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| OBA with Senate President, Saraki |
It is an indisputable fact that three senators from Akwa Ibom State in the previous sessions of the Senate, namely, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Senator Effiong Bob and Senator Helen Esuene were outsatanding while serving their terms in the Senate. The former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, who represented Cross River Central in the Senate also made his mark. Senator Ita Enang too never ceased to interest Nigerians with his knack for debates. Not a few will agree that all these five senators, coming from the former South Eastern part of Nigeria, had relatively good outings in the Upper House.
They all left enduring legacies as federal legislators, and were well respected by their peers. It is cheery news that the present Senate has thrown up legislators who have shown the intellectual capacity to sustain this legacy of legislative excellence. One of such legislator is Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, a key player in the transformatory government of Obong Godswill Akpabio. With just six months in the present Senate, Senator Albert has sponsored two motions and two bills besides dispensing life-changing patronages to thousands of youths and women in his senatorial district.
His first motion in the Senate calling on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to arrest the total collapse of Ikot-Ekpene-Itu Federal Highway motivated the Senate into setting up an ad-hoc committee on works to visit federal roads with similar challenges and report back to the Senate for further legislative action. In the motion titled, ‘The Urgent need to halt the dilapidated and disintegrated state of Ikot Ekpene-Itu-Calabar Federal highway Road’, Senator Albert drew the attention of the Senate to the fact that the road is a federal highway constructed since 1975 and that it is the only access route for the transportation of construction materials like chippings, stone dust from quarries in the northern part of Calabar and cement from UNICEM to other parts of the country.
The motion further noted that the road is a gateway for the haulage of animal produce from the Northern part of the country especially from Benue and Nasarawa States to other parts of the country, as well as the road through which imported goods and petrochemical products are evacuated from the Calabar sea port and Calabar fuel depot respectively to the South South and South Eastern parts of the country. The motion also expressed the worry that about 600 square kilometers of the road have been washed away by ravaging gully erosion, the consequences of which is that agricultural, economic, industrial activities and human lives are lost daily, and the very existence of the road itself equally threatened. As a result of the motion, the Senate directed the Federal Government and the relevant ministry, agencies and Departments to undertake an urgent ecological intervention on the road to stop the monumental loss of lives. It also set up an Ad-hoc Committee on Works chaired by Senator Barnabas Gemade to inspect all bad federal roads and report back to the Senate. Senator Albert was also appointed into the committee. The committee submitted its recommendations to the Senate on December 3, 2015.
His second motion calling on the Federal Government to take decisive steps to address the unemployment situation in the country generated intense national debate in and outside the chambers of the Senate, which exposed the unpreparedness of the APC government to deliver on its election promise of paying N5,000 stipend to the unemployed persons in the country. The motion titled, “Urgent Need To Curb The Soaring Rate Of Unemployment In Nigeria” was presented on Wednesday, 4th November, 2015. The motion drew the attention to the fact that the figures from the National Bureau of Statistics reveal that unemployment rate in Nigeria increased to 8.2 percent in the second quarter of 2015 from 7.5 percent in the first quarter of 2015 and from 6.4 percent in the last quarter of 2014.
The latest statistics, according to Senator Albert, was worrisome as it shows that the economically active population or working age comprising Nigerians within the age range of 15 to 64, has risen to 103.5 million compared to 102.8 million in the first quarter of 2015. The unemployed labour force, according to him, now stands at 74 million Nigerian youths. “This is truly a calamity”, Senator Albert lamented in his motion. While expressing worry that the rate of job creation in Nigeria is grossly inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age and labour force population, he expressed concern that in the last five years, about two trillion naira has been expended on Intervention funds by the Federal Government to boost the productivity of various sectors of the economy without any commensurate impact on employment generation. It further expressed worry that with a projected population growth of 200 million by 2020, the country’s projected unemployed population could hit about 100 million. In its prayers, the motion called on the Federal Government and sub–national governments to intensify their effort on employment generation activities in line with their various campaign promises. It also called for an urgent audit into the effective release, utilization and performance of the various intervention funds to the various sectors of the economy by the relevant government agencies. It also urged the Federal Government to integrate entrepreneurship, savings and investment culture and education into the educational curriculum at appropriate levels.
