Unlimited Resources
In Akwa Ibom State of
Nigeria , there are unlimited possibilities when the government and the
people work together to build accessible road networks that link the villages to
the state capital in order to stimulate real economic growth and development in
the state. The reason I take this position is because the state has abundance of
resources.
Naturally, the Akwa Ibom people: (Ibibio, Anang, Ibeno, Eket, and others) are
very illustrious, industrious, and resourceful. Among them are the farmers,
fishermen and fisherwomen, traders, artisans or craftmakers, homemakers, private
entrepreneurs, daily commuters, government and corporate employees, and other
professionals. How can these citizens be empowered to become more productive in
their respective sectors of the economy? We can do this by building accessible
roads to connect the rural villages to Uyo, the state capital. Keep in mind that
some of these roads that beg for rehabilitations are less than 10 miles or 16
kilometers long, and that they can be built or rehabilitated within 6 months.
Relative Location and Size
The relative location and size of the state present another advantage. Akwa Ibom
State lies between latitude 4°32’ and 5°33’ North; and Longitudes 7°25’ and
8°25’ East and covers a total land area of about 6,900 sq. km (4,287
sq. miles),
with an ocean front which spans
a distance of 129 kilometers (80 miles) from Ikot Abasi in the west to Oron in
the east. The state’s captivating coastal,
mangrove forest and
beautiful sandy beach resorts present added attractions to potential visitors
around the world (for more information, visit
About Akwa Ibom Stat at:
http://www.aksgonline.com/about.aspx).
Akwa Ibom State is relatively small in size compared to most of the
states in Nigeria . There
are about 3 million people who inhabit the state. What we need is the will and
commitment to rehabilitate all roads. There is no excuse to neglect any road in
Akwa Ibom State . Therefore, accessible roads are catalysts that can facilitate
economic growth and development in Akwa Ibom State .
Unlimited Economic
Possibilities
Constructing and rehabilitating access roads to link the villages with Uyo, the
State capital will enable
the following economic possibilities:
-
Traders from the villages will be able to ship
their merchandises to the city markets
-
Farmers in the villages will be able to
transport their produce to the market in the cities
-
Urban residents can travel to the rural farms
to buy fresh produces in bulk
-
Both producers and consumers will save money
from high cost of transporting the goods from the producers to the consumers
-
New businesses will be attracted to the rural
areas
-
Available land will be used for developing
tourist resorts
-
Accessible roads will provide easy access to
tourist resorts
-
Accessible roads will create employment
opportunities for people in the in the rural communities
Provide Options to Rural
Residence
-
Most employees who currently reside in Uyo,
will live in the rural areas and commute to work in the state capital
-
New businesses will be attracted to rural
areas because of available lands and other resources
-
Access roads into and out of the villages will
promote rural development
-
Power plants and water supply systems and
other amenities will be built in the rural areas
-
Government departments and agencies will be
established in the rural areas
-
Residential and
commercial buildings
will be constructed in the rural areas
Decongesting the Capital city
-
Current residents in Uyo will have the option
to live in the city or relocate to the suburbs and the villages
- Urban traffic congestions will be reduced
- Pollutions caused by smog will be controlled
Without pointing a finger at any person or entity in Akwa Ibom State for not
attending to the deplorable Uruan road, I will say this. The government of Akwa
Ibom State has the citizens’ mandates and the obligation to build and
rehabilitate roads for use by the people and businesses in the state. It does
not matter which of the 31local government area roads are built first or last.
What matters the most is the pace in which the government responses to the needs
of the road conditions in the state. I sometimes compare the government’s
tactics of dispensing favors to its
local government areas to
that of a polygamist family of dispensing favors to its several children. In
both institutions, government and family, there is a common tendency to favor
some local areas or children over the rest. I am not a fan of favoritism but
that is a given in some societies.
I
am pretty certain that Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is a leader
who understands the significance of developing each of the 31 local government
areas. The ability of each citizen in each geopolitical jurisdiction to become
more productive member of the larger society will depend greatly on the
availability of infrastructure such as good roads provided by the state
government. Instead of playing the politics of favoritism, I would think that
Governor Akpabio would like to create a fair and equitable development of each
local government area in order to achieve the overall economic development of
the state.
The Akwa Ibom people at
home have the God given tenacity to adapt to the harsh
economic condition they
encounter daily. Sometimes, one may even mistake their ability to cope for lack
power and right to petition the government to fulfill its obligation to the
people. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to escape the hardship at
home must be the advocates and voices for those who are less fortunate than we
are.
I
do not see anything wrong when an Akwa Ibom citizen in the Diaspora petitions
the state government to rehabilitate and build Uruan roads for the citizens of
Uruan or any other roads within the 31 local government areas. We should rally
and speak with one voice. We know that the conditions of most roads in Akwa Ibom
State are deplorable. We also know that Governor Akpabio is trying to
rehabilitate some roads and construct new ones. However, the Uruan people have
equal right to ask the state government to rehabilitate their roads and they
want action now so that they can be more productive and contribute to the
development and progress of the state. This is not asking too much. Akwa Ibom
State Government should concentrate most of its development projects in the
rural villages where there are availability of land and resources. Finally, I am
compelled to post these two pictures of Northern Uruan roads to emphasize the
need for the state government to respond to the call to fix the deplorable roads
for the hardworking traders, farmers, fisher men and women, artisans or
craftmakers, small business owners, corporate and government employees, and
homemakers. Rehabilitating these roads will promote rural economic development
for the people of Akwa Ibom State
Published
June 22nd, 2009
