* Promises Minimum 50km Roads in Obot Akara
The governorship candidate of YPP, Senator Bassey Akpan, CON, has flayed the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (AKHA) for indiscriminate approvals for the government, without diligent scrutiny and due process. He also decried the poor development of the state despite the huge financial inflow.
The senator who was in Obot Akara to campaign in Nto Edino wards 2, 4 & Obot Akara 1-3, said:
“How can you have House of Assembly that a governor will bring request for loan, and it will approve without knowing what it will be used for? How can you allow the governor to borrow as he likes without due process and the needs assessment for effective impact .
“This is the same government who claimed he paid the loan of N141Billion the state was owing when he received N171 billion of outstanding derivation . What he borrowed from First bank was N104 billion and he claimed the interest is N30billion. As we are talking now they are still owing First Bank N78 billion. They approved it without going to the floor of the House. The speaker approved it. How do you explain that?” This absolutely Financial recklessness that has left Akwa ibom people even more impoverished with poverty. Some of this monies should have been used to develop the state . See what is happening in Rivers state today .
He blamed such lack of checks and balancing for the deplorable condition of the rural infra structures despite all the huge funds received by the state government.
“Upon all this, there is no road in Obot Akara, no school in Obot Akara.I am talking about finance because I will need finance to develop Akwa Ibom state”.
He promised specific programmes to change the Obot Akara, positively. “We will build a minimum of 50 kilometers of roads in Obot Akara. YPP will make Akwa Ibom money to work for Akwa Ibom people. Every village and community will benefit from our programmes. I have been chairman of Inter Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, I have traversed the entire state. I know the peculiar problems and will solve them”, he said.
While urging the people to support other candidates of the party for respective offices, he promised to work with them to better the lives of people.
“I will be the first Governor to ensure that all our representatives come back to report progress. When they come, I will double what they do. We have women around here. We will group them into different cooperatives and empower them. As we build these roads, we will empower our youths. Under our agricultural program, our youths are going to be empowered”.
Shortly before introducing the governorship candidate, Sir Emem Akpabio, Chairman of the Akwa Ubok Abasi Campaign Council, had told the youths to support one of their own who will not let them down.
“Today we are in Obot Akara. It is only the leaves that will bring progress. The youths of Obot Akara, this is your time. This is time for the youths to take over. Let them know that their turn has passed. Use your votes to bring in someone who will remember you in all his programmes.
The State Chairman of the YPP, Apostle Nyeneime Andy, who described the governorship candidate as “talk-and-do”, urged all Obot Akara people to cast their votes for all candidates of the YPP.
“You will be refreshed if you vote for the YPP. Things will change for the better”. Vote for all our candidates for a better life.
Highlights of the event included defection of over 2,000 decampees from the APC to the YPP.