The Senate thereafter adopted the main prayers of the motion. But a high drama ensued in the Senate afterwards. Senator Philip Aduda representing FCT raised additional prayer, asking the Senate to urge the APC Federal Government to fulfil one of its campaign promises. Senator Aduda said the Senate should ask the Federal Government to immediately commence the payment of the N5,000 monthly stipend it promised to pay vulnerable Nigerians during the election campaign. Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio promptly seconded the additional prayer. However, APC Senator, Senator Babajide Omoworare raised the Senate standing Order 53 (6) to oppose the additional prayer. When the Senate President put the additional prayer of Senator Aduda to voice vote, the APC senators surprisingly voted against the implementation of a cardinal election promise of their party, while the PDP senators voted to support its implementation. It was after this that the issue was brought to public domain by the press prompting the wife of the president to openly plead with APC government to implement one of its cardinal election promises.
Besides the two motions, Senator Albert has also sponsored two bills, a feat that could be described as unprecedented for a first time senator. The two bills are: The National Youth Employment and Development Bill 2015 aimed at providing employment for our youths as well as the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan Bill 2015 targeted at the rapid industrial revolution of Nigeria. The two bills have already passed the first reading stage. The National Youth Employment and Development Bill 2015 seeks to repeal the National Directorate of Employment Act of 2004, and in its place, establish the National Youth Employment and Development Agency Act 2015 to provide for the promotion, coordination and employment of youths in Nigeria. While leading the debate on the Bill in the Senate, Senator Albert informed his colleagues that the bill seeks to expand the scope of NDE to strengthen its operations for optimal performannce. According to him, although NDE was created to combat mass unemployment in the country arising from the global economic recession in the 80s through various programmes like skills acquisition, self-employment and labour intensive programmes, he noted that there is a limit to which it can be relied upon in this 21st century as a lasting solution to youth unemployment. He argued that the NDE Act of 2004 is obsolete and replete with deficiencies, which have so far jeopardised its operations and execution, adding that the unemployment rate in the country has been on the increase with the resultant high rate in social vices.
Speaking on the overall aim of the Bill, Senator Albert said the new Bill, when passed will among others, ensure greater opportunity for youths to secure decent work and income over the life circle; ensure that their rights are recognised and upheld to enable them engage in all aspects of their development; ensure the substantive inclusion of young people in political and decision making process at local, state and national levels.
His second bill, the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan Bill 2015 was read for the first time in the Senate Chamber on the 14th October, 2015. Leading the debate on the bill, Senator Albert informed his colleagues that the Bill seeks to establish a legal and institutional framework for the implementation of the Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme of the Federal Government to provide for their implementation, continuity and sustainability. He pointed out that the Bill also seeks to ensure ownership of the processes, initiate activities for the industrial plan and the programme by relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) for the overall realisation and delivery of the industrial plan and programmes. Speaking on the objectives of the Bill, he said the main objectives of the Bill is to accelerate the build up of industrial capacity within Nigeria; increase manufacturing contribution to Nigeria’s GDP; drive the process of intense industrialisation based on sectors where Nigeria has comparative advantages; facilitate job and wealth creation; provide economic diversification; ensure import substitution and export diversification and broaden government’s tax base.
In view of his robust and impactful contributions on the floor of the Senate, his appointment as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas Resources did not come as a surprise. He has already shown a determination and courage to steer the committee to contribute towards a total revamp of the gas sector. While presiding over the inaugural meeting of the committee on Tuesday 24th November, 2015, Senator Albert attributed the continued gas flaring in the country to flouting of laws on gas flaring by oil companies and excessive ministerial permissions. He also blamed the international oil companies of deliberately flouting various rules regulating the sector because the country was not enforcing its law guiding the gas sector of the economy. Senator Albert regretted that the mechanisms available to government to curb irregularities in the gas sector were not being fully utilized. He added that the committee would explore legal and institutional frameworks for oil and gas operations in Nigeria towards devising a strategic document that will complement the existing gas policies and dynamic implementation of the gas master plan. The Committee on Gas chaired by him has already commenced the process of engaging the various stakeholders in the sector since December 2015 beginning with sessions with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the NNPC, Department of Petroleum Resources, and gas aggregators. Besides his appointment as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas Resources, Senator Albert is also member of four Senate Committees: Appropriation, Agriculture & Rural Development, Air Force and Public Accounts.
