The indomitable legacies of late Mrs Margaret Ekpo and late Senator Rose Okojie Oko were not interred with them
By Achilles Akuku
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Published on August 24, 2026
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3 min read
The indomitable legacies of late Mrs Margaret Ekpo and late Senator Rose Okojie Oko were not interred with them. They endure — resurrected in the audacity of Dr Betta Edu, the statesmanship of Hon. Dr Stella Odey Ekpo, the resolve of Rt. Hon. Dr Regina Anyogo, and the quiet diligence of Dr Blessing Egbara, Hon. Bridget Alina, and their compatriots.
“A nation that sidelines its women, postpones its greatness. A state that empowers them, accelerates its destiny.”
These women are not mere occupants of office. They are architects of transformation. Yet, candor compels us to admit: this representation remains grossly inadequate.
Cross River State is providentially endowed with an assemblage of erudite, tested, and grassroots-rooted women across the three Senatorial Districts. These are women who must be strategically positioned and intentionally mentored for National political leadership:
SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT
- Dr Janet Ekpenyong
- Dr Iyang Asibong
- Hon. Majori Asuqwo
- Dr Emana Duke Ambrose-Amawhe
- Hon. Ada Charles Egwu
CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT
- Dr Betta Edu
- Dr Blessing Egbara
- Hon. Abbey Ukpukpen
- Hon. Mercy Akpama
- Hon. Esther Bepeh
NORTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT
- Hon. Dr Stella Odey Ekpo
- Rt. Hon. Dr Regina Anyogo
- Hon. Dr Cynthia Nkasi
- Hon. Rita Ayim
- Dr Beatrice Igwe
- Hon. Agnes Atsu
- Hon. Bridget Alina
This is not just a list of names. This is capacity. This is pedigree. This is the blueprint for electoral victory.
Global and national data affirm an incontrovertible truth: women outperform in service delivery, fiduciary responsibility, and human welfare. They are inherently more compassionate, more diligent, and more tethered to the grassroots. When women lead, schools are prioritised, hospitals are equipped, market women are empowered, and the vulnerable are not abandoned.
We render profound appreciation to His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu for his visionary leadership in advancing women’s participation. We particularly commend him for galvanising Hon. Dr Mrs Stella Odey Ekpo and Dr Blessing Egbara to contest for the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections. This is leadership that translates rhetoric into results.
However, encouragement must now metamorphose into deliberate policy, strategic appointments, and institutional inclusion.
To Her Excellency, Mrs Eyoawan Bassey Otu, First Lady of Cross River State:
Your Excellency, as the mother of the state, we beseech you to champion the mainstreaming of women into all corridors of power. Let the 35% Affirmative Action transcend rhetoric and become constitutional reality in the composition of the Executive Council, Boards, and Commissions.
To Distinguished Senator Florence Ita Giwa:
Mama CR, our political Amazon and trailblazer. The torch you lit is still burning. We implore you to amplify your advocacy, intensify your lobbying, and ensure that Cross River women occupy their rightful place in the National political architecture ahead of 2027.
With 2027 upon us, the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda in Cross River is contingent on deploying women to the vanguard — mobilising, contesting, and governing.
Margaret Ekpo and Senator Rose Okojie Oko laid the foundation. This generation holds the baton. The relay is incomplete until every qualified woman is on the track.
To Governor Otu: You have commenced creditably. Conclude triumphantly by institutionalising women’s leadership.
To the First Lady and Mama Ita Giwa: Posterity beckons. Cross River women are primed and prepared.
For when women ascend, Cross River ascends.
Akuku Achilles Ugbani,
Concerned Citizen & Women Advocate, Cross River State.
