The Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals, an assemblage of select media experts in Akwa Ibom State, have differed with the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio over his recent comments that the immediate past Governor, Udom Emmanuel did nothing tangible in his eight years as Governor of the state.

In a press statement titled, “FORMER GOVERNOR UDOM EMMANUEL’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN IKOT EKPENE SENATORIAL DISTRICT: WHERE SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO GOT IT WRONG”, and signed by the association’s Director of Public and Strategic Communication, Joseph Ekong, the association stated that they would have ignored such news as mere rumours from irritant media scavengers if they were not confronted with the video evidence that indeed Senator Akpabio did make those comments in the sacred and hallow chambers of the Nation’s Senate.

“As patriots from Akwa Ibom State, we had sworn not to join issues with our son who is Senate President on issues like this, and we fervently pray that he dares not push us to the point where we will have to bring documents that will tell his story better to the whole world.

“To start with, the allegation by the Senate President was an unguarded and illogical response to an honest contribution that Senator Ekong Sampson had made for the inclusion of Akwa Ibom in a bill which sought to establish new federal medical centres in the country.

“The Senate president’s response to this was that Udom Emmanuel his successor in office, left no imprint in his Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and even in Eket Senatorial District. What a sad commentary.

“Under the uncommon transformation era of Akpabio as Governor, Eket Senatorial District never knew roads infrastructure beyond the ground-breaking stage, irrespective of being the contributor of 40% of revenue into the coffers of the federation account, the only road access roads to the senatorial district, Uyo – Etinan – Eket Road, did not move beyond the groundbreaking stage.”

The statement read In part, “The only bridge in the entire Eket Senatorial District, 1.15km Afi Uko Ntighe Bridge in Mbo was abandoned at 10 per cent piling stage. It was a story of uncommon neglect and abandonment. Our people only saw your uncommon transformation on television and billboards.

“We, the Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals of Akwa Ibom State, an assemblage of media experts, have observed with dismay, news stories, alluding to a comment by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio alleging that our son, the immediate past Governor Udom Emmanuel did nothing tangible in our senatorial district and in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in his eight years tenure as Governor of the State.

“We would have ignored such news as mere rumours from irritant media scavengers had we not been confronted with the video evidence that indeed Senator Akpabio did make those comments in the sacred and hallow chambers of the Nation’s Senate.

“While we will not bother to refresh the Senate President’s memory with all the achievements recorded in Eket senatorial district during Mr Emmanuel’s tenure as Governor lest we be adjudged to be judges in our own case; we will rather dwell more on Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and the misinformation that the country’s number one lawmaker chose to peddle.

“This approach is most expedient since Senator Akpabio himself knows that until he left office in 2015, Eket Senatorial District never knew road infrastructure beyond the ground-breaking stage, irrespective of being the contributor of 40% of revenue into the coffers of the federation account; and the major access road to the senatorial district, Uyo – Etinan – Eket Road, did not move beyond the groundbreaking stage. The only bridge the uncommon senate President undertook in the entire Eket Senatorial District, the 1.15km Afi Uko Ntighe Bridge in Mbo (Etebi – Enwang bridge)was abandoned at a 10 per cent piling stage. It was a story of uncommon neglect and abandonment. Our people only saw Akpabio’s uncommon transformation on television and billboards.

“The hallmark of this was the embarrassing reception he had in Oron when he went on a valedictory visit in 2015. On that day stones, sachet water and other unconventional missiles rented the air, forcing him to hastily dash back to Uyo for safety. No one could blame the Oron people when after 8 years, their only access road to the other parts of the State had been cut off by erosion.

“Nine years after he left office, the Senate president may need to visit Eket senatorial district again to see that the story had since changed for the better with dual expressways, more than ten new bridges, industries and other infrastructure as enumerated below.

“At the time of assumption of office in May 2015, Mr Emmanuel was confronted with a state, wrecked by politically motivated killings, kidnappings, militancy and general insecurity. People who had the abilities, fled the state, while those who could not leave, slept with one eye open, waiting for their turn. Churches, schools, banks and other public facilities became theatres of Armageddon, while some areas like Ukanafun, Ika and Etim Ekpo were completely conquered territories of dreaded terrorists.

