Okon Bassey in Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has been tasked to revisit the abandoned Use Ikot Amama road project in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, which was initiated more than 10 years ago by the Governor Godswill Akpabio administration, but left undone.
The lawmaker representing Ibiono Ibom state constituency, Hon Moses Essien, made the call while interacting with journalists last Friday in Uyo on the development challenges facing his constituency.
He underscored the importance of the road to the socio-economic development of the state, stressing that the construction of the road was significant to the realisation of the Arise Agenda of the present administration in view of the rich natural resources and the vast arable land that abound in the community.
Essien said it was saddening to the people of Ibiono Ibom that more than 10 years after the road was initiated, nothing was done by the successive administrations to commence construction.
The lawmaker said: “Use Ikot Amama used to be the chorus of the administration of Godswill Akpabio. It is saddening that Use Ikot Amama road was yet to be completed. There’s no access road to the village called Use Ikot Amama, up till today.
“I am still begging the state government that not one single trip of granite has been deposited in Use Ikot Amama for road construction.”
Essien said he was moved by the plight of the community to raise a motion calling for the construction of the said road.
According to him, “I have raised a motion covering the Use Ikot Amama road project. It was my third motion where Ikot Esen -Utit Obio-Omuekene village in Ibiono Ibom and Use Ikot Amama was mentioned.”
He said the affected communities were predominantly farming areas that needed to be opened up and linked to the urban cities in view of their vast and abundant agricultural potential.
“The Arise Agenda of the present administration places more emphasis on agriculture, and these communities have rich fertile soils for rice production and abundant natural resources.
“They have rice mills, and they have the capacity to process the rice and feed the community and even export, but there’s no access road,” he stated.
Essien, who is the Assembly Committee chairman on Health, hinted that provision has been made in the 2024 budget for the completion of the Maternal and Child Hospital in Oko Ita, which was started by the immediate-past administration.
He also stated that other projects initiated by former Governor Udom Emmanuel administration would be completed by the present government.
