President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has called on Nigerians to take ownership of government facilities in their communities by ensuring their protection and proper maintenance.
Speaking during the commissioning of some constituency projects in Ika local government area of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday, Akpabio emphasised the collective responsibility of citizens in safeguarding public infrastructure.
A statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Jackson Udom, the Senate President said, “My duty as your representative in the Senate is to ensure that I bring projects that you ask for, in the overall good of the people.
“You, as the beneficiaries of these projects, owe government a duty to protect the facilities so that they won’t be vandalised or destroyed by enemies of progress.”
Akpabio charged the communities “to own these projects, and by so doing, government at all levels would be encouraged to do more. If you say, ‘after all, it is government property—let us vandalise them,’ are we not all government? That means you are also destroying your own property. By doing so, you have only succeeded in discouraging government from doing more for your community.”
The Senate President also reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration to grassroots development and economic empowerment.
He said the Tinubu-led administration is one with a human face, determined to make life easier for the people, especially the common man.
“The President recently approved the financial empowerment of 1,000 Nigerians in every ward across the country to boost local economic activities.”
Projects commissioned during the visit include an 8-classroom block and an ICT centre at St. Augustine Secondary School, Ika LGA; a 12-classroom block at Community Secondary School; and an ultra-modern market at Uruk-Ata 2, in Etim Ekpo LGA.
The commissioning underscores Senator Akpabio’s ongoing commitment to bridging infrastructural gaps and promoting inclusive development across his constituency.
