Aggrieved youths and stakeholders of the oil-bearing coastal communities of Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom State have expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as, “abysmal performance” of Senator Ekong Sampson, representing Eket Senatorial District in the Senate.
Taking inventory of his scorecard in the last two years, the elders and stakeholders of the area scored the lawmaker low, noting that Ibeno, which largely contributes enormous percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through oil production, had been neglected and marginalised in constituency projects and empowerment of their people.
Sampson, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, from Mkpat Enin LGA, represents the 12 LGAs of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.
But the angry Ibeno Ethnic Nationality Stakeholders under the aegis of their apex socio-cultural organisation – the Ulok Ulok Progressives Assembly (UUPA), after emergency meeting on Saturday at Ukpenekang, headquarters of the LGA, decried the action of the Senator, as “insensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Ibeno.”
The group in a communique jointly signed by the secretary of Ibeno Clan Council, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) president, Ibeno Chapter Comr. Emmanuel Okpolo resolved to send an open letter to the Senator, seeking explanation for the marginalisation.
The group noted with dismay, that the senator has spread constituency projects across all the LGAs in the senatorial district except Ibeno LGA. These projects include; provision of potable drinking water, solar lights, scholarships, educational projects, as well as human capital developments with several appointments to people but without a single project or sustainable empowerment in Ibeno LGA.
According to Chief Udofia, “The people of Ibeno voted for the Senator massively during the 2023 National Assembly election but, only abysmally rewarded for that support.
“The LGA is the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs and contributes the highest oil revenue to the federation account with commensurate increase in federal allocations to the state in recent times.
“His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, who is a magnanimous and compassionate leader, openly announced that his administration has released so much money to states with the removal of oil subsidy regime.
“Parts of such funds are also given to National Assembly members to embark on life – touching projects in their constituencies, but we are wondering why Ibeno LGA, has become the only exception.
“We are aware of the employments our Senator has facilitated for people in the senatorial district in federal institutions, but none has been given to any Ibeno indigene.
“Our resolution is to send a ‘Save Our Souls’ (SOS) letter to the Senator to show the world what he has done for Ibeno and her indigenes in the past two years.
“Senator Sampson, is the Chairman of Solid Minerals Committee, and Ibeno, has been facing serious ecological challenges and natural disasters as well as pollution, environmental degradation by oil exploration activities, yet we have a lawmaker who could not come to our aid,” the communique stressed.
Data from the senator’s office shows that Senator Sampson has initiated about 30 projects across the Senatorial District; out of which, 26 have been completed, 2 to be completed and 27 about to commence making a total number of 57 projects in all, there is no where Ibeno got a tangible project, or benefited from empowerment programme.
“We are calling on him to consider Ibeno Local Government Area in his constituency projects, human empowerment of indigenes in the new phase of projects allocation.
“We await his responses to this appeal and, also assured that come 2027, Ibeno shall vote out the wrongs.
“We thank God, with the recent political shift in the State, and there will be more options for Ibeno electorate to choose from to correct the imbalance.
“This level of marginalization is one of the factors that is fuelling the call for the Oro – Obolo state creation, where Ibeno will be treated fairly,” the communique stressed.