The impact of Senator Albert’s representation has also been felt outside the chambers of the Senate. For instance, after several years of neglect, Senator Albert has nominated two major roads in Akwa Ibom State for construction by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The roads are Obong Itam-Ekit Itam-Mbiaya Uruan-Ikpa-Mbiakong-Idu Uruan Road (Phase 1) located in Uyo and Uruan Local Government Areas, and Ikpe Ikot Nkon – Ukpa Okon – Ikpanya Road located in Ini and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas. Speaking on these road projects, Senator Albert said that when completed, these roads will contribute to the socio-economic development of the four affected local government areas, namely Uyo, Uruan, Ini and Ibiono Local Government Areas. He said that the road will also ease access of the people to other parts of the state.
To empower the youths and discover future football talents, Senator Albert had during the yuletide season, sponsored Under-20 Unity football Cup involving teams from the nine local government areas, which make up Uyo Senatorial District. It was an opportunity for the senator, known for his uncommon generosity, to shower millions of naira on the participating teams and officials as each of the nine participating received the sum of N200,000 each to prepare for the competition. The winner of the competition went home with N1million; the runners up N750,000 and the third placed team received N500,000. Senator Albert who was accompanied to the final of the competition by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba and Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Onofiok Luke, promised to double the prize money in next year’s competition. The highest goal scorer, the best player of the competition and the best goalkeeper each received the sum of N50,000 respectively. “This is just the first leg of his elaborate empowerment programme for the people. Specific programmes for women empowerment and massive skill acquisition scheme and scholarship programme for youths are underway”, Obong Daniel Udoh, the Chairman of Senator Albert Constituency Empowerment Committee, disclosed in a recent interview with journalists in Uyo.
Born 43 years ago, Senator Bassey Albert attended the University of Uyo where he graduated in 1997 in Economics with Second Class Upper Division. He went on to bag his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. An economist, a banker and financial expert, Albert has a decade of experience under his belt in the banking industry. He started his banking career in 1997 with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre where he worked in International Operations and Consumer/Retail Banking departments In 1999, he moved on to become manager, Corporate Banking Group at Continental Trust Bank at its Victoria Island Head Office in Lagos. In pursuit of professional excellence, he joined First Inland Bank Plc in 2003. There as Branch Manager in Uyo, he won the Bank’s Award as Best Performing Branch Manager in the South-South Region. He also won the Best Performing Branch Manager, Nationwide in the Mid-Year performance review during the 2004 financial year. By November 2005, when he left First Inland Bank Plc as Senior Manager, he had positioned Uyo branch as the most consistent branch in the South-South in both profitability and liability generation; sustainability and quality.
He joined the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc in 2005 as Assistant Vice President where his position as Deputy General Manger in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States put him in the ‘drivers’ seat’ where he was responsible for directing and overseeing the day-to-day running of over 15 branches spread 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. He finally bowed out of First City Monument Bank as a Vice President only to answer a patriotic call to service by His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio as a Commissioner for Finance in the Akwa Ibom State Government. With a personal philosophy of service to humanity and always working for the public good, Albert saw his call to public service as a divine opportunity to touch peoples’ lives more effectively and on a more universal scale. His tenure as Honourable Commissioner for Finance in Governor Godswill Akpabio’s first term (2007-2011) witnessed a golden age of unprecedented fiscal husbandry and infrastructural development in Akwa Ibom State.
Senator Albert is the quintessential family man, happily married to Nkeiru. Their marriage is blessed with five lovely children; Carissa, Joshua, Jonathan, Joel and Christine. He is also a great philanthropist, with a near-legendary large heart, who apart from initiating and supporting many community development programmes, has an unapologetic commitment to touching the lives of people in a positive way.
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