Eket Reps Berate FG Over Non-Priority of Development in Oil Producing Communities of A’Ibom State

  • Calls for the immediate completion of East – West Road.

Edet Edet.

Going by the spate of uncompleted projects and the refusal of the Federal Government to initiate new ones in the oil producing communities of A’Ibom State, the member representing Eket/ Esit Eket/ Ibeno/ ONNA Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Patrick Ifon has censured the Federal Government for neglecting the oil bearing communities in the area of development.

He made this known on Saturday, during the 2019 Ekid Cultural Festival, a yearly event organized by the apex youth socio-cultural group in Ekid Nation “Afigh Iwaad Ekid” in Eket Local Government.

Ifon, who was the Chairman of the event, noted that Eket Federal Constituency, being the owners of crude oil, of which proceeds are used for the sustainability of the country’s economy has been neglected and lack Federal Government presence in infrastructure and other sectors of the economy despite their enormous financial contributions to the state and federal government respectively.

“We own the crude oil, we contribute enormously to the growth of the country’s economic growth and stability, but we are manifestly neglected by the Federal Government who are direct beneficiaries of our goodwill. The state government is contributing its quota, what is the Federal government’s contribution? It means we are no priority to the Federal government”

The member of parliament stated that since the initiation of the East West road by the Federal Government, a certain portion between Eket and ONNA axis has been abandoned, which creates the notion that the Federal Government is exploiting the constituency instead of propounding their wellbeing, and called on the FG to expedite action to ensure that the road is completed before the end of this administration.

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“The Federal Government should see the need to complete the East -West Road they started years ago. They should be aware that the continuing abandonment of this road smacks our nobility, leaving us with the conviction that we are being exploited by the government that is supposed to see our wellbeing as their priority”

He stressed further that the development of the Federal Constituency is a task that must be accomplished through collective ideas, and should formulate the discuss in every gathering of the Federal Constituency, so as to awaken the consciousness of every constituent to be a participant in the developmental strategy.

He maintained that as a representative of the people in the green chamber of the national assembly, his primary assignment is to make laws that will enhance the well-being of his constituents, and to represent the interest of the people in the sharing of the dividends of democracy and to defend their positions in the committee of States of the Federation.

However, Ifon stated that this task of lawmaking cannot be achievable if a renowned socio-cultural youth group like Afigh Iwaad Ekid is far from the representation. He therefore called for a synergy and proper channel for engagement, which will lead to the amelioration of the bewildering circumstances and underdevelopment threatening the people.

He commended the eggheads of the organization for their adopted new approach to conflict resolution that has seen to curbing youth restiveness and bringing to the fore the inadequacies of government and other developmental agencies intervention in the affairs of Ekid people, urging them to reorganize the association to be at the fore front of reorientation of youths and some elders who have become disenchanted and disoriented, of the need to join hands with them for a new Ekid, where people will learn to aspire to great heights through hard work and diligence.

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Earlier in his opening remark, the President General, Obong Iwaad Godwin Williams, narrated that the socio-cultural youth group has gone through the bumpy road of the normal intricacies of human endeavours to arrive at a near perfect state.

Williams, who doubles as the SSA to the Governor on project monitoring, said Afigh Iwaad Ekid has over the years galvanized youths within its jurisdiction for the maintenance of peace through the interfacing with International Oil Companies (IOCs) and government for employment and youth’s empowerment and trainings.

He stated that through his unalloyed pursuit, he has been able to secure over 80 employments from oil servicing companies which was distributed accordingly in line with the sharing formula stipulated in ExxonMobil’s Labour and Community Relations Guidelines.

He however called on all stakeholders in the organization, to bring into every administration of the organization their wealth of experience in other to contribute their expertise to the upliftment of the organization for the growth of the people and the communities.

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