Otu criticized for appointing SSAs on social media platforms

The Social Media SSA Uproar

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu ignited fierce debate in April 2025 by appointing 15 media specialists to roles like Special Assistant on Facebook Management, Senior Special Assistant on TikTok, and Special Adviser on Content Development and Archival. While supporters praised the digital modernization effort, critics condemned the move as political patronage amid a severe economic crisis marked by unpaid salaries, crumbling infrastructure, and failing healthcare services. This controversy exposes Nigeria’s struggle to balance digital governance with urgent socioeconomic needs—a tension resonating from Calabar to Abuja, where citizens question whether viral content can feed families or fix roads.

The Digital Dream Team

Governor Otu’s appointments targeted niche social media functions: Platform-Specific Roles including dedicated managers for TikTok, Facebook, and X (Twitter); Content Creators covering advisers for Content Development/Archival and Digital Media Strategy; Hybrid Positions handling traditional media relations and broadcast monitoring.

The move mirrored trends in other Nigerian states but Cross River’s timing proved incendiary. As one civil servant lamented: When my children ask why teachers haven’t been paid, should I say the governor hired a TikTok expert instead?

Immediate Backlash

Human rights activist Agba Jalingo slammed the appointments as handouts rather than genuine roles, arguing that one social media-savvy person could handle most of these positions. Opposition leaders highlighted redundancy with the Ministry of Information’s existing media staff. Online protests exploded under hashtags like PrioritizeRoadsNotTikTok.

Our roads are death traps, hospitals lack paracetamol, yet we’re paying for X Managers? — CalabarResident.

The Economic Tinderbox Fueling Outrage

State of Emergency in Plain Sight

Cross River’s economy resembles a pressure cooker: Salary Arrears with state workers owed 4-8 months’ wages and teachers’ strike entering its 5th month; Infrastructure Collapse where 60% of roads are deemed impassable during rains including Calabar-Itu highway requiring 4-hour detours; Healthcare Crisis leaving 70% of primary health centers without antibiotics or malaria drugs.

The ₦420 Million Question

Though undisclosed officially, analysts estimate Senior Special Assistants earn ₦1.5-₦2.5 million monthly, Special Advisers receive ₦2-₦3 million monthly, creating a total monthly burn of ₦25-₦35 million (₦300-₦420 million annually).

Political economist Iniobong Williams connected the dots: This isn’t fiscal prudence—it’s patronage. These funds could clear two months of teachers’ salary arrears or stock every clinic in Calabar. The state’s massive debt amplifies scrutiny, especially when multiple Nigerian governors collectively hired thousands of aides despite similar crises.

Political Betrayals and the Marginalization Paradox

Federal Exclusion: Salt in Wounds

Cross River’s social media splurge coincides with alarming federal sidelining: Downgraded from substantive Minister to Minister of State in the federal cabinet; Zero representation as CEOs across federal agencies; Loss of South-South Development Commission chairmanship to Rivers State—a role Cross River expected to secure.

Governor Otu’s delegation to protest marginalization made the TikTok hires seem tragically ironic. As public affairs commentator Missang Oyama noted: You don’t hire Instagram managers while begging Abuja for crumbs. It signals vanity over advocacy.

The Defense: Digital Engagement as Progress

Administration insiders anonymously countered critics: We must dominate social media to showcase achievements and combat fake news. They pointed to international examples like Brazil’s massive YouTube user base as proof digital governance is unavoidable—yet failed to explain why cost-effective models weren’t adopted.

Digital Governance—Global Lessons for Local Realities

The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

Platforms enable rapid crisis communication but amplify risks: Disinformation where courts now fine platforms for unmoderated hate speech; Security Threats where protests organized via social media led to infrastructure attacks.

Best Practices Cross River Ignored

Canada employs Digital Ambassadors managing multiple platforms without TikTok-specific hires; Rwanda trains civil servants in social media management avoiding redundant appointments; The EU mandates cost-benefit analyses for new government roles.

Reclaiming Trust—Paths Forward for Cross River

Consolidate or Cancel: Merge all social media roles into 2-3 multi-platform managers. Redirect savings to clear one month of teachers’ arrears immediately.

Transparency Ultimatum: Publish monthly expenditure reports for all aides—emulating other states’ public salary databases.

Leverage Existing Talent: Deploy National Youth Service Corps digital natives as done successfully elsewhere—saving millions monthly while skilling youth.

Adopt Proven Moderation Models: Require platforms to remove illegal content within 24 hours—freeing SSAs from firefighting disinformation.

Federal Advocacy Task Force: Replace several SSAs with a Special Adviser on Federal Relations to reclaim Cross River’s lost agency seats.

When Tweets Can’t Replace Tractors

The Cross River appointments controversy transcends politics—it’s a morality play about leadership in the digital age. As Governor Otu’s TikTok team crafts reels, parents sell furniture to pay children’s school fees. As Facebook SSAs optimize posts, nurses reuse gloves. This isn’t condemnation of digital governance; it’s a demand for proportionality. Social media roles become defensible only when they serve tangible outcomes: a flood alert that saves lives, a vaccine drive promo that boosts uptake. Until then, they remain political theater with a ₦420 million price tag—a luxury a bleeding state can’t afford.

Governance isn’t choosing between roads and TikTok. It’s fixing roads first, then using TikTok to show citizens where, when, and how. — Kalu Okoronkwo.