HON. BASSEY BASSEY CALLS FOR REHABILITATION OF DILAPIDATED OKOPEDI OKOBO- OYUBIA ROAD

By Deborah Ekanem

The member representing Okobo state constituency  in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Bassey Pius Bassey has drawn the attention of the members of the State House of Assembly to the deplorable state of OKOPEDI OKOBO-OYUBIA ROAD and called for Government intervention to alleviate the sufferings of people in the Communities.

The appeal came under a motion on notice presented by the Lawmaker during Thursday, 12 October, 2023 plenary at the floor of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

Hon. Bassey in his motion decried  the adverse effects of the road to economic and Agricultural development which  according to him has brought untold hardships to indigenes and residents of the affected Communities.

"The area which was once a commercial hub was abandoned and cut off from development, life became cruel, brutish and short as the people resorted to primitive nature of life.

"residence of the areas feel neglected, forgotten, banished and far from civilization, infrastructural development and economic empowerment and cannot help themselves"  He said.

The Lawmaker expressed dismay that the road which was constructed 24 years ago during the administration of the former Governor, Architect Obong Victor Attah has become dilapidated as a result of substandard work delivery which he said was without any due considerations to proper drainage system, hence, the gully erosion and other deteriorating effects.

He said the impassable road has become a safe heaven for unscrupulous men to perpetrate their criminal activities as it poses challenge  for easy access of Security Agents and other reasonable minded fellows.

He noted that the road when constructed  would be of great economic benefit to the people of Okobodi, Nung Atai, Odobo, Nsie and Ukobo, as well as  Enweme group of villages, in Udung Ukpong village, Akai-Ndyo village and Oyubia.

He however appealed to the Speaker to direct the House Committee on Works to visit the road for an on the spot assessment.

Meanwhile, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong in his reaction has directed the Clerk, Mrs. Nsikabasi Orok to communicate the resolution of the House to the State Governor for necessary action.

IBESIKPO LAW MAKER, HON. ATTAH SEEKS GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION ON DELAPIDATING MOUNT CARMEL HOSPITAL

By Deborah Ekanem

 The member representing the people of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Ubong Attah has initiated step for the reconstruction of the Mount Carmel Hospital to meet the health needs of his  constituents and the sorrounding Local Government Areas.

Hon. Attah who took into cognizant the  necessity of  a better health care  facilities in any given society  had onThursday,  12 October, 2023 raised motion on  floor of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly demanding renovation of the said hospital.

"The enjoyment of the highest attainable state of health is one of fundamental rights of every human being without any distinction of race , religion, political belief, economic or social condition and Governments have a responsibility for the health of his people which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures" His words.

Attah, who called for accelerated hearing and adoption of the motion  emphasized the pivotal role Mount Carmel Hospital once played as the only secondary healthcare provider not only for his Constituents but for the people of Nsit Atai and Nsit Ibom Local Government Areas.

According to him, the hospital used to receive referrals from primary healthcare centres in Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium, Nsit Atai, Etinan, Eket and Onna Local Government Areas  until its closure  due to neglect and  other related factors

The lawmaker noted with regret that the hospital had been reduced to a mere shadow of its past glory, pleading with his colleagues to cooperate with him in ensuring that appropriate Government attention is drawn towards the rehabilitation of the hospital to encourage effective health care delivery services to the people.

Displaying the  dilapidated photograph of the   hospital, Attah lamented the ugly experience patients in the area faces especially in emergency cases  in order to access health facilities as far as   St Luke’s  Hospital in Anua, Uyo,  which he said  sometimes lead to loss of lives.

He acknowledged Governor Eno’s pragmatic efforts in infrastructure development in the state, including the ongoing construction of a Primary Health Centre in Ikot Nkwo, Ibesikpo Asutan, as part of efforts in providing better health care services  to the citizenry.

In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, directed the Clerk, Mrs Nsikabasi Orok to communicate the resolution of the House to the state Governor for positive remedies.

AKHA MOVE TO IMPROVE EASE OF DOING BUSINESS AT A'IBOM CENTRAL ABATTOIR

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has initiated steps on improving the business conditions of  cattle and goat dealers, butchers and other legitimate businesses at the  State Central Abattoir  in  Itam, Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

This, followed an oversight visit undertaken by  the House Committee on Agriculture and natural resources on Friday, 13 October, 2023.

Leading the team, the member representing Ibesikpo ASUTAN state.constituency and the  Committee Chairman. Hon. Ubong Attah,  said the oversight was in line with  pastor Umo Eno's  Arise Agenda to  revolutionize  Agriculture with the aim of increasing the value chain for overall improvement of Agricultural dividends in the State.

Attah encouraged  youths to embrace agriculture to create employment opportunities for themselves.

" We will ensure that we generate revenue for the government and provide employment for the Youths, we are coming under Agricultural agenda of Pastor Umo Eno that seeks to provide job opportunities for the Youths through Agriculture.

