Efio-Ita Nyok|10 January 2018
The Senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Gershom Bassey, has assured his constituents in the ongoing town hall meeting conducted across the senatorial district that he will engage the state government in view of improving road infrastructure in his constituency NegroidHaven can report authoritatively.
This disposition was expressed in a statement credited to the distinguished Senator while he met with his Calabar South constituents earlier this week to field reactions from them and acquaint them of the extent of his representation thus far at the Red Chamber. While acknowledging the lean financial estate of the state, Bassey promised to engage the state government to do more in terms of creating motorable roads in the local government. He further promised to take up the challenge of poor roads as observed by his constituents with the relevant federal agency responsible for roads maintenance, etc.
According to the lawmaker, 'In the case of bad roads, I don't know whether they are federal or state roads, Hon Joseph Bassey can help me, but, whichever one they are, if they are state roads, we will engage His Excellency; I know that our Representatives have been working very hard, even our Commissioners to fight for budgetary allocations for Calabar South, I know that that is happening for a fact,
'But the state has very lean resources, I know that they don't have too much money, I know that they are doing their best, but, we will get them to try and do more, where there are federal roads, please let me know, I will take that one up with FERMA. I will also engage His Excellency in the state of roads in Calabar South'.
In tackling an observation made by one of the constituents bordering on power supply, electrocution, etc Sen. Bassey, said that the DISCOs, Port Harcourt Holding Company (PHCN) have a portion of blame while also blaming some constituents who take the issue of carefulness with electrical installations for granted. He particularly queried why some constituents or residents will build football viewing centres under high tension facilities.
His words, 'While we've discovered that the distribution company and PHCN, have some degree of blame : because we have naked wires, and things like that that are not properly secured, but, also, we the users have to be extremely careful when we are around these electrical installations, because some times we take these things for granted;
'I don't know the details of your particular case, but the issue of Nyang Asang, you had situations where people were watching football and there was a naked electrical pole nearby. Why they even build that viewing centre in that location was something we could not understand; so, while we are going to look into the electrocution issue, we are going to ensure that whatever is the responsibility of government, we will ensure that government does it, l want to beg members of the public that let us be careful around electrical installations'. He was referring to recent electrocution incidents at Adak Uko, Abasi Orok by Umo Orok Lane, etc.
Bassey also revealed that in his recent meeting with His Excellency the governor of Cross River State, he discovered that the state electrification agency had conducted a needs assessment of the state of power in the state, he assured of an anticipated certain improvements in power supply across the state.
According to him, 'Although I am aware that the state electrification agency had conducted a needs assessment of the entire state and even the southern senatorial district, they went into a lot of detail, the report is with the governor and the items are about to be awarded, I think that all those transformers and electrification projects are captured in the report.
'I know that once that project starts, a lot of these issues will be addressed, in Calabar South, our problem is not so much about electrification, it's transformers, so, I think it will be addressed once they start that project'.
He again assured Calabar South constituents of the setting up of a state office of DPR : 'the lighting of the street lights in The Department of Petroleum Resources is opening an office in Calabar this year, they are coming to Calabar which will create opportunities for our people'.
Earlier, during the meeting Bassey had explained his motivation for convening the town hall. For him, 'We've been having this in line with the spirit of proper representation, I feel it's not just about 'landing', it's about interacting with the people of the local government, which is even more important, and so,… I have tried to take some questions, if there are areas you need clarification or some information you want to give me, my people are here, they are taking notes, and we have tried to make it an interactive session so that some people by the time I go back, I will go back with some information that will help me;
'Whether it's criticism, commendation, whether it's questions, information, these are all the things that will help us to do our work, when you send somebody to represent you, you don't send him because he knows everything, you send him to be your voice, where he's going, so I am there to be your voice, and the only way I can be your voice is if I know what the issues are, I may have an idea, but from time to time, it's good we interact with the people', he concluded.
Dignitaries present at the occasion were the Deputy Speaker of the 8th Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr Joseph Bassey, PDP Chapter chair of Cross River South, and a host of others.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of NegroidHaven
