Attempt to recall Gershom Bassey from Senate meets opposition

The attempt to recall the senator representing Cross River South Senatorial District, Senator Gershom Bassey (SGB), of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the Senate has met with stiff opposition.

The Cross River South Stakeholders Group at weekend signalled the intention of the people of Southern Senatorial District, Cross River State, to recall Bassey from the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, accusing him of “abdication and dereliction of his duties, leaving the district with no representation at the Red Chamber and abandoning the people over the years, especially at this period when every representative of the people are with their people helping them to battle the effect of COVID-19.

The group, in its letter of intent to petition the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the planned recall, signed by High Chief Ita Ewa Henshaw, said “the ‘no love lost’ relationship between Senator Bassey and his people is something that may have started from when he first won the senatorial election in 2015 to represent the people, as he was said to have neglected his people shortly after and irked by this, the people decided to denied him a second term ticket but was prevailed upon by the elders and leadership of the party, with the promise that he would change his ways.

It also accused him of “hobnobbing with the leadership of the party at the national level and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) in view of his governorship ambition in 2023… causing disaffection and division within the party at both the local and state levels.

But in a sharp reaction, different groups and individuals have risen in defence of Bassey, saying: “Senator Gershom Bassey is doing exactly what we sent him to the Senate to do and that is effective representation and he is a 21st century leader, the kind of a leader we need in the Government House come 2023.”

However, a top politician in the state, Dr. Ededem Asi, in his statement dated May 8, 2020, said: “Cross River South Stakeholders Group is an assemblage of sycophants and ignorant appointment seekers. Senator Gershom Bassey is a PDP senator holding the position of Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in an APC dominated Senate Chamber. This is a feat that can hardly be achieved in the face of stiff opposition on the floor of the Senate, but Gershom did it.”

Also, Archibong Edet, on his part, said he had done an extensive research on Senator Bassey and came to a conclusion that he (Bassey) “is calm, gentle and a silent achiever and that some social media agents are either ignorant of the achievements of Bassey or are sponsored by their paymasters to sabotage the efforts of the senator, which they have failed woefully.

“That some persons have defined effective representation to mean sharing of money and food items to constituents, I will state here clearly that SGB is a silent achiever and an honest man. He will not appoint hundreds of media aides to drum and praise sing him. He will also not involve or engage himself in giving audio palliatives which do not have significant effects on his constituents,” he said.