Senator representing Uyo Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Bassey Albert-Akpan has said that more than 5,000 persons has benefited from his empowerment programmes in the past six years.
He has also said that through the activities of his constituency office, more than N350 million have been spent in impacting the lives of constituents in allowances and general services in the last three years.
Akpan who made this known in a statement in Uyo yesterday maintained that his representation has been able to make a clear departure from the past by touching on the core needs of the people of his constituency.
“Our constituency empowerment and human development programme have given succour to over 5,000 indigenes. This covers allocations of over 110 Cars including Jeeps. We have also given out hundreds of Motorcycles, Tricycles, Sowing Machines, Hair Dressing equipment and various Trade/business empowerments to enhance the living standard of our people.
“It is worthy to note that our projects in the nine (9) local government areas in the Senatorial District cover facilitation of roads construction/ Flood and Erosion Control, Market Stalls/Toilet facilities, Solar-powered Water Schemes, Fish processing Plants/Equipment, Skills Acquisition Centres, Swimming Pool, amongst others.
“Clearly, the 94 Wards in the nine (9) local government areas of the constituency form the focus in all of these primary empowerment programmes while our secondary phases cover institutions, bodies and indigent persons across the entire State.
“Our scholarship scheme for indigent students in the Senatorial District and across Akwa Ibom State as a whole covers 381beneficials studying in various higher institutions across the country. The scholarship covers 100 % of tuition fees plus N20, 000 upkeep stipends to each beneficiary annually.” The statement said.
He said that apart from reaching out with cash transfers to constituents and others in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, his office also supplied palliatives and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health workers, government and private offices, unions, socio-cultural bodies, market women, transporters, and medical institutions worth over N100million.
In the Senate, Akpan said he sponsored a Bill for the amendment of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, CAP D3 LFN 2004 which made the country to regain its lost ground from an estimated loss of over $40 billion (Forty billion dollars) in oil revenue.
“I was also instrunmental to the historic signing of the NNPC/Chevron EGTL Revised Agreement, which provided an instant leap for Nigeria in her energy sector and led to the reversal of the Joint Venture sharing ratio of 25:75 % to 60:40 % in favour of Nigeria and Chevron Limited respectively with a cost savings of over $6B.
“I am also working on other outstanding Bills .“The National Youth Employment and Development Bill”; “The Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan Bill,”; “Constitutional Amendment to make Sovereign Wealth Fund, as a first-line beneficiary of the Federation Account.”
“Others were the “Federation Account Amendment Bill 2021”: “The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Act of 2021” and “The Gas Flaring Prohibition and Punishment Bill 2020.” All these bills are currently undergoing various legislative processes.” He said.
