In constituting the inter-ministerial direct labour coordinating committee chief
Godswill Akpabio, the governor of Akwa Ibom state assured the people that he will
make government presence felt in all parts of the state, all communities will become
interconnected, and that seemingly forgotten communities will feel the impact of
his administration. The committee under the chairmanship of the commissioner of
finance, Mr. Bassey Albert Akpan, was constituted at the advent of the present administration in 2007.
The realities on ground at inception of the administration were decayed infrastructures,
citizen to government apathy, emigration to other Nigerian states and a general state of administrative impracticability and disconnection. The situation was conducive
for the promotion of strife and social crisis. The committee visited the communities
and discussed with them, then scoped out jobs and awarded contracts to local contractors.
As execution progressed, monitoring and supervision followed to ensure targets were
met and quality not compromised.
This is the story of how Akwa Ibom state is rebuilt from first principle using the
concept of bottom up development while at the same time throttling high level top
down development strategies to turn around the state for the better.
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Let The Projects Begin
In 2008, 188 projects in the areas of 22 school buildings, 97 electrification projects,
28 mini water facilities, 19 health facilities, and 22 civic buildings were delivered.
Commissioning of these projects which started on the 3rd of June witnessed great
jubilation from the people at the reality of the dividends of democracy from the
one year old administration.
The major challenge of the state in 2008, community wise, was interfacing communities
with the national grid. Therefore, government ensured that provision of electricity
infrastructure took centre stage as the earmarked 97 electrification projects got
51% of the delivery count. The challenge of providing potable water was next at
15% with 28 mini water projects. Free and compulsory education was later to be declared
by the state administration in that same year but while the policy was in the works
government delivered 22 school building projects, some 12% of the entire count for
that year, tallying same number and percentage for civic buildings which basically
were community centres, libraries, police hostels, market stalls, skills acquisition
centres, motor parks, and restaurants.
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In 2008, Uyo the capital city had 28 projects, some 15% of delivery that year, with
2 school buildings, 20 electrification, 2 mini water, and 4 civic building projects.
The historic town of Ikot Ekpene was next with 14 projects or 7% of the overall
delivery. All the local government areas had projects delivered and commissioned
in 2008 except Udong Uko, but available records for 2009 and 2010 show they had
significant deliveries for those subsequent years.
With the 2008 inter-ministerial projects delivery, rural communities had the opportunity
to see government work for them, they had the privilege of having agents of government
interface with them for the development of their communities, they had resources
pumped into their communities, and they saw first-hand the execution and commissioning
of these projects. Above all, these projects are gracefully enjoyed by them and
their lives had never been the same again since 2008 as government took a critical
direction in placing Akwa Ibom local communities as strategic development portals.
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