Otu’s agenda gains ground as 275 Biase residents benefit from Council initiative

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

The “People First” Agenda of Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, is recording tangible results in Biase Local Government Area, where the council Chairman, Edodi Eyong, has empowered over 275 residents through scholarships, business support and skills acquisition programmes.

The administration has pursued a broad-based development programme covering education, economic empowerment, security, infrastructure and social welfare across the 11 wards of the local government area.

In the education sector, the council awarded scholarships to over 120 undergraduate and postgraduate students from Biase.

Each undergraduate beneficiary received N200,000, while postgraduate students got N250,000 each. According to the council, the initiative is aimed at easing the financial burden on students and encouraging academic pursuit.

Another 55 young women were trained under the council’s skills acquisition programme in soap making, baking, pastry, jelly, body cream and perfume production. Each beneficiary also received start-up funds to enable her establish a business.

More than 100 residents across the 11 wards also benefited from the council’s business empowerment scheme, receiving deep freezers, sewing machines, generators, hair dryers and clippers.

In the area of social welfare, hundreds of elderly women and other vulnerable residents received wrappers and cash support across the wards.

As part of efforts to strengthen grassroots political coordination, the chairman also presented motorcycles to APC ward chairmen and a Hyundai Sonata car to the APC chapter chairman, Bassey Sunday Bassey.

Speaking on the interventions, Eyong said the empowerment drive reflected his administration’s philosophy of placing productive tools directly in the hands of citizens.

He said the focus was to translate government support into income, jobs and stronger communities in line with Governor Otu’s “People First” agenda.

One of the beneficiaries, Egan-Ojoi Anakari, who received a freezer, said the support would enable him to start a new line of business.

Owai Obo, who received a generator, said it would help address the challenge of irregular electricity supply.

The Paramount Ruler of Biase, HRH Apostle Nicholas Odum, who also received a generator, commended the chairman for extending the intervention to the traditional institution.