The Leader of the 7th Bakassi Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Grace Bassey, has been commended for extending her grassroots interventions beyond Ward 7, which she represents, to residents and groups in other wards of Bakassi Local Government Area.
The commendation was made during a livelihood support programme organised by Bassey for constituents and party members, where speakers highlighted her support for residents outside her immediate ward, particularly Ward 4.
The programme, held at the All Progressives Congress Secretariat in Ikot Nkoho Nnie, featured the distribution of cooking gas cylinders, farming tools, food items and cash to beneficiaries drawn from the 10 wards of the local government area.
Also speaking, the Cross River State APC Youth Leader, Hon. Maurice Ase, commended Bassey for what he described as a service-oriented approach to leadership.
Ase said the location of a leader should not determine his or her commitment to constituents, stressing that leadership should be measured by the impact made on the people.
“Leadership is about what you do for the people,” he said.
He added that Bassey’s intervention demonstrated that meaningful grassroots service could be achieved even with limited resources.
Bassey, who represents Ward 7 in the Bakassi Legislative Assembly, said she considered herself a leader beyond the boundaries of her ward.
“Today, I came to be with my people of Ward 7. I came with my friends and fellow leaders because I am not a leader limited to Ward 7 alone,” she said.
She explained that the items and financial assistance distributed at the event were intended as livelihood support rather than a conventional empowerment programme.
“What I have brought today is not empowerment; it is livelihood support, and it should not be mistaken for empowerment,” she said.
The support package included cooking gas cylinders, farming tools, food items and varying amounts of cash for beneficiaries from across the local government area.
Bassey urged beneficiaries to receive the gesture in the spirit in which it was offered, acknowledging that the available resources might not be sufficient to reach everyone at once.
“It may be little, but I urge everyone to receive it with peace and love. It may not get to everyone today, but I believe better days are ahead,” she added.
Speaking at the event, the Special Assistant on Public Orientation to Governor Bassey Otu, Antan Okor, said Bassey’s support had not been restricted to the people of Ward 7.
Okor, who said she was impressed by her activities, noted that the council leader had also extended similar gestures to women in Ward 4.
“I am very happy to be here with my leader. When she sent the invitation to me, I actually thought about whether I should switch from Ward 4 to Ward 7 because of the good work she is doing here,” he said.
“Her support is not limited to Ward 7. She also reaches out to our women in Ward 4 and extends the same gesture to them.”
She described Bassey’s approach as a demonstration of love for the people, adding that he had not witnessed a similar level of grassroots engagement across the wards of the local government area.
Okor said the current intervention was only the beginning, expressing optimism that more programmes aimed at improving the welfare of residents would be implemented.
The event brought together community leaders, women, youths, party members and other residents, with speakers urging beneficiaries to maintain peace and unity while supporting initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods at the grassroots.
