The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has initiated immediate renovations at the mental rehabilitation center in Calabar, in a bid to adhere to international standards and provide better care for individuals with mental health challenges.

The announcement was made by Chief Ayi Etim, the Executive Secretary of the Calabar Urban Development Authority (CUDA), and Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba, the Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, during a guided tour of the facility's location in Otob Otob, Calabar South Local Government Area.

“We are here on our routine inspection of our project, our facility where we keep the mentally challenged persons, and that is why we have come to see that the Governor’s order to rehabilitate this facility and ensure we can remove these set of persons from the streets back to where they can be properly catered for and given medications,” Chief Ayi stated.

Chief Ayi Etim underlined the importance of upgrading the facility to ensure that individuals with mental health needs receive proper care and medication. He stated that the renovation aims to provide a conducive environment for rehabilitation and reunification with families.

He continued, “When we came here, the whole place was dilapidated and in a bad shape but you can see that, to God be the glory, we are moving very fast. We are now having a new borehole, another facility. So I think in two weeks time we should be able to do something better and begin to think about how to get the mentally challenged persons out from the streets”.

He also hinted that the facility had existed and has always been managed by the Calabar Urban Development Authority, which is saddled with responsibilities like removing and taking out of unidentified corpses, evacuation of mentally challenged persons from the street, pruning the verges, maintaining the beauty and aesthetics of the town, of the city, Calabar. “So that is our primary assignments and it has been here right from the days of Eyo Nsa Wiley and the rest,” Chief Ayi stated.

The Executive Secretary noted that the facility can hold up to 70 inmates at a time, while experts, doctors, and medical personnel from the Neuropsychiatric Hospital are contracted to care for them. He mentioned that after the rehabilitation process and with a positive outcome, the inmates are reintegrated back into society.

In response to questions, Barrister Akiba Ekpenyong commended Governor Otu for his dedication to addressing mental health needs. He assured the public of the government's commitment to completing the renovation and providing proper care for individuals in need.

“As you can see behind us, this is an abandoned facility. It's been dilapidated. But just within two weeks, I can see a lot of improvement and the certainty that it will be completed. And when completed, it will serve the purpose which it was meant to serve, which is to rehabilitate the mentally challenged persons,” Barrister Akiba said, while stressing the importance of completing the renovation to fulfill the facility's purpose of rehabilitating mentally challenged individuals.

Mr. Edet Edet Ekanem, coordinator of the inmates, expressed gratitude for the government's efforts to revitalize the facility. He emphasized the importance of addressing staff welfare issues and pledged support for Governor Otu's project.
“This facility hasn’t received attention for years, making it difficult for us to perform our duties, especially with the non-payment of salaries to our mostly casual workers,” he stated.
He expressed optimism in the Government’s handling of the project and hoped for much more comfortable working conditions.

The renovation of the mental rehabilitation center signifies Governor Otu's commitment to improving mental health care services in Cross River State, ensuring that individuals receive the attention and treatment they require.