June 12, (THEWILL)- Bassey Albert Akpan, the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), and Leader of the Akwa Ibom Caucus of the National Assembly is an interesting personality because his life is full of inspiration that can motivate others to find their bearing in life or attain greater feats or stardom.
Suzy Kassem, an American writer, poet and philosopher offers a mirror on the man, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan. In her classification, the “three marks of an honourable man are: “Selflessness Humility and Truthfulness.”
The story of Bassey Albert Akpan popularly known as OBA, began on October 28, 1972 when he was born into the family of Chief Albert Robert Akpan in Ididep Usuk village, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Bassey Albert Akpan’s journey to his present height was not without some encumbrances. As a destiny child, a combination of diligence, abiding faith in God, honesty and remarkable stewardship saw his meteoric rise beyond measures. Here you have someone who was a houseboy, someone who hawked on the streets to make ends meet, and someone who defied two obstacles to succeed in life. J.K. Rowlings says it all: “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”
Bassey Albert Akpan had his secondary education at St Patrick’s College, Calabar, Cross River State and thereafter proceeded to the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (Second Class Upper Division). In furtherance of academic excellence, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has attended several courses, workshops/seminars as well as served at several for as a resource person.
Akpan started his professional career in 1997 with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), and his first desk was the International Operations and Consumer Banking/Retail Banking Unit. Sooner, his meticulousness came to the fore as the Continental Trust Bank secured his services in 1999. He was employed and deployed as Manager, Corporate Banking Group at the bank’s Head Office in Victoria Island, Lagos. Like a pearl, he became a sought after resource personnel in the banking sector.
The First Inland Bank Plc secured his services in 2003 as Uyo Branch Manager, Akwa Ibom State. Against the background of scepticism, he transformed the financial fortunes of the bank and won the bank’s ‘Best Performing Branch Manager Award’ in the South-South region. He also won the award of the ‘Best Performing Branch Manager Nationwide’ in the bank’s midyear review of the 2004 financial year.
In 2005 a bigger door opened as he joined First City Monument Bank as Assistant Vice President. He supervised the bank’s operations in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States as General Manager. He was responsible for directing and overseeing the day-to-day running of over 15 branches across the zone and as the Zonal Head, he articulated and developed key market penetration strategies for the bank, for sustainable market share and growth.
In 2007, the scriptures as recorded in Proverbs 22:29 thus, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men,” came to be fulfilled in his life. Bassey Albert Akpan was nominated as a Commissioner into the Executive Council of the Akwa Ibom State government; he accepted the offer and was assigned to the Ministry of Finance. He was a square peg in a square hole. He utilized his wealth of experience in the banking sector coupled with his background as an Economist, to give effective leadership to the Ministry of Finance and its agencies. In April 2009, Senator Albert chaired the first ever Akwa Ibom State Revenue summit. He successfully reinvented the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to improve its earnings to N15.6 billion as at the last quarter of 2013.
As Commissioner for Finance backed with competence and patriotism for state service, he was appointed Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee. In that capacity, he ensured that Government projects were implemented and completed using direct labour initiative which also saved funds for the state.
True to his acumen, he scored a feat, ensuring the successful completion of over 6,000 life-touching projects in the health and education sectors, as well as rural areas and human capital development.
It is on record that he was instrumental to negotiations between Akwa Ibom State and Standard Chartered Bank for the approval of a loan of £325.24 million to execute projects in the state.
As the parlance goes that the “reward for hard work is more work,” his laudable service record, charming character and amazing public spirited disposition saw him being sought after to serve the people in an elective office.
He yielded. And the Senate witnessed his entry in 2015 as the representative of the Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District.
Effective representation of the Senatorial District fetched him a second term ticket in 2019. Besides, political developments in Akwa Ibom State in the build-up to the 2019 further revealed him as a tenacious character; of the three PDP Senators elected in 2015, he became the only one who defied the pressure to decamp from PDP. He stood and supported his party to win the State and ensure the second term of Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as Governor.
