The chairman of the Yala local government area of Cross River State, Dr Fred Okem, has said the Yala people’s development and peace remain his top priority.
Speaking with journalists on the occasion of his 100 days in office, Dr Okem said his “100 days in office have been a huge blessing to my good people of Yala” while pointing out some of his achievements since he took over the affairs of the Council.
According to the renowned administrator, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu as a visionary and grassroots politician and leader, has brought “the presence of government closer to the people, and this has enabled the grassroots to have some social and economic impact in their various local governments, especially my local government, Yala local government area”, and also added that God has given me the strength to achieve some fundamental developments the people had yearned for within the resources that have been made available.
He said “First, my 100 days in office have been an enormous blessing to my good people of Yala.
„Well, for me, I came in with an agenda for the people of Yala. The agenda is about developing my people, empowering them, and opening infrastructure across the north and crannies of the local area.
„First, I think of peace. Peace is a word that God created, and when God created the world, the only thing God left for the people in the world was ‚peace be with you‘, and my agenda is strictly going to begin with peace for the people of Yala because, without peace, there is no development.
„Without peace, there is no love; without peace, there is no empowerment, and I have been able, at least as a measure, to return to peace and love within one another. I will meet individuals and stakeholders and try to bring them together to build Yala as a nation.
„On local government infrastructure, well, apart from peace, within the 100 days of office, I have equally looked at the local government infrastructure. The offices of the political block, chambers for the legislators, and all that the ongoing work is a testimony of my willingness to make my people, appointees, and civil servants have comfort in their working environment, and I believe that God has given me the strength to do so within the resources that have been made available and at our disposal.
„On grading of Yala Constituency 1 ring road, thirdly, I looked at the ring roads, and I have been able to see how my communities in the rural area, across the 14 wards of Yala, there is no access road for our farmers to bring out their food items to their market, and to see how they can better themselves. So, I decided to do a design with my team.
„I did the groundbreaking ceremony last week in Okpoma, from the Ochoko ring road to YASCO. Where we are right now, there is a grader in the field, trying to assess all those parts to enable our farmers to have access roads to transport their products to the market.
„Across the ward, I have also mapped out those routes to be constructed. I mean, to create access routes to them. Let‘s take, for example, Okuku and Echumofana: Echumofana to Aliforkpa, Ijegu to Wonyen, Wonyen to Uchun, Uchu to Alifopa, Alifopa back to Gabu. That route also transverses from Gabu to Ijegu Yala, which also terminates at Okuku, Okpoma-Okukun Road, a ring road.
„And that road is vital because it is a road we use even in our political campaigns. So I want an impact where the community will have the impact of their governance so that from time to time, we can go around and see how our people will see the presence of the government.“
The Yala Council boss further highlighted other critical infrastructural developments, such as installing solar street lights and connecting communities to the national grid.
„Not only the access routes, my plan is to see how the roads will be illuminated with solar lights along the road and equally connect the community with the national grid. For our possible empowerment, so that our youth can equally see how they can better themselves, maybe the skilled youth can open their businesses, like barbing saloons, welding, and every other activity needing electricity.
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