The Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District Liaison Office has rejected recent claims questioning the quality of representation at the National Assembly by Senator Aniekan Bassey, describing the allegations as misleading and unsupported by facts.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Publicity and Spokesperson of the Liaison Office, Dr Eventus Edem, the office said it was compelled to respond to public comments credited to a former federal lawmaker, Rt. Hon. Daniel Akpan, in order to “set the records straight for the benefit of the public”.
Dr Edem said while dissenting opinions are a legitimate part of democratic discourse, assessments of public office holders must be guided by evidence, balance and verifiable records rather than sweeping generalisations.
According to the statement, senatorial representation should be evaluated on four key pillars: legislation, oversight, advocacy and constituency development. It argued that Senator Aniekan Bassey has demonstrated “substantial and visible performance” across all four areas since assuming office.
On legislation, the Liaison Office listed several bills sponsored by the senator, including amendments to the Price Control Act, the Agricultural Research Council Act, the Companies and Allied Matters Act, and proposed establishment bills for institutions such as a National Centre for Renewable Energy Research in Uruan and a Federal College of Fishery and Aquatic Studies for the district. It added that Senator Bassey currently serves on key Senate committees and is also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The statement further highlighted the senator’s role in national advocacy through motions on issues such as crude oil theft, the Petroleum Industry Act, the exit of international oil companies, alleged annexation of mangrove islands in Mbo Local Government Area by Cameroon, and human trafficking.
On constituency development, the Liaison Office said Senator Bassey has invested heavily in education, youth empowerment, healthcare and infrastructure. It cited the delivery of ICT centres and learning equipment to schools across the district, sponsorship of over 3,000 students for UTME registration, scholarships, digital skills training, and grants and equipment support amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
Healthcare interventions, according to the statement, include free medical and surgical outreaches across the three federal constituencies in the district, alongside the supply of drugs and consumables to health centres. It also listed solar streetlights, boreholes, classroom blocks and facilitated road projects as part of the senator’s infrastructure footprint.
Dr Edem said the claims of “absence” or “failure” in representation do not align with what he described as “documented, visible and verifiable achievements”, noting that constituents could independently confirm projects and programmes across local government areas.
He added that the achievements of the senator are publicly documented and available at the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District Liaison Office in Uyo.
The statement concluded by urging political actors to engage in issue-based debates and constructive criticism, stressing that democratic accountability is strengthened by facts rather than rhetoric.
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