The wife of the governor of Cross River State and founder, Humanity Without Borders Empowerment Initiative, Bishop Dr. (Mrs) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, has empowered residents of Odukpani Local Government Area of the state with engine boats, sewing machines, hair dressing kits, motorcycles, solar lights, mini buses, pregnant women kits, barbing salon kits, point of sales, PoS machines and cash grants, among other empowerment items.
This was contained in a report released by the Press Secretary to Bishop Otu, Faith Okon-Egbujiem.
The statement stated that the event, which held at Eki ward of Odukpani LGA, was aimed at empowering the locals to start or scale their various businesses.
Speaking at the event, Bishop Otu highlighted the importance of the empowerment, stating that she expects them to use the items gifted them judiciously.
Bishop Otu said, “I want to appeal to you, to use these items given to you judiciously. You know I don’t have a budget I work with, but from whatever I receive from well-meaning individuals, I try to give back to humanity. Today, we are giving out 10 engine boats, 18 sewing machines, 12 hair dressing kits, 18 motor cycles, six mini buses, 30 solar lights, 18 grinding machines, six barbing kits, 30 PoS machines with N20,000 cash attached for startup, 100 mother and child care kit/pregnancy kit and N100,000 cash grants to 30 female petty traders.
“I would like to thank everyone who has supported this empowerment in cash and kind – the likes of Engr. Ben Akak, the National Deputy Treasurer of the biggest party in Africa, the APC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr., Prince Edwin Okon, Chairman Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, and all others who I can’t mention because of time, the Lord bless you all.”
Also speaking at the event, the senator representing Cross River South senatorial district, Senator Ekpenyong, lauded the governor’s wife for her magnanimity.
Senator Ekpenyong said, “The last time we saw this sort of empowerment was when His Excellency, the governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu was in the Senate. Her Excellency is definitely learning from the source and we are learning from her, we will do our best to adopt it for our people.”
The Chairman, Odukpani LGA, Rt. Hon. Chief Ukpong Etim Asido thanked the Bishop Otu for the initiative to restore power in Odukpani after many years of total blackout, with the help of His Excellency, the governor.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Prince Edwin Okon, who was the host for the event, thanked the governor’s wife for empowering his people.
Prince Okon added that considering the tightness of her schedule, the visit lingered for a long time, but it was worth the wait because the lives of many people in Odukpani have been greatly impacted by this empowerment.
In attendance were the wife of the member of the House of Representatives representing Odukpani/Calabar Municipality federal constituency, Mrs Asi Akiba, the wife of the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mrs Nelly Ayambem, the wife of the Chief of Staff, CoS, Ass. Prof. Virginia Ironbar, the National Voice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, South-South, Hon. Titi Ndifon, and a host of other political appointees, chairmen of local governments, and councillors of wards.
The highlight of the event was the cutting of Bishop Otu’s 62nd birthday celebration cake by Team Alice, led by her Head of Protocol, Alice Ndem.
