By Staff Reporter
In a wide-reaching yuletide intervention that cut across all 12 local government areas of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, the Senator representing the district, Senator Ekong Sampson, has distributed truckloads of rice, other food items and millions of naira to constituents, reaffirming his long-standing tradition of grassroots engagement and inclusive representation.
The Christmas outreach, coordinated through a specially constituted committee, saw each local government area receive between ₦2 million and ₦3 million in cash support, alongside substantial quantities of rice, according to details released by the Senator’s office. Key sociopolitical groups and community segments also benefited from the largesse.
Senator Sampson, who chairs the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has sustained the annual yuletide gesture for over two decades. Since assuming office as Senator for Akwa Ibom South in 2023, he has remained consistent in rolling out programmes and projects aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of his constituents.
Despite a packed legislative schedule in Abuja, spanning his membership of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, participation in the 2026 budget pre-sessions, and oversight duties with the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), the lawmaker ensured the timely execution of the Christmas intervention.
The outreach followed a busy weekend that saw Senator Sampson attend the Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols before accompanying the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to Oyo State for the installation of Senator Abdullaziz Yari as the Obaloyin of Yorubaland by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade.
Beyond seasonal gifting, the Senator is using the yuletide period to engage leaders, stakeholders and constituents, briefing them on his recent legislative activities and policy engagements at the National Assembly. Widely regarded as a grassroots politician with an accessible and humble disposition, the Onomkpoinam of Mkpat Enin is also expected to visit communities, attend local festivities and watch sporting events across the district.
The Christmas outreach comes shortly after Senator Sampson’s ₦100 million education grant to students from Akwa Ibom South, an intervention that drew commendation from students, parents and stakeholders for easing financial pressures and promoting access to education.
In addition, the Senator will inspect several ongoing constituency projects during the holidays. These include the Nung Ukim–Ikot Unya Road project facilitated through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), erosion control works in Ekeya and Okobo, and the construction of medical facilities at Immanuel Hospital, Eket, and the General Hospital, Ikot Abasi.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the second phase of Senator Sampson’s empowerment programme, with a new date to be announced shortly.
Members of the Empowerment Committee are already distributing Christmas items across the senatorial district, while inspecting empowerment materials recently delivered to the state.
The next phase is expected to feature skills acquisition programmes, distribution of vehicles, tricycles and engine boats, as well as business grants, signalling a deliberate shift from seasonal relief to sustainable economic empowerment for indigenes of Akwa Ibom South.
The Evangelist News
