CALABAR — Development projects and social intervention programmes facilitated by Hon. Bassey Akiba, member representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, have been highlighted following recent online claims questioning his performance in office NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
Speaking during a media briefing in Calabar, Ita Ayi Asuquo, Personal Assistant to the lawmaker, outlined what he described as verifiable constituency-based initiatives spanning education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and economic empowerment.
Asuquo said Hon. Akiba, who emerged on the platform of the Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, adopted a grassroots-focused approach aimed at reaching a broad cross-section of constituents rather than concentrating benefits on a few individuals.
According to him, a cooperative-based empowerment programme was established across polling units in both Calabar Municipality and Odukpani Local Government Area, with thousands of residents enrolled. He said the initiative is supported annually with funding, noting that ₦25 million was disbursed through the scheme in the most recent cycle to enable members access micro-support for agriculture and small-scale economic activities through the Bank of Agriculture.
On education, Asuquo disclosed that the lawmaker launched a ₦50 million educational support programme in 2024, followed by an expanded ₦100 million scheme in 2025, targeting indigent students. He said beneficiaries received assistance covering school fees, books and other learning materials, including school bags.
He further pointed to infrastructure projects, including the construction of a six-classroom block at Nkita village in Okoyong community, which he said was built from scratch and handed over to support basic education in the area.
In the area of public safety and infrastructure, the aide said Hon. Akiba facilitated the installation of solar-powered streetlights across several communities, including Amanso and along the CUDA Junction–University of Calabar axis on the Eastern Highway. He noted that the intervention has improved night-time visibility and enhanced security in previously dark areas.
Asuquo also highlighted healthcare interventions, stating that the lawmaker supports a health insurance scheme under which registered constituents receive medical treatment at designated facilities at no cost. He added that, in 2024 alone, over 200 patients reportedly benefited from fully funded surgical procedures, including hernia and fibroid operations, at primary healthcare facilities upgraded under the programme.
On agriculture, he said Hon. Akiba’s constituency outreach operates across four value chains—cassava, oil palm, poultry and fisheries—through which farmers receive inputs such as hybrid cassava stems and poultry feeds to boost productivity.
The aide said the briefing was intended to provide clarity amid circulating online narratives and to draw attention to what he described as ongoing and completed projects across the constituency.
He urged members of the public and media practitioners to verify information through official records and on-ground assessments, adding that the lawmaker remains focused on expanding constituency interventions and strengthening community development initiatives.
