural sanitation policy.

-   Establish in collaboration with development partners, a school of conservation in the Central Senatorial District.

-   Develop a feasible and sustainable template on youth and women empowerment.

   His vision is intensified with commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government in to enhance activities in TINAPA, EPZ and Calabar Port. Also, the construction of the new Ikom Bridge, development of a robust maritime sector, dualization of our major arterial roads, construction of a rail line through Calabar- Obudu, continue the pressure on the extension of the East-West Road to Calabar.