A former member of the House of Representatives and erstwhile senator who represented Cross River South senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the the forthcoming 2023 governorship election in Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, has been honoured by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, with the prestigious Honorary Senior Membership of the CIBN.
Prince Otu, who will be flying the APC banner in the March 2023 governorship election, as he squares up with candidates of other political parties for the number one plum seat in Cross River State, was conferred with the esteemed and prestigious membership by the CIBN’s President/Chairman, Dr. Ken Opara, FCIB, at the 2022 Investiture of Fellows, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
A statement by the Head, CIBN’s Corporate Communication and External Relations Departtment, Folake Akintayo, stated that the honour was in recognition of the awardees’ meritorious services, commitment to upholding ethics and professionalism, as well as valuable contributions to the banking industry and the economy both in Nigeria and globally.
The CIBN award has been described as a well-deserved honour to Senator Otu, who is believed to have contributed in no small measure to the growth and development of the banking industry and the country’s overall economy as an astute banker and versatile lawmaker.
Senator Otu was said to have, in the course of his career as a banker, shown great commitment to his job and succeeded in carving a niche for himself.
It was reported that upon his resignation from the banking sector to venture into politics, he was “bestowed with a meritorious service award by his former employer for his exemplary conduct and dedication to duty.”
As a parliamentarian for 12 years – eight years in the House of Representatives and four years in the Senate – Otu, the leading candidate in the Cross River State gubernatorial race, was chairman, House Committee on Petroleum, Upstream; chairman, Senate Committee on Finance; chairman, Senate Committee on Banking and Other Financial Institutions; and member of several other committees in both chambers.
He was reputed to have sponsored different bills, moved motions and espoused views and notions during debates that significantly helped in certain areas of our economy.