"So am using this platform to call on all the Youths in Akwa Ibom State to embrace agriculture, the attitude of farmers must improve so that we can bring the dividends of agriculture to Akwa Ibom State and to increase the value chain, the chain in agriculture is very important, not just farming or trading, we have to explore other agricultural  value chains among the commodities that we are engaging, wether goat, cow, oil palm, rice, beans among others" he said.

He enjoined all business operators in the facility, the indigenes and the Hausa community to maintain the existing peace between both parties for the generality of economic boost.

The Lawmaker lauded the State Governor, pastor Umo Eno for the successes recorded in Agricultural sectors and promised to channel the challenges that could impede business growth in the Abattoir to appropriate authority for remediation.

Attah called on Abattoir operators to ensure steady supply of livestock and other commodities from within and outside the State.

Welcoming the team, the Chairman, Butchers Association, Mr. Saviour Edem expressed gratitude to the  delegation for the visit and Governor Umo Eno on the move to improving their wellbeing and solicited for a better working facilities, provision of soft loans/grants to ensure business sustainability.

He lamented lack of capital, access road, insufficient shades, trucks for goods convergent, excessive foreign livestock assistants as some of the challenges facing them.

On behalf of market women Association, Mrs Stella Akpan commended the State Chief Executive for empowering women in the State especially in the market sector and appealed for the renovation and expansion of central Abattoir to accommodate the growing number of entrepreneurs in the site.

On his part,  the Chairman, Cattle Dealers and Livestock Association, Alhaji Mohammed Mijinyawa responding to the complaints of excessive foreign livestock assistants, revealed plans  for Biometric registration of their workers to authenticate the real business operators to forestall any future breach of security and other miscreant activities .

Mijinyawa while appreciating the Akwa Ibom State Government for creating an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive,  attributed the high cost of  livestock to the country's economic challenges especially in the fluctuating foreign exchange rate.

Also present during the visit were committee members, including Hon. Dr. Nsidibe Akata (Representing Eket), Hon. Jerry Otu (Representing Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara), Hon. Uduak Ekpo-Ufot (Representing Etinan), Mrs. Mary Ukoette Bassey, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and legislative Staff

STAFFS OF AKWA IBOM STATE AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CONCERNED BENEFITING COMMUNITIES APPEALS TO GOV UMOH ENO TO REOPEN AGENCY OFFICE

Staff of the Akwa Ibom state Agency for community and social development programme and the concerned Akwa Ibom benefiting communities are 

appealing to Governor Umo Eno to direct the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Emen Almond Bob, to as a matter of urgency ensure speedily reopening and funding of the Agency and implementation of the World Bank community development support Projects, which they said over one billion naira was allotted to the State in 2022 for.

The staff of the agency and the concerned benefiting communities made the appeal 

during a peaceful protest to the Agency's office in Uyo where they said if urgent intervention is not urgently taken  by Governor Umo Eno, to address the issues of paying the backlog of salaries owed staffs of the agency and the funds gotten from world bank in 2022 for which projects have not been done, and Akwa Ibom State may lose over 1.4 billion naira grant to the State for Community development, vulnerable programme and livelihood support funds from the World Bank in 2023 and as well refund that of 2022 to the world bank since it was not put to use.

SPEAKING, Mr. Donald Iwok, one of the protesters alleged that the commissioner is planning to replace the staff of the agency who have been trained and vest with requisite experience to work in line with the standard of the world bank with his loyalists who knows nothing about the programs of the agency.

 It would be recalled that the commissioner, Emem Bob, under Governor Udom Emmanuel's administration, unlawfully closed down the operations of the agency in January 2023, according to a letter dated 23rd January 2023, against the provisions of the law of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly establishing the Agency in Section 1 (1).

 Meanwhile the Concerned Akwa Ibom Benefiting Communities has in a communique lament that since 2018 till date, no  community development project has been executed in Akwa Ibom State through the agency despite the funds that were released to the State" through the account of the agency which is now allegedly control by the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Emem Bob, as a signatory.

The Communities explained the rationale behind their coming together to advocate for immediate implementation of the projects, and intervention of Gov. Umo Eno, on the ground that the projects have experienced undue delay despite the availability of funds and appealed to Governor Umo Eno, to please, direct immediate reopening of the agency's office activities, with an outstanding 11 months salaries of the agency's workers paid to them, and remove those sabotaging  government programs and policies from the ministry.

The benefiting communities the Agency which was established in 2009 to has so far executed 378 life touching projects, including Construction of Health Centres, Drilling of Motorized Borehole, Construction of Civic Centres, Construction of Culvert Drainage, Establishment of Skill Acquisition Centers, Construction of Open Markets, Provision of Electricity/Installation of Transformers, Construction/Renovation of Class Room Blocks among others, in Communities across the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State thereby using the international community assisted funds in translating the agenda of successive governments in the State and pastor Umoh Eno's administration should not be left out since his focus is on developing the rural areas.