“The former Governor, Udom Emmanuel also made it a policy that secondary health care services must be restored in Akwa Ibom State to curtail the high rate of medical tourism by indigenes and residents of the State. There were no standard secondary health care facilities in the entire Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, comprising, the old Abak Division of Abak, Oruk Anam, Etim Ekpo, Ika and Ukanafun, nothing for Ikono/Ini federal constituency, as well.

“The senate president as Governor spent eight years promising to make the state a destination of choice with Disney-styled recreational centres and hotels. He could not complete his Tropicana Entertainment Center, except for six cinema halls, with the shopping mall, hotel, conference centre and park left on the drawing board. The Four Point by Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene was nothing short of a carcass without a soul. It had not acquired the certification to even be addressed by the brand name it was called and it was not completed beyond the blockwork and painting.

“It is no more news that Akpabio’s uncommon transformation was defined by the roads that lead to his village in Ukana, Essien Udim and the Ikot Ekpene local government metropolis, while over 70 per cent of the senatorial district never saw new roads. Even roads he was touted to have accomplished, the Use Ikot Amama Road, has been a ruse, popular in newspapers yet very far from reality.

“There was no electricity in Ikono and Ini as well as Abak, Ika and Etim Ekpo local government areas by the end of Akpabio’s tenure in 2015.

“The summary of the advent of Mr Udom Emmanuel’s tenure is best described in the following lines: Ukanafun, from Ikot Akpan Afaha, through the entire communities of Idung Nneke, Ikot Oku Osung and other adjoining communities, tells a story of a reinvented town. That is the local government that the likes of ‘Iso Akpafid’, ‘Stainless’, and the other bloody terrorists held sway for years before 2015. No one could access here to do business and residents fled. Former Governor Emmanuel literally went into the thick of the forests of Ukanafun with an olive branch to harvest and rehabilitate the boys, while those who resisted peace had to face the music. The Ikot Oku Using – Ikot Akpan Afaha road adds to another ongoing 18.5-kilometer road from Ikot Akpan Afaha to Ikot Ibritam in Oruk Anam local government area that came with two bridges.

“In Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Mr Udom Emmanuel reconstructed, and remodelled the dilapidated General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, and equipped it, upgrading it to a referral center; He also constructed and put into use a special emergency infectious disease centre at Ikot Ekpene.

“In roads infrastructure, he completed a 25km dual carriageway Uyo – Ikot Ekpene Road which he inherited at 15% execution. He completed the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel met at 68% execution and today it is in use.

“In Etim Ekpo local government area, Mr Udom Emmanuel constructed the 10.4km Utu Ikot Ekpo-Ika Road, along with spurs in Etim Ekpo, and restored peace in the area that was enmeshed in years of cultism and militancy.He further provided respite by building and remodelling a secondary healthcare facility for the area, the General Hospital, Etim Ekpo.

“Mr Emmanuel also built an electricity power substation in Etim Ekpo and gave a facelift to various schools there.

We will allow students from numerous schools such as Primary School Nkwot Ikot Ebo, Etim Ekpo, Lutheran Sch. Atai Nto Obo, Etim EKpo, Ekaobong Secondary School, Etim Ekpo, Annang Comm, Sec. School, Uruk Ata Ikot Isemin, Etim Ekpo, QIC Group School, Uruk/Ikono Eka Uruk Eshiet, Etim Ekpo, Community Primary School Obono Utit Idim, Etim Ekpo, to attest to the interventions there.

“In Oruk Anam, Akpabio’s government had not initiated and completed as much as a kilometre of road in the area for its entire tenure. However, the administration of Governor Emmanuel exceeded all expectations by embarking on a massive infrastructural development project. These include the construction of over 70 kilometres of roads, coupled with the construction of five bridges in total.

“The completed road projects include the 5.1 kilometres of internal roads and access roads around the Obio Akpa campus of Akwa Ibom State University, the 4.9-kilometer Ibesit-Ikot Ibritam road, and the 14-kilometer Ikot Ikara-Ibesit Okpokoro road, which features one bridge(completed).

“Additionally, there were ongoing projects left at advanced stages of execution such as the 22-kilometre Ikot Ekaide-Ikot Okoro-Ikot Ibritam road, which features two bridges, the 18.9-kilometer Ikot Ibritam-Nung Ekeffe-Ikot Akpan Afaha road, which also features two bridges, and the 4.5-kilometer Ekparakwa-Mbon Ebre-Ibesit Road, among others.

