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Re: Attah’s white elephant projects
On November 26, 2004 on page C4 of Daily Independent, I read a letter to the editor
titled ‘Gov. Attah’s White Elephant Projects’ authored by one
Emmanuel Asuquo.
The author stated clearly his fears in projects he titled ‘white
elephant projects’. He mentioned these projects one by one and stated
that with just about two years to the end of Attah’s regime it may not be
possible for the Governor to finish those projects, and that these so called
laudable projects may end up like many others as abandoned projects mindless of
the huge investments government claims as expenditure on them.
As a concerned citizen of Akwa -Ibom State, I started
to ask some questions. I started thinking about the phenomenal decay in
infrastructure everywhere in Akwa-Ibom State despite the fact that the State
government receives from the Federal Account about N5b monthly, solid N5b
monthly. I concluded by laughing. I laughed because I know that Mr. Asuquo has
thrown a spanner, just one now into the wheel of Attah’s corrupt
government, and they will not like it. Come to Akwa-Ibom, you will be surprised
the way contractors hang about government corridors to squeeze out what is
supposed to be for all the Akwa-Ibomites into their selfish pockets. This Governor
encourages giving contracts to people as “settlement” when he knows
that projects cannot and will never be done talkless of completing them. In his
first term, this Governor awarded road contracts to people he knew have nothing
like shovel, wheel barrow, the least implements one can have for construction
work. To construct major roads in the State, contracts worth hundreds of
millions of naira were awarded.
When the citizens waited in vain to see their roads
repaired, this Governor came up with lame excuses that the reason for
non-performance was that contracts were given to local contractors, that
government will henceforth award contracts to capable hands, two years into his
second term. The story has not changed. The roads have so deteriorated and
nothing is working as relates to public infrastructure and this calls for
concern.
Now, on December 3, 2004 again, on page C4 of Daily
Independent, one
Engineer. Udo Akapbio reacted to Asuquo’s letter. I told you that Asuquo
has thrown a spanner into their works, like stirring the hornet’s nest.
The reaction of Akapabio’s came just the way it was expected and I
laughed again. Permit me please, that is my life. I always laugh at nonsense.
The position of this Akapabio man and the way he so laboured to position
Atta’s government is very unfortunate and it is a projection of the
construction in their heart and the sheer determination in their faces and in
their hearts to run Akwa-Ibom aground and into bankruptcy. Why must their
Akpabio choose to personalise an issue raised for the benefit of all
Akwa-Ibomites?” Another question is: why must one lie to paint a
non-performing, lame government as if it is good? It is known that Atta uses
the State controlled media to propagate lies and capitalise on it to perpetuate
his corrupt practices. If you achieve a level of propaganda in the media you
cannot also hoodwink the people from seeing. It is impossible. This Akpabio,who
most likely is one of the hangers on or jobless hands who frequent government
house and benefits from government contracts, let us ask him: where are the
three new World Standard General Hospitals he claims are cited in the three
Senatorial Zones? Yes, we know a structure is being built at Nwaniba Road. For
all the billions pumped into it, can that structure be said to be a 3-Star
talkless of a 5-Star in the category of Sheraton etcetera? We should be fair to
Akwa-Ibomites because God is watching us.
A Governor who will drop all of the State’s money at
a time into an investment that will immediately not yield dividends as he did
in the then ECONET and many others is not fit to be a Governor. He is lazy,
lacks ideas and bankrupt of initiatives. I support Asuquo’s position
that the ICPC and other relevant agencies could help in delivering Akwa-Ibom from
corrupt practices.
Tony Ekanem
25 Post Office Rd
Abak, Akwa Ibom State
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