The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has launched a scathing attack on Governor Bassey Otu's administration, accusing it of promoting brigandage across the state through the deployment of revenue collectors who allegedly use force to extort from residents.

PDP State Chairman, Mr. Venatius Ikem, made these allegations during an appearance on the radio programme 'Peoples Opinion' on FAD FM on Wednesday, where he claimed that the governor's two years in office have yielded no tangible achievements.

"These so-called revenue agents are the 'area boys' they used during elections and have assigned them revenue points as a way of 'settling' them. These boys are now masquerading as revenue collectors, going about terrorising citizens and traders brazenly," Ikem stated.

The opposition leader further alleged that the Otu administration is characterized by "monumental corruption and waste of resources," claiming that the governor has failed to continue potentially beneficial programs initiated by his predecessor, Professor Ben Ayade.

"There's absolutely nothing noteworthy or attractive that APC government has given to Cross River State. The activities of the APC administration oscillate around cleaning parts of Calabar," the PDP chairman maintained.

When questioned about recent defections from the PDP, Ikem dismissed concerns that these movements had weakened the party's position in the state. He described defectors as "regular economic migrants" seeking greener pastures and insisted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot gain a foothold in Cross River North.

The Cross River State government has not yet responded to these allegations at the time of reporting. The accusations come as political tensions continue to simmer in the state ahead of future electoral contests.