His impacts in the 8th and 9th Senate bear copious evidence. Senator Bassey Albert Akpan falls under the contemplation of G.K. Chesterton, who said, “The really great man is the man who makes every man feel great.” The Senator is a development and joy planter. Wherever he goes, wherever he serves and whatever he does, a difference is always felt. He has a good heart and this reflects in the summation of Eric Thomas that “The difference between average and good. Good and Great! Great and Phenomenal; is their mindset”
His service in the 8th Senate was awesome. OBA had six Motions to his credit and all geared towards addressing the dire economic straits and infrastructural decay into which the country had been dragged. Those include: Motion on the urgent need to halt the dilapidated and disintegrated state of Ikot Ekpene-Itu-Calabar Federal Highway; Motion on the need to curb the soaring rate of unemployment in Nigeria; Motion on urgent need for effective implementation of the Joint Venture Cash Calls obligations by NNPC; Motion on the need to address the present economic state of the nation; Motion on urgent need to investigate the granting of concession of the Western and Eastern Rail Lines to General Electric of USA and Motion on the need to save the 215 megawatt Kaduna Power Plant. He also co-sponsored no fewer than six motions.
These motions led to far reaching resolutions by the Senate that were aimed at putting spark back into our national economy. For instance, it was his Motion on the need to address the present economic state of the nation that raised the first alarm that Nigeria had irredeemably sunk into economic recession in 2016. The Motion led to the summoning of the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank Governor who both admitted that the country was truly on the cliff of recession.
He also sponsored four Bills, namely; the National Youth Employment and Development Bill, the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan Bill, Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, and most importantly, the Gas Flaring Prohibition and Punishment Bill, which is the first legislative attempt since Nigeria’s independence, conceived to holistically seek an end to Gas Flaring in Nigeria through legislation. Out of his seven petitions presented on the floor of the 8th Senate, two of the petitions led to the reinstatement of two federal public servants from Akwa Ibom State whose appointments were wrongfully terminated.
His stellar performance as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas in the 8th Senate made a strong impression on the management of the 9th Senate under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan. Given his in-depth knowledge of the oil and gas sector and the reforms he brought to bear on the gas sector, the leadership of the 9th Senate found him worthy to lead the charge to bring reforms to the country’s petroleum sector by appointing him the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream.
As expected, he has not disappointed the Senate and its leadership for the confidence reposed in him given his laudable contributions in the last 21 months.
At the inauguration of the Committee on October 9, 2019, he rolled out the agenda of the committee, primed to reposition the country’s petroleum sector. In an address delivered at the meeting, he, while regretting that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has lingered over the years without passage into law, assured industry stakeholders that the 9th Senate will surely resolve the apparent logjam.
He first engineered an engagement process with the Executive and later with Host Communities for their inputs on the final touches of the bill before it is laid in the National Assembly for passage into law. And currently, as Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream and Co-chair, Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Petroleum Resources (Upstream), he is on those processes which have raised hope that the PIB bill will finally see the light of day.
When the Senate passed its fastest ever Bill in the history of legislation in Nigeria on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, who was the sponsor of the Bill, played a leading role in the process. Titled, a Bill to Amend the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act D3 LFN 2004, was read the first time in the Senate on Thursday, October 3, 2019 in the Senate.
The intent of the Bill was the need to review and recover additional revenue accruable to the government of the Federation from the Production Sharing Contracts pursuant to the Act of 2004. The Bill was subsequently referred to the Joint Senate Committees on Petroleum Upstream, Gas, Finance, Judiciary and Human Rights chaired by Senator Bassey Albert Akpan for further legislative work.
The amendment of the Act as championed by him was to maintain a competitive environment for the oil and gas sector to thrive and to serve as a precursor to passing the Petroleum Industry Bill. Upon passage, it was eventually signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. The development brought about $1.5billion into the coffers of the Federal Government.
It stands as one of his greatest successes in the Senate to have intervened successfully in the historic resolution of the long disputed NNPC/Chevron Escravos Gas to Liquid deal in favour of Nigeria as chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas in the 8th Senate, and later as Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) in the 9th Senate. The deal raked in several billions of dollars into the country’s economy.
