IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP: THE HALLMARK OF SENATOR GERSHOM HENRY BASSEY.

John Quincy Adams.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Steve Jobs.

Indeed as Steve Jobs of Apple is wont to say, Distinguished Senator Gershom Henry Bassey, is clearly an innovative and inspiring leader who has over the years impacted the lives of his constituents. As an impactful leader, Senator Gershom Bassey is a man who is and has always focused on bringing out higher levels of engagement with his people, driving peak performance, and ultimately helping them and indeed the entire Cross River State to achieve their goals and dreams for a developed and egalitarian society.

Over the years, the strong leader has provided a sense of vision, purpose, mentorship, and inspiration to his constituents and Cross River at large. Senator Bassey is an astute leaders who has instilled in his people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. He has continued to positively empower his people to accomplish their goals in life. The evidence of this gentleman’s impact on Cross Rivererians is not just innovative but tremendous to say the least.I will endeavour to give below a synopsis of Senator Gershom Bassey’s innovative and creative dividends of democracy that he has blessed his constituents and indeed Cross Rivererians with. Come along with me on this glorious ride of the impactful leadership of a rare gem under the following heads:

INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPACTS:

Distinguished Senator Gershom Henry Bassey has impacted the lives of his Constituency and indeed Cross River State with humongous infrastructural development ranging from road construction and rehabilitation, public water works establishment and maintenance, schools rehabilitation and provision of material, hospital rehabilitation and provision of drugs and equipment, and electrification projects. Indeed, it is on record that Senator Bassey has constructed and rehabilitated over 30 roads across the Southern Senatorial District. This include among others the rehabilitation of the Calabar River bridge and construction of Calabar –  Idundun – Oban – Ekang road.

The Distinguished Senator has also provided Multiple solar powered boreholes and water schemes across the district, prominent among these is the construction of the Kwa Falls multi-purpose dam in Akamkpa LGA. Another area of infrastructure provision he has impacted on the people is in schools where he has constructed fully equipped school blocks and rehabilitated others. Among the numerous school intervention programmes is the construction of Classroom Blocks and Furnishing of School library and Solar power borehole at Ojuk South in Akamkpa LGA.

Another area of impact is on electrification and health. Distinguished Senator Gershom Bassey has indeed brought succour to his constituents by numerous electrification projects ranging from provision and installation of Transformers to provision and installation of solar powered street lights. He even provided Off-grid electricity supply and installation in select community markets in Biase and Bakassi LGAs. On health, the Senator has Built and Equipped a Hospital at Okurikang, Akpap Okoyong in Odukpani LGA among other numerous equipping and rehabilitation of hospitals and health centres.

SOCIAL IMPACTS:

This fine species of a legislator has carried out so many youth, women and community empowerment that we have lost count.

Senator Bassey has given financial grant to over 500 women, skills acquisition for over 600 youths on solar power installation, maintenance and repair, over 300 scholarships to students in tertiary institutions, building and equipping of town halls, provision of sporting facilities and activities, provision of brand new 18 seater bus to physically challenged community and provision of a Brand new 20 Seater Passenger Engine Driven Ferry Boat Powered by twin 85HP Outboard Engine  Odukpani and Biase LGAs just to mention a few.

Another innovative impact of Senator Gershom Bassey is his annual Back – To – School Project. This is the grassroot Child Educational Initiative for the academic support of over 300 constituent children across the Southern Senatorial District.

Through this project the Distinguished Senator provides the pupils with school bags, books, textbooks, pencils, pen, crayon, drawing book, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and mathematical sets.

Another salient area the Senator has been impactful is in employments and appointments of over 500 constituents in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government (e.g. DPR, FIRS, PENCOM, PTDF, CIVIL DEFENCE, etc). Most of these persons have been successfully recruited/employed into the MDAs through the intervention of the Distinguished Senator.

In fact, it is worthy of note that the Distinguished Senator’s Constituents’ outreach amounts to over Three hundred and fifty million (350,000,000) Naira and counting paid out to many constituents from June 2015 to date through the following but not limited to Yuletide\Town Hall Meetings, School fees, accommodation, medicals and other
travel expense payments, Burial, Child dedication, Marriage and birthday celebrations, Associations’ (Lions Club District 404) and
Interest groups’ support.

LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS:

This erudite orator has impacted so much on his Constituency and Cross River State with his legislative prowess and acumen. To his credit are over 46 bills and 58 motions which bother on the wellbeing of his immediate Constituents, Cross River State and Nigeria at large. Senator Gershom Bassey has sponsored such key bills as a Bill for an Act to Provide Mandatory Public Infrastructure Maintenance and for Other Connected Purposes, 2021and A Bill For an Act to Establish the Nigerian Commission for the Prohibition of the Build-Up Of Light Weapons and Small Arms Bill, 2021.

No wonder the Distinguished Senator was made Committee Chairman of FERMA. Also, his bill on prohibition of the build-up of light weapons has led to the establishment of a Paramilitary service that is already employing teeming Cross Rivererians. What an impactful leader!

Distinguished Senator Gershom Bassey has also facilitated over 30 Federal government establishments and programmes in Cross River State. Prominent among these is the facilitation of the establishment of one of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Park (NOGIC Park) at Odukpani LGA, and the deployment of local content manpower – contractors, consultants, professionals, skilled and unskilled labour. This project is nearing completion as we speak.

According to Suzy Kassem, “To know the good from the bad, study a man’s … history of actions, not their record of intentions.” Distinguished Senator Gershom Henry Bassey’s impactful leadership style as enunciated above clearly marks him out as a good man. A good leader they say instills in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves and as well a positive leader empowers people to accomplish their goals in life.

Distinguished Senator Gershom Henry Bassey has positively changed the lives of Cross Rivererians. He is a true leader who has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

Senator Gershom Bassey, did not set out to be a leader, he became one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. For this ebullient Senator impactful leadership is a way of life.

This personage is our only hope for a revival of our dear state in 2023.

Let us galvanise support for him to win the Governorship race to Perigrino Hall.

 

E-Signed:

ONOR, Victor Obia.