Born on March 28, 1977, Barrister Bassey Otop is a seasoned lawyer with over 20 years of diverse legal experience. His expertise spans Criminal Law, Civil Law, Legal Drafting, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Barr. Otop was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2004 and began his legal career at Kanu Agabi (SAN) & Associates. In 2005, he was appointed as a State Counsel in the Cross River State Ministry of Justice, where he has served as a legal adviser to various Ministries and Government Agencies, including the Rural Development Agency (RUDA), the Ministry of Urban Development, the Ministry of Urban Renewal and Development, and the Centre for Citizen's Rights & Office of the Public Defender in Cross River State. Before taking on his current role as Head of the Legal Department at the Cross River Diaspora Commission, he served as the Deputy Director at the Centre for Citizen's Rights & Office of the Public Defender. Barr. Otop has undergone extensive training in various legal areas, particularly those pertinent to international and diaspora engagements. He is dedicated to providing timely, insightful, and comprehensive legal advice and interventions for the Commission, ensuring that its operations align with legal standards and best practices.