He is also sponsoring a Bill to amend the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (Establishment) Act, CAP N166 LFN 2004. The bill seeks to amend the principal Act to provide for additional funding of the Sovereign Wealth Fund through a statutory allocation of funds from the monthly revenue accruing to the Federation Account. The Bill has passed second reading.
Senator Bassey on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 presented a petition on behalf of Akwa Ibom State Caucus in the Senate alleging marginalization of Akwa Ibom State in terms of Federal appointments. The petition was accordingly referred to the Committee on rules and ethics for legislative action.
A spectacular feat also achieved by him is ensuring the reinstatement of a police officer, Celestine Obot Williams from Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State after 21 years of wrongful dismissal and promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). The promotion takes effect from June 11, 2020 and he is to earn his salaries and entitlement for the period covering 21 years. How apt is the scriptures that “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.” Proverb 29: 2.
One core area Senator Bassey Albert Akpan supports passionately is education. For years, he has been running a scholarship programme initiated since May 2016. The first phase of the scholarship Scheme had over 180 students mostly drawn from all the nine local government areas of Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District. However, by March 2020, during the second phase of the scholarship scheme, he had magnanimously extended the coverage to students from the 31 local government areas of the state. A total of 1449 students applied for the scholarship out of which 1150 students’ were shortlisted for the qualifying examination for the second phase of the scheme. After a rigorous screening exercise, 189 students (136 male and 53 female) were successful, bringing the total number of students that have so far benefitted from the scholarship programme to 381.
It covers all school expenses of the beneficiaries who are indigenes of Akwa Ibom State studying in Federal and State universities across Nigeria. His philanthropic gesture, particularly in education, moved the Governing Council of the College of Education, Afaha Nsit, at its 7th combined convocation, to confer on Senator Bassey Albert Akpan an “Educational and Philanthropic Award” in recognition of his laudable contributions to the development of the state’s educational sector.8 On April 20, 2018, OBA held ‘mother of all empowerment’ in Uyo, the state capital as was described by public analysts.
Hundreds of beneficiaries went home with Cars, Keke Napeps (Tricycles), Generators, Motorcycle, Cassava grinding Machines, Hairdressing equipment, cash empowerment for traders, sewing machines, fish drying equipment, block moulding equipment amongst others.
The trend has continued as the Senator Bassey Albert Liaison Office, distributes on his behalf, empowerment items, training/starter pacts as well as donation of vehicles for personal and transport purposes.
His constituency empowerment and human development programme has given succour to at least 2,200 indigenes.
His constituency projects on provision of solar powered water to rural communities, road construction and donation of life enhancing drugs to nine health centres in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District (Uyo) Senatorial District were part of his stewardship in his first term.
The record made his re-election into the 9th Senate a fait accompli. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, he, in his usual benevolence, made available cash and palliatives to several indigenes and organizations from across the state to cushion the effect of the economic challenges.
He also donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to several groups, institutions and organizations in the state including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State Council, to assist in the fight against the pandemic. Also, he had in the 8th Senate as he is currently doing in the and 9th Senate engaged in many constituency projects covering road constructions, provision of facilities, schools’ blocks, building of markets stalls, provision of boreholes, electricity, recreational parks, community development centre amongst others.
During the 2020 yuletide/Festive Season, Senator Albert also empowered no fewer than 520 physically challenged persons with wheelchairs, guide canes, cash and bags of rice.
So far, 5000 women and youths have benefited from the OBA’s training programme in entrepreneurial skills with the accompanying cash benefits to the beneficiaries drawn from the nine (9) LGAs that make up Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District.
So far, there are 350 constituency projects spread evenly across Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District to the credit of the vibrant Senator Bassey Albert Akpan. Of note is the fact that during festive seasons over the years, he has been very consistent in giving back to his people, stakeholders, communities, churches, organizations and institutions with rice, cows, goats, cash and other items that go with merry-making seasons.
Senator Bassey Albert Akpan is a happy family man, who is married to Evangelist Nkeiru Imaobong Bassey Albert. The union is blessed with children.
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