By Manfred Ekpe., Jnr., LL.B (Hons)
I am inclined to say that all is not well with Eket Local Government under the leadership of Mr. Akaniyene Tommey Ikott. Since inauguaration of the newly (s)elected local councils, some council chairmen have hit the ground running showing that they are ready to work for their people despite the suspected criminal diversion of local government funds by the Governor Umo Eno’s administration.
We can mention the newly selected chairmen of Esit Eket, Onna and a few other LGAs who are on ground working since innauguration. Mrs Uduak Ikemesit Ikot the Esit Eket council chairman has initiated some intervention initiatives to empower the people or cushion the effect of economic hardship. Some of these interventionist measures include but not limited to arrangement to give business grants to Esit Eket indigenes who have kiosks in the Christmas villages at Eket and Uyo. Appointment of several aides to the council chairman which is a form of empowerment etc.
The Onna council chairman started his administration by carrying out inspection of council secretariat so as to have a first hand data on the amount needed for maintenance. He has also initiated several life touching programs and initiatives for his people.
The moves of some council chairmen to hit the ground running shows that the financial autonomy granted to the local government, has trickled in at least, “something” into the local government treasury, though financial autonomy cannot be completely allowed in Akwa Ibom State under a pastor Governor Umo Eno.
Notwithstanding the financial impecuniosity of the local councils, the situation of abdication from duty in Eket local government by the council seems to be extreme and a total lack of the passion to work for the people.
In Eket Local Government Area the council chairman, Mr. Akaniyene Tommey Ikott is completely out of touch with administration nor has any interest to run Eket. There is no single good road in Eket. Major roads have deep potholes designing the entire lengths of the roads. We can mention Eket/Oron road, Grace Bill Road, Ikot Udoma—Ikot Usoekong road, Uqua road, Afaha Uqua road, and virtully all roads in. Important to mention are the pits on the Uqua Junction, and Uqua road/Isong Udoita/Umana Ndon street turning. This is the centre of the township yet the local government under Mr Tommey cannot as much as effect any repairs, road maintenance being the first line constitutional duty of the local government.
Urua Nka is now a dumpside and smells like abandoned decaying corpes. The same can be said of other government owned markets. The streets are dirty and the prestigious Esuene Square seems never to have been swept since inauguration in 2022.
Though we believe that the Lagos retreat of all the (s)elected local government chairmen organized for them by the state government was to give them crimimal orientation on how to turn over the local government funds to a select official criminal in the state government for embezzlement, but we also understand that “pocket money” is usually given to the chairmen which can affect a few lives and can effect some administrative demands such as road maintenance, provision of water and cleaning up of the townships.
But the Eket local government chairman has dutifully abandoned his official duty to live in the United States for three weeks and Nigeria for one week every month. This makes our loving chairman to effectively reside in the skies.
Dear Honourable chairman sir, we did not elect you to live in the sky. Please land and work.
Manfred Ekpe, jnr
13/12/2024.
