The lawmaker representing Calabar and Odukpani Federal Constituency in Cross River State, Mr Bassey Akiba, has come under criticism after distributing cassava sticks to some constituents as part of an empowerment initiative.
The exercise took place in Okoyong, Odukpani Local Government Area, where beneficiaries reportedly received ten cassava stems each to support farming activities.
However, the gesture has sparked backlash across the constituency, with many residents describing it as inadequate and insulting.
Critics argue that the quantity shared was too small to make any meaningful impact on agricultural production.
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A community member, Comrade Ikposa, told Vanguard that the items were not originally provided by the lawmaker, but were part of a Federal Government agricultural intervention programme.
He alleged that the materials were withheld and only released close to the election period.
“President Tinubu approved the programme and released to lawmakers early last year, unfortunately, these items were deliberately hoarded and are now being rolled out close to the election period as a campaign tool,” he said.
According to him, the situation highlights the inability of lawmakers and local government authorities to effectively support federal initiatives. He also claimed that most of the cassava stems had deteriorated due to prolonged storage.
“This deliberate sabotage is one of the main reasons governance continues to fail at the grassroots level,” Ikposa added, noting that it was not even the appropriate planting season for cassava.
One of the beneficiaries, Doris Affia, said she accepted the stems mainly to avoid offending the lawmaker.
“I was given ten stems but how many heaps can one cultivate with this number of stems. I just decided to accept them because if I don’t, it will seem I am embarrassing the man and next time if something comes up, I may not be listed again to benefit,” she said.
Defending the lawmaker, one of his supporters, Hoe Ita, insisted that the gesture still counts as an achievement.
“the bottom line is that he has done something, as against previous assertion by people that he has not done anything,” he said.