“The ex-governor provided essential modern learning facilities for the smooth take-off of the Nigerian Navy military school, in Ikot Ntuen, Oruk Anam, while Facilities at the Obio Akpa Campus of the Akwa Ibom State University, such as digital language library, commercial palm oil farm, and an ultra-modern mass communication studio were remodelled.

“He also re-constructed and re-modelled the abandoned General Hospital, Ikot Okoro in Oruk Anam LGA.

“Obot Akara Local Government Area which shares a common border with Senator Godswill Akpabio’s local government area, Essien Udim, was in a total state of despair and neglect. Not a single meter of road was constructed there in 20 years, including during Akpabio’s tenure.

“In Obot Akara local government area, Udom Emmanuel constructed the 6.4kilometer Nto Edino-Ekwereazu Road with a 300m twin bridges to connect the state with Abia State and also started the construction of the Nto Ide – approach road and bridge. He constructed and completed 4.2km Abak Ifia – Ikpe Mbak Eyop- Ikot Abia Osom- Nko Road project, 6.36km Nko- Ikot Abia Osom-Ikpe Mbak Eyop road and several others linking that axis of Obot Akara with Ikot Ekpene. Before leaving office, another road with a bridge, Nto Ide- Ikot Amba Road and Bridge project was at an advanced stage.

“The construction of the 14.1km Odoro Ikpe – Ikpe Ikot Nkon – Obotme – Arochukwu Road with two bridges spanning over 200m, is the best thing that has ever happened to the people of Ini local government area in road infrastructure.

“The area is currently playing host to the Ibom Agricon Rice mill, a factory built through the public/private partnership initiative of the Udom administration.

“This local government area was able to attract a Fertilizer Blending factory by the Udom Emmanuel administration and it was commissioned by Senator Akpabio himself in 2017.

“Education was massively revamped in the area with schools given a facelift. These include the Hostels, lecture/office blocks, fencing, landscaping and general remodelling of the Samuel Bill College, Abak, the Girl’s Model Secondary School, Ikot Ekang in Abak was constructed by Mr Emmanuel in addition to other schools such as Holy Family College, Abak , Government Technical College, Abak, Mcintire Secondary School, Utu Abak, Abak, and St. Mary’s Science School, Ediene Abak.

“Udom Emmanuel started the construction of the Otoro Abak – Manta Road, constructed Ebom Avenue and several other internal roads.

“Having restored peace in the area, Mr Emmanuel went on the construction of a 15.13km Ikot Esu, Ikot Otomo, Azumini Road that links Ika with Abia State with a spur to Nkwot in Etim Ekpo LGA.

“The story of the General Hospital at Ibiaku Ntok Okpo in Ikono, was that which drew tears. Directly opposite the hospital is the campaign ground where politicians, including Senator Akpabio stood on several occasions, yet none remembered their promises for the hospital once elected, but Udom Emmanuel chose to use Ikono General Hospital as a pilot for the digital revolution in secondary healthcare service in Akwa Ibom State. The immediate past Governor also built for Ikono its first-ever road in 30 years, the 4.6km Mbiafun Nkwongo – Nung Ukim road which leads to the College of Science and Technology as well as the 3.34km Nung Ukim Ikono Akpa Etok-Nung Ukim Ikot Ekang Road with Spurs to Ibiaku Ntuk Okpo Road in Ikono Local Government Area. It was also after the assumption of office in 2015 that the nine years electricity power outage in Ikono was brought to an end.

“It appears that Senator Akpabio’s own definition of uncommon transformation was restricted to the roads he constructed in two local government areas, his birthplace Essien Udim and the adjoining Ikot Ekpene local government area with nothing visible in the remaining nine local government areas of the Senatorial district. That however did not stop Mr Emmanuel from awarding a contract for the Ikpe Annang – Obo Annang Market road and rehabilitating the Ikpe Annang General Hospital in Essien Udim local government area. On the contrary, can Akpabio point out one single meter of the road he graded, let alone construct in Onna, Eastern Obolo, Udung Uko, Urueffong Oruko, Mkpat Enin, Ibeno, Esit Eket local government areas of Eket senatorial district for all of his eight years of ‘uncommon transformation”? The statement questioned. (Nigerian Tribune)

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