By Amawu Cletus Albert Amawu.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: SENATOR PRINCE ASUQUO EKPENYONG’S UNPARALLELED COMMITMENT TO CROSS RIVER SOUTH.
“We see through the lies, and we know our true champion.”
In the spirit of truth, objectivity, and responsible civic engagement, it becomes not only imperative but morally binding to address the deliberate misinformation and outright mischief embedded in the recent diatribe directed at Senator Prince Asuquo Ekpenyong, the distinguished Senator representing Cross River South in the Nigerian Senate.
This attempted character assassination, cloaked under the pretext of public scrutiny, is nothing short of a calculated political witch-hunt, aimed at discrediting a young, competent, and effective legislator whose only ‘offence’ appears to be his unwavering commitment to service, development, and results-oriented representation. It is unfortunate that in today’s political climate, performance is met with envy, and success is weaponised by detractors hiding behind faux patriotism.
Let us, therefore, dissect the issues raised, by one Okorebi Esien (Oracle) not with sentiment, but with clarity, facts, and integrity: And When The “Oracle” Decided To Be Blinded!
Federal Projects: Credit Where It Is Due
The claim that Senator Ekpenyong takes credit for NDDC projects as though they were personally funded is disingenuous at best and malicious at worst. The Senator is not a contractor. He is a facilitator, a legislator whose primary role includes advocacy, policy-making, and lobbying for federal presence in his senatorial district. It is within this remit that he has effectively used his office and relationships to attract key NDDC interventions to Cross River South.
To be clear, the NDDC is a federal interventionist agency whose projects are not randomly assigned but often emerge through intense lobbying, collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and strategic positioning, all of which Senator Ekpenyong has expertly navigated. Those familiar with governance understand that federal projects do not fall from the sky. Somebody must push the files, follow the memos, sit in the meetings, and defend the budgets. In the case of Cross River South, that somebody is Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.
Should we now vilify him for succeeding where others before him did little or nothing? Should we begrudge him for attracting what is rightfully due to his constituents?
On the Role of the State Representative on the NDDC Board.
While there is indeed a state representative on the NDDC board, that role is vastly different from the legislative influence wielded by a Senator, especially one who chairs the NDDC Committee in the Red Chamber. The Senator operates at a national level, contributing to the budgetary approval process, and working in tandem with the executive to ensure that projects are not just proposed but executed.
It is common knowledge that many appointees, including state representatives on commissions, often lack the political leverage or clout to see projects through. That Senator Ekpenyong has done so should be celebrated, not condemned.
Security Concerns and Legislative Oversight
To question the Senator’s efforts in tackling insecurity is to ignore both his committee responsibilities and his legislative interventions. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Senator Ekpenyong has continually used his position to raise concerns on insecurity, from maritime threats to rural conflicts bringing the plight of his constituents to the national table.
Security, being under the exclusive legislative list, requires synergy between federal authorities and state-level implementation. It is naïve and reductionist to expect a Senator to single-handedly quell insecurity without collaboration from security agencies, the executive, and local stakeholders. However, what can be reasonably expected is advocacy, funding facilitation, and intervention and all of which Senator Ekpenyong has demonstrated through support to security operatives, border patrol infrastructure, and robust engagements with federal security institutions.
Beyond NDDC: His Wider Scorecard
It is simply false to claim that Senator Ekpenyong’s developmental impact is limited to NDDC projects. A simple glance at his verifiable scorecard shows a blend of legislative productivity, youth empowerment programmes, social investment initiatives, health interventions, road and waterway advocacy, and community-based projects, many of which have been either commissioned or are ongoing.
From sponsoring bills that benefit Cross River and the Niger Delta at large, to facilitating vocational training and youth empowerment schemes, to lobbying for improved health infrastructure and education support, Senator Ekpenyong has proven to be a results-driven leader.
His monthly constituency engagements, scholarship interventions, and health outreaches are unprecedented. Those who preceded him left behind a vacuum of disconnect. He has bridged that gap.
Fact-Checking the Fact-Checker
The so-called “fact-checking” of his scorecard reeks of selective amnesia and intellectual dishonesty. How does one fact-check with a closed mind? How does one ignore completed projects, youth beneficiaries, and physical infrastructures, and still lay claim to objectivity?
Conclusion: Let Us Not Undermine Excellence
This is not a defence based on sentiment. It is a response rooted in facts. Young people in leadership must not only be encouraged but defended when they do right by the people. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong’s brand of politics is one of quiet service, focused impact, and people-first representation.
To those who seek to distract him with baseless attacks and smear campaigns, the people of Cross River South say: “We see through the lies, and we know our true champion.”
Let us not allow political desperation to become the enemy of progress. Let us celebrate competence and demand truth in our public discourse. Anything less is a disservice to democracy.
#IStandWithPerformance
#RejectPoliticalWitchHunt
#CrossRiverSouthDeservesBetter
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