How Akwa Ibom South is Covering Good Grounds in the Nigerian Senate

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How Akwa Ibom South is Covering Good Grounds in the Nigerian Senate

By Senator Ekong Sampson

I warmly welcome you with the compliments of the season. The Christmas season has offered yet another opportunity for us to come together, to compare notes, spread love, keep in touch, receive feedback, and also report progress on my representation. This meeting aligns with my promise of periodic consultative representation. As we speak, I am going round all the twelve Local Government Areas in our Senatorial District, in the spirit of the season, and reporting progress – as they say.

Kindly permit me to use this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to all our stakeholders and indeed, the entire people of Akwa Ibom South for the continuous support I have enjoyed from you. Your encouragement to me is well felt, and has added needed coal to the steam of my representation. I salute you, sincerely.

I am pleased to announce that the past one year and few months chapter of my Senate representation has been quite eventful, highly impactful, and very focused on the mandate you entrusted me with. Within my first 100 days in office, you may recall, I had opened the Akwa Ibom South main Constituency Office in Eket, with two other liaison offices in Ikot Abasi and Oron, to deepen access and information flow with my constituents. The offices open every working day of the week, and I had even approved that the one in Eket can be given out for community development meeting, free of charge.

I have equally been very committed to advancing further development of our Senatorial District through constituency projects and programmes. As I speak, a number of projects which I facilitated for Akwa Ibom South are either completed, near completion or ongoing across the length and breadth of the District. I was intentional in ensuring that every strand of our diverse mix was catered for in the project conceptualization and spread. This is moreso given the diversity in our Senatorial District, and my avowed commitment to respecting that plurality.

Some of these projects include a massive erosion control project in Ekeya, Okobo LGA, construction of ICT/CBT Centre in St Vincent, Oti-oro, Okobo LGA, construction of ICT/ CBT at St Francis Secondary School, Ikot Ataku, Eket LGA, construction of Staff Quarters at Excellence College, Ikot Unya, Mkpat Enin LGA, construction of School Block at Federal University of Technology, (FUTIA) Ikot Abasi LGA, opening of roads in Mbo, Onna, Mkpat Enin LGAs, Provision of Solar Powered Streetlights in Uquo, Esit Eket LGA.

Others are, provision of solar powered streetlights in parts of Mkpat Enin Urban, reticulated solar powered boreholes in selected communities, electricity project in Okon Eket, electricity project in Eyobisang, Urueffong Oruko Local Government Area (soon to commence), distribution of fertilizers and farm input to farmers and cooperatives in Akwa Ibom South, alongside many other people-driven interventions.

These projects were further complemented with the training of over 1000 indigenes in various skills such as mining, tailoring, hair making, ICT, media, etc; some backed with start-up packs and other forms of support. In February this year, over 700 of our indigenes, including people with disability, were empowered with education and business grants, through my active support. I have already mandated my Empowerment Committee to wrap up modalities for the next tranche, which is designed to be at an even more expanded scope.

My commitment to sustainable human capital development has also remained in the front burner of my representation. Earlier this week, I presented appointment letters to five more constituents of Akwa Ibom South, into a very top federal government parastatal, adding to the rank of earlier beneficiaries. A unique Labour Desk, which I set up in my office in Abuja, is profiling more indigenes for employment into both the public and private sectors.

At the same time, at plenary, I have also presented a number of petitions to pursue the rights of our communities and constituents. Just before the National Assembly went on Christmas break, I got Senate reinstatement for one of our constituents who was wrongfully dismissed from the Nigerian Railway Corporation. This goes to show the seriousness I attach to labour opportunities and protection for our constituents.

It has been quite engaging and notable in the area of legislative advocacy, on and off the Floor of the Senate. Akwa Ibom South has had its voice heard loudly with Bills including Bill for the Establishment of Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi (passed 2nd Reading), Bill for the Establishment of Federal University of Medical Sciences, Eket, Bill for the Establishment of Federal Medical Centre in Akwa Ibom South, Bill for the Establishment of Solid Minerals Development Corporation, among others. Working with our other stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians, I am also strongly pushing for the long anticipated take-off of the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, the revitalization of ALSCON and the establishment of Court of Appeal, Uyo Division. My vision is to ensure that we achieve a tripod of federal tertiary education in each of the three Federal Constituencies of Akwa Ibom South.

I have equally championed a number of Motions including Need for Increased Security Surveillance in Coastal Areas of Akwa Ibom South, Need for Urgent remediation of dilapidated Federal Roads across Nigeria, Call for Urgent reconstruction of Calabar-Itu Highway (co-sponsored with Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong), with many others filled to be taken. Most of my activities have been well captured in my office magazine, ‘The Akwa Ibom South Senator’ – itself, a collector’s item.

As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, I have been discussing with the Akwa Ibom State Government towards driving an SPV for exploration and keying into opportunities in the sector. Our State is richly endowed and, I have to thank our Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno for the interest he has shown in our State investing in the Solid Minerals Sector. Permit me to also, at this juncture, convey my earnest gratitude to our dear former Governor, His Excellency, Udom Emmanuel, for his very patriotic sense of sacrifice, and for his fatherly support to me all along.

I thank our Distinguished Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, for the support he has given me in the Senate. This is good for Akwa Ibom South and for Akwa Ibom State, generally. We work as a team in the National Assembly – all of us for Akwa Ibom State. I am using my office as Chairman of the Akwa Ibom PDP National Assembly Caucus, and as a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to serve the general interest of Akwa Ibom people.

I have been receiving very useful input from our stakeholders. One of my handy resourceful pools has been the Committee on Public and Policy Analysis, ably chaired by the eminent scholar and elder statesman, Professor Etie Ben, which I set up when I assumed duties in the Senate. Through this mechanism, I look forward to a range of conversations, including topical contributions on the Tax Reform Bills, which have been slated for public hearing in the Senate. I have also been privileged to learn, at intervals, from the wise counsel of senior law and policy makers like Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, my former boss, later Senate Chief Whip; Rt. Hon. (Chief) Nduese Essien, former Chairman of South South Caucus in the House of Representatives and Chairman, Akwa Ibom South Elders Forum, among many other distinguished intellectuals and leaders. So far, with your kind support, one can say, with every sense of humility, that Akwa Ibom South is covering good grounds in the Senate.

Once again, I thank you, my esteemed stakeholders for your advice and usual cooperation; and for honouring my invitation to this Christmas interaction. I will continue to ensure that everyone is carried along, and where a project or empowerment opportunity could not reach in 2024, it will, in 2025.

I wish you merry Christmas and happy new year in advance. God bless you.

From address presented by Senator Ekong Sampson, Ph.D, Senator representing Akwa Ibom South & Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, at a Christmas meeting/get-together with stakeholders of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District on Saturday, December 28, 2024, in Eket._

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