How Mkpat Enin failed road endangered road users, indigenes
By Ubong Sampson
For about the third time in a few years, the last couple of weeks have had the Ikot Ebak portion of the Uyo/Ikot Abasi highway, infamous for its intermittent failings, forcing its regular pliers into the alternative interior route that cuts through Ikot Ebak and other communities.
However, the situation has taken a different dimension this time, as hoodlums had taken advantage to add to the woes of road users by forcing them to part with their monies and other valuables through gun point robbery attacks.
Perhaps the development appeared normal to them, until the hoodlums advanced to killing some of their victims, giving the indigenes reason to cry out to the government and security agencies for help.
Describing the issue as very worrisome, anonymous sources who spoke on the issue lamented that some criminal elements have cashed in on the delayed completion of the Ikot Ebak portion of the Ekpat Akwa/Mkpat Enin highway handled by a Chinese construction firm, CCECC, to mete out various physical attacks to unwary indigenes and other users of the diversion route.
The route, which they maintained was created by the authorities of the construction company as a detour for commuters and other road users when the firm began to seal off the road from passage on daily basis after close of work, was made to traverse interior communities to emerge at a farther end of the highway.
Criminal activities ranging from two cases of outright murder, robberies at gun point, to incidents of rapes and abductions have been carried out unmolested at odd hours of the day on the said route, reports say.
One of the murder victims was said to have fallen to the killers’ bullets as a result of his attempt to identify one of the criminals. He was said to have died at the spot with his body riddled with bullets.
Investigations have however revealed that Mkpat Enin Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Aniekpon Ekpo, has, in the bid to work out measure to stem the menace, appealed to the top executive of the construction concern to make provision for passage way at the spot under construction for road users after their day’s work, while also charging the company on the need to speed up work on the road to avert further nefarious activities by criminal-minded elements in the area.
Following Hon. Ekpo’s appeal, according to sources, the construction firm pledged to hasten the execution of the construction work, while promising to make passage way available all through on the road under construction and close the alternative interior route for the safety of the people.
Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, checks have revealed that the interior passage route has been put back to use having been closed for about three days, though with some level of security, as the company has relapsed to completely cordoning the highway at the day’s close of activities, even as work has progressed to the Ikot Ebak Market spot.
When contacted, the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in the area, Hon. Anietie Sunday who is an indigene of the Ikot Ebak community said he was only aware of an incident where a trader was killed and robbed of money and valuables while on the way to Urua Akpabong Market.
He added that the said alternative route crosses Ikot Akam, Ediene Atai, and to the Bridge that shares boundary with Ikot Ebak. And that the portion Ikot Ebak offers to the route is barely 50 meters. Hence, could not ascertain where the bandits are from.
