The youths of Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have taken to the streets to register their displeasure and grievances over what they described as ‘ineptitude’ on the part of government and insensitivity to the people of the area in the past four years.
The youths, drawn from three villages in the area comprising Afaha Ube Itam, Ikot Abasi Itam, and Nwut Usiong, said they embarked on the peaceful walk cum demonstration to draw the government’s attention to the horrendous state of the road network in the area.
They stated that the road linking the three villages to Itam Market has been in a terrible state in the last four years since the contract for the construction of the said road was awarded to TEGRAH Construction company in 2018 but was abandoned immediately after the construction of drainages.
Speaking at the scene of the protest, Hon. Otobong Ekong, a former Ward 8 Councilor, applauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for awarding the contract for the construction of the road in 2018 but decried the slow pace of work and subsequent abandonment of the entire project by the contractors as well as the construction company. He said the act has caused residents and businesses in the area to suffer a huge setback due to the bad nature of the road which is not motorable most particularly during rainy season.
“This road construction work was awarded during my days as a councilor in 2018. If completed as expected, it would have opened the three communities linked to the popular Itam Market to economic development and other social activities,” Hon. Otobong said.
The former councilor also stated that TEGRAH Construction Company which the road was awarded to in 2018 is indebted to majority of the youths who worked as Community Liaison Officers (LOC) including other people who also worked for the company as representatives of the three communities.
“TEGRAH Construction Company is indebted to our youths. Their due salaries were not paid after they might have worked for the company for the period of months they were on site. The company absconded with the workers’ salaries and even without completing the project, this is totally inhumane and detrimental to the economic growth of the people,” he concluded.
Mr. Victor Akpan, a popular youth leader in Itu had this to say: “We are peace-oriented people, we are not here to fight for the development of the area, we are law abiding citizens. Our demands and agitation today are very simple and explicit. We need the road to be completed as part of Community development, which is ongoing in the state. This, if done, will attract economically viable projects to the area and deepen our democracy in the area of infrastructural development, consolidation and expansion as contained in the completion agenda of the state government.”
Mr. Victor Effiong, the Youth President of Afaha Ube Itam, Mr. Ekpono Akpan, Youth President of Nwut Usiong and Mr. Innocent Joshua, Youth President of Ikot Abasi Itam also spoke exclusively in support of the youths’ action.
Meanwhile, the protest today comes weeks after the Akwa Ibom State government through the Akwa Ibom State Roads and Other Infrastructure Maintenance Agency (AKROIMA) commenced intervention project on the road.
Chairman of the agency, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh through a phone call to Mr. Ekpono Akpan, Youth President of Nwut Usiong is expected to visit the site and address the plights, agitations and yearnings of the youths.
