Samuel Duncan
It is no longer news that AKSG has officially proclaimed the
road linking Udung Uko LGA to Mbo as that leading to a stream or a person's
house. The said road cuts across several communities in the two LGAs mentioned
above. More interesting is the fact that, the said road shall constitute the
first ever tarred road in Udung Uko LGA since its creation about twenty one
(21) years ago.
It continues to agitate sound minds why the all-powerful AKS
commissioner for works, Mr. Ephraim Inyangeyen would get so raged at requests
to extend the construction of the road to the next LGA as it should be. The
mystery about that almighty commissioner's spiteful comments on live radio is
the fact that, some roads around Akwa Ibom he has gladly undertaken to
construct without complaints, fall within areas that are not as viable
economically. Most even are found in LGAs that have enjoyed several of such
benefits from the AKSG over the years.
Most worrisome is the fact that, it is alleged that the AKSG is
yet to even issue contract award papers to the baby construction firm engaged
by a sister LG's political entrepreneurs who are patronised by the so-called
system with a road as important and dear to Udung Uko people as the one in
question. The helpless and tactless so-called political leaders of Udung Uko
extraction within the PDP have altogether lost their feet and have no vim left
in them to press for the proper thing to be done. They are unable to either
have their way or say on a matter that impacts their people and community directly
- such a crying shame! Themselves and their likes are the ones, who go about
demonising and badmouthing courageous Oro leaders who out of sheer concern for
Oro, abandoned the gang-up called PDP. They found and run rumour mills used in
the manufacture and propagation of satanic falsehoods against those bold and
assertive Oro leaders, who have refused to accept servitude in the name of
being in government.
It is equally alleged that the width of the road to be
constructed for the first time in about twenty one (21) years of Udung Uko's
existence, is comparable only to that obtained in an unimportant and worthless
street around a rural hinterland. The other side of the ugly story is the
alleged unwillingness of government to anticipate the payment of compensation
to those that may be affected one way or the other in the course of the road
construction as has always been the case in other parts of AKS.
This narrative is quiet similar to that obtained in the much
hyped Enwang-Ibaka road. I couldn't believe what I observed yesterday when I
decided to go see things for myself. The purported construction of the
Enwang-Ibaka road is but a sham and such deceit that cannot be explained.
Imagine a construction where the existing bad road is shabbily overlaid with laterite
and then sparsely sprayed with tar. The lifespan of such job can only be
likened to what we observe at the portion of Okobo road near the police station
that was done by a PDP chieftain and an aspirant for the Akwa Ibom South
senatorial seat come 2019.
It appears the government has decided to do just 'anything' mean
for the Oro people since there exists an undiminished loud and persistent cry
about the exclusion, marginalisation, abandonment and criminal oppression of
the Oro section of AKS. If it were not so, why can't the very first road to be
constructed in Udung Uko LGA in more than two decades be handled in a manner
that does not portray the LGA was inexcusably denied for those number of years?
The spiteful treatment of the Oro Nation can better be blamed on
the current crop of legislators from Oro in the AKSHA who have all chosen to
abscond with the people's mandate. They are all shamelessly engrossed in their
greedy quest for a second term in office when their first term is already an
alarming failure. Can those non performers point to two worthwhile projects on
Oro soil in almost three (3) years of this government? This government has
expended about #600bn of capital votes in the period under
consideration with no evidence to show that we have people representing the
four (4) state constituencies of Oro Nation. Can human beings sit where such
humongous amount is appropriated for projects in a state they call themselves
stakeholders without any meaningful project sited in their own constituencies?
The other day I read on the social media how one of the second
term sick Oro legislators, was celebrated by supposedly students' leaders of
Oro extraction. They were celebrating an award of "excellent legislative
service" fraudulently conferred on a timid, lackluster, unfit and
substandard legislator who has earned us enormous but scandalous shame as a
representative. One therefore imagines what exactly our young people and more
so, the supposed educated ones are up to, when they so barefacedly identify
with and celebrate such inept, clueless, numb, empty and idealess disaster of a
legislator.
Besides the belly-focused and woeful failures of our so-called
legislators, the political leade rs within this government from our fold, have
equally failed in their responsibilities as leaders for being so timid and
frightened about sincerely and truthfully telling the government how unfair it
has been to Oro so far. The hungry and pittance-seeking purported youth leaders
of the affected areas are the worst set of beings. They settle for ridiculously
belittling handouts from the system that aims to subdue and conquer their
territory. Same ignorant fellows wallow in their new found statuses as local
champions and thus turn against every well meaning voice of reason from the
community and in the process, help the evil system to cheat themselves.
The world as it is, rotates and revolves at the same time. No
position of advantage occupied by a powerful but spiteful commissioner shall be
retained for life. No tribe or people equally reserve monopoly of leadership
opportunities. No matter how long a people remains oppressed and are willfully
excluded, respite shall someday come their way. Let no one glory in the seeming
conquering of the Oro Nation. As God lives, our God given resources shall not
perpetually be plundered and our people spitefully scorned.
Time and chance shall happen to the Oro Nation!
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