The Deputy Chief Whip of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Otuekong Nse Udofot Essien, has declared that his mission to the House was strictly for effective representation that would directly impact positively on the lives and wellbeing of his constituents.
According to Hon. Essien, member representing the Onna State Constituency, it was time the grassroots feel, touch and caress the government, which hitherto was shrouded in secrecy by successive politicians who ran the system from their base in Uyo, the State capital.
Barely two months after they were inaugurated as members of the 6thAssembly, the Onna representative, by virtue of his humanitarian and liberal disposition emerged as one of the ranking members of the 26-member Assembly, even at his first stint.
Speaking in an interview in his residence in Uyo, the State capital, Essien told his people that the era of self-centred politics was gone and assured them that his time would witness transformation of the local communities, empowerment of his constituents and recreation of the villages with physical infrastructures.
Towards this end, the lawmaker has swung into action by bringing the problems of his community to the floor of the Assembly.
Although the lawmaker, described as “a very consistent politician by his constituents in Onna has empowered several youths running into over 70, Essien said has promised to make his representation felt by every facets of Onna, before the expiration of his first term in 2019.
Currently his Bill on the abandonment of Ikot Akpatek-Ikwe-Odio Road, according to him, was already at the Committee stage and would be formally presented for deliberation on the floor of the House soon.
Lamenting the pathetic state of the road which traverses Onna and Eket Local Government Areas, the lawmaker said: “The Ikot Akpatek-Ikwe-Odio Road, located in the Southern coast line of Akwa Ibom State traversing two Local Government Areas of Onna and Eket with a population of 351,000 people, has been a critical infrastructure facilitating social and economic activities for the people and those interacting with them…”
He recalled that the road which was originally under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was abandoned by the contractors, lamenting that the strategic road which enhances the flow of economic activities in Onna and the adjoining Local Government of Eket, has become so deplorable soon after it was left off by the NDDC contractors.
“The contractor abandoning work on the road has left that critical infrastructure worse than it was before the NDDC attempt at rehabilitation; the road has now deteriorated to the extent that large part of Onna and Eket Local Government Areas are virtually inaccessible particularly during rainy season like this…”
Onna and Eket, two principal oil bearing areas of Akwa Ibom, according to the Deputy Whip, must be rescued from its current travails for easy access to the oil locations which account for major chunk of oil revenues accruing to the State from the Federation Account.
Calling for immediate steps to be taken to address the problem, the lawmaker reiterated the need for local farmers, small business owners and market forces to once again converge for socio-economic activities in that axis to blossom with the fixjng of the strategic community road.
Also worrisome to the Onna legislator is the collapse of the link bridge at Itoko, which has claimed so many lives and grounded business activities in the affected areas.
“This situation has led to many segments of the road, having collapsed and turning into death traps with the Itoko bridge claiming dozens of lives and property including cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, building materials and foodstuffs worth millions of naira over the years”, adding that a pregnant woman died after falling off a motorcycle at the Itoko bridge before she could be taken to the hospital.
However, his prayers in the motion solicited for the revisit of the abandoned project by relevant Federal Government agencies including the NDDC with a view to fixing the road.
Besides, Essien appealed to NDDC and other relevant agencies to cause the contractor (Worldwide Technologies Limited) to explain why it abandoned the job, as well as impress it on the contractor to re-mobilise to the site.
The lawmaker also appealed to the State governor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, to look into the matter with a view to providing palliative measures for socio-economic activities to thrive during this rainy season while waiting for lasting solution to the problem.
