By Ted Inyang
Even his most ardent critics, of which they are very few, would agree that Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, the youngest Senator in the 10th Assembly, has performed creditably in his first year in office. He has discharged the primary functions of his office; legislation, representation, and oversight; with a maturity that belies his young age and years of experience in the red chamber.
In just one year he has presented motions and bills that have had an impact at the National level, from taking a stand against the denial of treatment to victims of gunshots and other serious injuries, to seeking the intervention of the Federal Government to address infrastructure challenges in Cross River State. He has overseen the award of grants to hundreds of his constituents, facilitated the completion of several infrastructure projects, carried out feeding programs and health outreaches.
In the area of oversight, he has carried out his duties as Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC with energy and verve that has seen his traversing all nine states that comprise the Niger Delta region, making sure that the equally hardworking board and management are always held to account.
But perhaps his performance in the National Assembly should not come as a surprise. He performed creditably as the Commissioner for Finance in Cross River State from 2015 till his resignation to partake in partisan politics in 2022. And his ability to unite the majority of party faithful to earn the party’s ticket to represent the Senatorial District, and subsequently win the majority of votes in the general elections were a pointer to greater things ahead.
A lesser observed part of his activities, however, is his gradual, but steady foray into the diplomatic arena. The President of the Senate, HE Godswill Akpabio, has graciously appointed him a Parliamentary Representative to the United Nations Annual Parliamentary Hearing, a member of the Inter parliamentary union, and also a member of the ECOWAS parliament.
These roles have provided him with the opportunity to address the IPU in Geneva where he urged the assembly to adopt a statement calling for a ceasefire in the Israel – Palestine conflict, and also afforded him the rare privilege of addressing the assembly on the theme “Building bridges for peace and development.” At the United Nations Annual Parliamentary Hearing in New York, he highlighted Nigeria’s strides in leveraging emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence for enhancing peace and security and expressed the determination of young parliamentarians across the globe to play a role in bringing peace to the world.
An ambassador is a person who possesses qualities such as intelligence, integrity, and the ability to bridge cultures with grace, and foster understanding through dialogue. With the exposure and experience being gathered by the Distinguished, and as a close confidant of the Senate President which will undoubtedly result in more exposure in international diplomacy, we just may be witnessing the making of a future Nigerian Diplomat.
