February 3, 2026, marked a defining moment in the educational journey of Odukpani Local Government Area. On this historic day, the Member representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency, Rep. Bassey Akiba, officially commenced the implementation of the ₦100 Million Educational Support Programme for the 2025/2026 academic session.
From the early hours of the day, public primary and secondary schools across Odukpani LGA came alive with joy. To ensure seamless coverage and effective coordination, fifteen (15) teams, made up of six (6) persons per team, were deployed to cover the wards across the Local Government Area. Each ward received a dedicated team, while Eniong and Ito/Idere/Ukwa wards, due to their vast terrain and hard-to-reach communities, were assigned two teams each. Beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries were attended to, and as scholarships were announced and learning materials distributed, the atmosphere turned emotional, with many children expressing visible gratitude and renewed hope.
Speaking through his Team Leaders, Rep. Bassey Akiba reaffirmed his strong commitment to sustaining the Educational Support Programme, describing education as a veritable tool for social change, youth empowerment, and sustainable development. He urged students to remain focused and disciplined in their studies, stressing that investment in education today is an investment in the future of the constituency, Cross River State, and Nigeria.
Teachers, parents, and school administrators praised the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that the intervention will significantly reduce the financial burden on families and enable learners to concentrate better in their studies. Community leaders described the programme as clear evidence of purposeful and people-oriented representation, expressing optimism that the support will translate into improved academic performance.
Several schools were visited including PCN Primary School, Akpap Okoyong; Okoyong Community Secondary School; Community Primary School, Oboroko-Okoyong; Government Primary School, Adiabo Akani Obio; Government Primary School, Efut Ibonda; Government Primary School, Ukpaghata; Government Primary School, Ikot Ekong; Government Primary School, Okoyong Usang Abasi; Government Primary School, Okpo; Government Comprehensive High School, Ikoneto; Community Secondary School, Ukwa Ibom.
As the implementation unfolds, a quiet revolution of hope is born in classrooms once starved of opportunity, eyes now shine with belief, hearts beat with new courage, and dreams find wings again. In this moment, leadership speaks not in promises but in presence, not in slogans but in service; for as it is boldly said, “True leadership is when the future feels seen, the forgotten feel remembered, and hope becomes policy.”
*THE BRIDGE MEDIA*
