Bassey Albert

Senator
Bassey Albert Akpan
Born 28 October 1972
Alma mater University of Uyo , University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Years active 1997 - Present

Bassey Albert (born Bassey Albert Akpan, 28 October 1972)[1] is a Nigerian politician who has been a member of the 8th Senate of Nigeria since June 2015. Previously,he was Commissioner of Finance in Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2014. He was first elected to the Senate in March 2015, representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial district. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party(PDP).

Background

Bassey Albert Akpan was born on 28 October 1972.[2] to the family of Chief Albert Robert Akpan, a successful businessman, prominent politician and philanthropist. He attended St Patrick's College, Calabar, from where he then proceeded to the University of Uyo[2] where he bagged a BSc in Economics (Second Class Upper Division). In further pursuit of academic excellence, he obtained a Masters of Business Administration(MBA)[3] degree from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Career

He started his professional career in 1997, when he joined the International Operations and Consumer Banking/Retail Banking Unit of the United Bank for Africa (UBA). In 1999, he moved on to become Manager, Corporate Banking group at the Continental Trust Bank at the bank’s Victoria Island Lagos, Head Office. He later joined First Inland Bank Plc in 2003 as the Uyo Branch Manager, where he won the bank’s best performing branch manager award in the South-South region. He also won the award of the best performing branch manager nationwide in the bank’s midyear review of the 2004 financial year.

In 2005, he joined First City Monument Bank as Assistant Vice President, where he was the General Manager in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. He was responsible for directing and overseeing the day-to-day running of over 15 branches spread across the zone and as the Zonal Head, he articulated and developed key market penetration strategies for the bank, for sustainable market share and growth.

Political career

In 2007, when the call to public service came through his nomination as a commissioner into the Executive Council of the Akwa Ibom state government came. He accepted and was given the finance ministry portfolio to manage. With his wealth of experience in the banking sector and his background as an economist, he was able to grow the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, to N15.6 billion as at year end 2013.

He was also the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee whose job was to ensure that government were completed using direct labour to save some money for the state.

In April 2009, Bassey Albert chaired the first ever Akwa Ibom state Revenue summit. The Summit with the theme: "Maximising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Potentials in Akwa Ibom State - A Collective Responsibility" involved participation by stakeholders from diverse socio-economic sectors in the state and was organized as part of strategic efforts to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state. [4]

He was instrumental in the negotiations between the state and Standard Chartered for the approval of a loan of £325.24m to execute projects in the state[5]

In 2014, Bassey Albert declared his intention to contest for the Governorship seat of Akwa Ibom State,[6] but after the primary he lost out to the current incumbent Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.

Senate career

Bassey Albert was sworn in as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on 9 June 2015.[7]

He moved a motion on the floor of the Senate to look into the state of the Ikot Ekpene - Itu - Calabar highway [8] which has been abandoned for years and has gotten into a state of disrepair. This has led the senate to inaugurate a committee of which he is a member [8] On 12 October 2015 his election was upheld by the Appeal court which returned him as the senator representing Akwa Ibom North East senatorial district.[9] He was also appointed as the Chairman of the Senate committee on Gas Resources by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki[10]

Senator Bassey Albert has been an outspoken member of the senate on topical issues.[11][12] His committee turned down a proposal of N200 million in the budget of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for the preparation of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).[13] The committee also rejected a request for appropriation of N200 million for the review of Nigeria Gas Master-plan, describing it as unnecessary.[14]

He has also said that federal lawmakers will resist any attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to control the National Assembly[15]

The senate committee on Gas headed by Senator Bassey Albert has been engaging with The NNPC and IOCs to end gas flaring in Nigeria[16]

Honours and Awards

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nigerianbiography.com/2015/07/biography-of-bassey-albert-akpan.html
  2. 1 2 "Akpan…Audacity to dare". The Nation.
  3. ↑ "About Us Page". www.senatoroba.org.
  4. ↑ "Pre-Tax Summit Press Conference by the Honourable Commissioner of Finance Mr. Bassey Albert Akpan on 1st of April 2009". Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Akwa Ibom State government defends decision to obtain London bank loan". Nigerian Watch.
  6. ↑ http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/170318-i-dont-need-akpabios-endorsement-to-contest-guber-election-ex-commissioner.html
  7. ↑ "#NigeriaDecides: Meet Nigeria's new 107 Senators-elect - Premium Times Nigeria". Premium Times Nigeria.
  8. 1 2 "Senator Bassey Albert, Godswill Akpabio others Moves Against Bad Roads, Erosions Across The Country". The Killer Punch News.
  9. ↑ "Tribunal Upholds Senator Bassey Albert's Election Victory - Wetin happen news". Wetin happen news.
  10. ↑ "Saraki Names Committee Chairmen, Deputies For The 8th Senate". Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Senate Rejects Petroleum Resources Ministry's Request For N200m To Pass PIB, Says Bill Already With NASS". Itomie News. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "Supplementary Budget Rises To N574 Billion As Subsidy Claims Hits N521 Billion". Itomie News. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Nigeria: Senate Committee Rejects N400 Million Budget for PIB Preparation, Review of Gas Masterplan". www.allafrica.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Nigeria: Senate Committee Rejects N400 Million Budget for PIB Preparation, Review of Gas Masterplan". www.allafrica.com.
  15. ↑ "Lawmakers will resist any attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to control the National Assembly- Senator Bassey Akpan". News Day.
  16. ↑ "Gas flaring: Senate Committee engages NNPC, IOCs tomorrow" (Monday, January 18, 2016, p.13). Vanguard Newspapers Nigeria.

External links

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