22/09/2026
SENATE PRESIDENT, STAKEHOLDERS HEAP PRAISES AS GOV ENO CONSTRUCTS ANOTHER 4.12KM ROADS IN IKOT EKPENE
By Dorathy Ime
Governor Umo Eno on Tuesday said a Government Reserved Area cannot retain its status without quality roads as he inaugurated Ikot Ekpene's 4.12-kilometre GRA road network.
The project, commissioned by Senate President Godswill Akpabio as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom State's 39th anniversary, includes outfall drains and additional erosion reclamation works designed to tackle flooding and improve access within the Government Reserved Area.
Addressing residents and dignitaries at the ceremony, Governor Eno said the road project was inherited by his administration but had recorded little progress before the government terminated the earlier contract and engaged a new contractor to complete the work.
"Without good roads, you don't have a GRA," the governor declared, adding that restoring the area's status required roads, drains and supporting infrastructure capable of withstanding environmental challenges.
The Governor said the project reflected his administration's commitment to delivering development across the state's 31 local government areas, noting that several projects were ongoing simultaneously under the ARISE Agenda.
According to him, the September commissioning exercise would continue in December, when the government plans to inaugurate additional projects, including the International Convention Centre and the 200-bed International Hotel, both of which had remained uncompleted for years before construction resumed.
Governor Eno also thanked Akpabio for attending the event despite what he described as a demanding national schedule, noting that the Senate President had earlier returned to the state for the reception of Ibom Air's new Airbus A220-300 aircraft at the beginning of the month.
"Love is not expressed by words alone; it is expressed by action," the Governor said, describing the Senate President's repeated visits as evidence of goodwill towards the State.
He further urged residents to preserve the peace currently enjoyed across Akwa Ibom, warning against ethnic divisions and insisting that development could only thrive where unity prevails.
"We are one Akwa Ibom," he said, stressing that the governor, deputy governor and Senate President all came from different senatorial districts yet have continued to work together for the State's development.
Earlier, Akpabio said he returned to Nigeria barely a day before the commissioning but insisted on attending because he wanted to witness firsthand the progress recorded under Eno's administration.
"I don't want to sit in Abuja and hear that Umo Eno is doing wonders. I came to witness it myself," the Senate President said.
The Senate President recalled campaigning in Ikot Ekpene in 2006, when residents broke down in tears as they appealed for government intervention after years of neglect and poor infrastructure.
He narrated how Queen's Street, which provides access to a charity home for visually impaired children, was inaccessible for years, preventing benefactors from reaching the home with food and other supplies.
"Those children used to go to bed hungry because there was no road for people to bring them food," he said.
Akpabio also recounted reconstructing the Itam Bridge corridor and dualising major roads linking Ikot Ekpene and Abak communities, saying those interventions marked the beginning of the area's transformation after decades of isolation.
In his goodwill message, the member representing Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr Patrick Umoh, said residents had witnessed the quality of the road construction, drainage and erosion reclamation works, describing the project as a durable solution to long-standing environmental challenges.
Speaking on behalf of Ikot Ekpene stakeholders, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien highlighted the project's engineering features, including a 2.5-metre by 1.5-metre outfall drain, and disclosed that another 8.93 kilometres of roads and 8.6 kilometres of drainage works were already under construction in the locality courtesy of Governor Eno.
The Paramount Ruler of Ikot Ekpene offered royal blessings for the governor and prayed for sustained peace and development in the local government area.
In his welcome remarks, Elder Aniefiok Nkom said that his people were happy because in just few days, the Governor has visited the area on three occasions to commission different projects such as roads, school and promised that Ikot Ekpene will thank the Governor, the President, the Senate President and the APC with their votes in 2027.
The ceremony featured cultural performances, a brass band procession and celebrations by residents, who welcomed the completion of the project with songs and dances.
Among those in attendance were Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi, former governors Yakubu Bako and John Ebiye, members of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, commissioners, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
