Several beneficiaries of the Asuquo Ekpenyong facilitated scholarship scheme, www.calitown.com can report, have in what they describe as “a simple but bold idea”, raised a whopping N22 million naira in support of Ekpenyong’s reelection bid. Ekpenyong who presently represent Cross River South Senatorial district, is seeking to return to Nigeria’s senate for a second term.
Offiong Andem Bassey, one of the beneficiaries of this scholarship scheme, took to his verified Facebook page to reveal that: “Two weeks ago, a few of us in the UK beneficiaries of Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong’s scholarship had a simple but bold idea: let’s come together and support him the way he has supported us.
“At first, it felt impossible. The APC nomination form was said to be N100 million. But when it was reduced to N20 million, we didn’t hesitate. Within just one week, we rallied ourselves and made it happen.”
“Today in Coventry, under the platform Scholars in Diaspora, we came together again not just as students, but as a family bound by gratitude. Together, we raised N22.1 million, and contributions are still coming in.’
“Out of this, N20 million will go towards his nomination form, while the rest will be used to support vulnerable children with basic learning materials something we’ve always been passionate about, even before now.”
Bassey added that Ekpenyong was “truly emotional” when they reached him with their gesture of gratitude. “There were tears of joy. He told us he never expected this, especially from students. He even tried to resist accepting it, but we insisted it was our way of saying thank you. For us, this is more than money. It’s appreciation. It’s loyalty. It’s proof that impact always comes back around.”
