Jubilation in Essien Udim as Governor Umo Eno flags-off 16km Road Construction Project
It was a remarkable and memorable day for Ekpenyong Atai people in Essien Udim Local Government Area and Ikot Akpan Village in Etim Ekpo as Governor Umo Eno flag-off the 16km Midim Atan/Ikot Inyang Udo/Ikot Akpan/ Etok Uruk Essiet, Ikot Imonte Road construction Project.
The colourful event took place on Thursday, 22nd February 2024 at St Paul Primary School, Midim Atan in Ekpenyong Atai, Essien Udim LGA.
Speaking while flagging off the road project, the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno said the exercise was in fulfilment of his campaign promises as encapsulated in the ARISE AGENDA to open up the rural communities for socio-economic development. He stressed that his administration is committed to infrastructural development and promised to implement more life touching programmes across the state.
The Governor charged the host community and youths to cooperate with the project contractor and give him the necessary support to deliver the job according to specification for the benefit of the people. He also solicited the support of the people for his administration to succeed.
“I want to thank our brother, Celestine Mel who has used his God-given talent to attract this project. I love his style of writing because he is always fighting for the down trodden and every time he sends me a message, he is always drawing my attention to something I should do for the benefit of the people”.
“He is not asking for favour for himself. I call him my friend and a friend of government. He is a critic and I don’t have problem with critics as long as it is constructive and proffers solutions to problems. I see criticism as advice. It is good to have people who watch your back and be able to tell you how to do things right. Thank you for drawing the government’s attention to this deplorable condition of this road. These are the type of people government wants to work with,” he stated.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of Essien Udim Transition Committee, Dr Anthony Luke who spoke on behalf of Essien Udim and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas, commended the Governor for awarding the road project, stating that the road which crisscrosses two local government areas (Essien Udim and Etim Ekpo) is a strategic road infrastructure that will promote economic and social activities in the two local government areas when completed.
He said, “Your Excellency, God will bless you for not playing politics with this road. This is the most inaccessible and the most unreached road in the whole of Akwa Ibom State.”
The Council boss pledged the unalloyed loyalty a and support of Essien Udim people to his administration to continue to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the state. He further lauded the Governor for focusing on rural development which will stem the tide of rural urban migration.
On his part, the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Akwa Ibom State, Professor Eno Ibanga said the road which is 16km long and 8m wide with bridge cut across two local government areas, Essien Udim and Etim Ekpo and is awarded to Nsik Engineering Construction Company as the contractor, to be supervised by the State Ministry of Works.
In his good will message, Comrade Celestine Mel, a social critic and an indigene of Midim who drew government’s attention to the deplorable condition of the road, thanked the governor for yielding to the cry of the people and awarded the road contract as pledged. According to him the road has claimed many lives over the years because of the collapsed bridge and promised the support and cooperation of the people to the contractor.
The Managing Director, Nsik Engineering Construction Company assured of timely completion of the road project according to specification with the support and cooperation of the host community.
Speaking also, the Paramount Ruler of Essien Udim, His Royal Majesty Obong Cosmas Akpan, Akwa Akuku Annang 1 who expressed gratitude to the governor for bringing succour to the people by awarding the road contract, charged the governor to ensure timely completion of the project to alleviate the suffering of the people who could not access the road for many years.
