Follow Us on Google
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The lawmaker representing Calabar Municipality and Odukpani Federal Constituency, Hon. Bassey Akiba says he is moving his constituents from handouts to lasting growth.
Hon. Akiba said he is spearheading a grassroots revolution in the Constituency by leveraging a network of 500 cooperatives to drive sustainable economic growth for thousands of constituents.
Speaking in an exclusive interview in Calabar, Akiba declared, “We’re moving our constituents from handouts to lasting growth. The power of people coming together is the foundation of our approach.”
His comments come as his constituency-wide cooperative model gains traction, with hundreds of registered cooperatives designed to serve as both a social safety net and a means of empowerment.
“500 cooperatives have been certified, with government fees paid to ensure their independence.
“These cooperatives are the engine behind a combined target of N500 million in business funding, with over N100 million already secured. In addition, N75 million in social funds has been distributed over the past three years to support local traders and artisans”, he said.
He also disclosed that within the last two years, over 4,000 constituents have received free medical treatment including 410 surgeries and 10,000 people are set to access healthcare via NHIA-accredited health cards.
In education, more than 3,000 students have received financial support including a N20 million bursary fund for 200 tertiary students.
He also announced the planned distribution of 17,000 oil palm seedlings and high-yield “TME 419” cassava cuttings to cooperative farmers to boost agricultural productivity across the constituency.
