The member representing Biase State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Ogban, has listed a range of constituency projects and interventions facilitated under his representation, spanning roads, education, electricity, agriculture, healthcare, empowerment and employment.
Ogban, who is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 House of Assembly election in Biase, said the projects reflected his commitment to making his representation responsive to the needs of his constituents while complementing the development agenda of the administration of Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu.
Speaking with news correspondents on Tuesday, the lawmaker thanked the people of Biase for their continued support and confidence, saying their encouragement had remained a major motivation in the discharge of his legislative responsibilities. He equally commended Governor Otu for providing an enabling environment for legislators to attract projects and opportunities to their constituencies.
On the legislative front, Ogban said he had sponsored three bills, two of which had been passed into law, and moved more than 15 motions on issues affecting Biase and the wider state. Among the bills he listed were proposed amendments to the Cross River State Fire Service Law and the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency Law, while his motions had addressed issues including the repair of the Ugbem barge, mining impacts and the relocation of the Lemna dumpsite.
Education, according to Ogban, remained a major focus of his representation. He said more than 110 Biase students had benefited from bursary support, while two students received sponsorship covering two years of full school fees to enable them complete their studies and proceed for the National Youth Service Corps. Two law students, he added, had also received financial assistance, alongside support extended to other students for school fees and educational needs.
In infrastructure, the lawmaker listed NDDC-supported solar street-light projects in Ipene, Biakpan, Abawan, Ikun, Etono Central, Ehom Central, Ehom Evia and Ugbem, among others. He said installations were ongoing in Etono II, Afono and Abayong, while approvals had also been secured for projects in Ikot Ana, Ufut and other communities.
He further cited NDDC mini-grid projects in several Biase communities, including an ongoing project in Ikun, as well as the repair of the 75-horsepower pontoon engine at Ugbem Beach. Other projects, he said, included the rehabilitation and renovation of five classroom blocks at Ugbahara High School, Ikun, and the renovation of 30 open-market shops at Abrijang.
Ogban also listed the facilitation of the eight-kilometre Etono/Ikun Road, the Ikun/Abawan Road with a bridge and the proposed 12-kilometre Erei Farm Settlement Road to Urugbam through the NDDC. He said the Etigali-Mission Road and associated spurs in Adim were also among projects facilitated through the commission, with construction expected to commence soon.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Ogban said his constituency interventions had included support for medical bills, rent, school fees and other humanitarian needs. He also listed the donation of a car-washing machine and two mini-buses, financial assistance for another mini-bus and the facilitation of relief materials through NEMA and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency for communities including Urugbam, Abanwan and Akpet.
In agriculture and empowerment, the lawmaker said 110 women drawn from the 11 wards of Biase had received financial support, while men and women from the constituency had also been selected to participate in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme. On employment, he said opportunities had been facilitated across government establishments, including more than 14 positions in the Local Government Service Commission and additional placements in the House of Assembly Service Commission, Ministry of Health, Forestry Commission and technical education sector.
Peacebuilding, he added, had also featured prominently in his representation, with interventions involving the Erei clan and neighbouring communities, Utuma in Umon South and Ihe-Isu in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State. He also cited mediation in a chieftaincy dispute in Ehom Evia and efforts toward resolving the longstanding boundary dispute between Etono II and Biakpan communities, stressing the importance of peace to development.
Looking ahead to the 2027 election, Ogban said he was seeking another mandate to consolidate the interventions already commenced in education, infrastructure, agriculture, empowerment and employment. He expressed continued support for Governor Otu’s administration, saying he would work with the Executive to advance programmes and projects that improve the lives of constituents and other Cross Riverians.
Ogban thanked the people of Biase once again for their trust and support, assuring them of his continued commitment to effective representation and the attraction of more development opportunities to the constituency. He also commended Governor Otu for what he described as his administration’s people-oriented policies and support for initiatives aimed at bringing development closer to communities across Cross River State.
