by crossriverwatch admin
The people of Akam Community in Ikom Local government area of Cross River state, have commended the Federal Government for the construction of its long abandoned road.
The community made the commendation at the weekend following the award of contract for the construction of flood and erosion control by the Cross River Basin Development Authority which is acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Ovar Clement Ogar , the clan head of the community said Akam has over the years suffered untold hardship as a result of flood and erosion menace.
He said several farmlands and houses valued at millions of naira were washed away two years ago but on October 3, 2013, the Managing Director of Cross River Basin Development Authority, awarded contract for the construction of erosion control works for the community to Messrs Morethanks Resources Limited based in Abuja.
The Clan Head thanked the PDP led administration in the state, the Presidency, the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and member representing Ikom I State Constituency, Hon. Agbiji Mgbe Agbiji, for attracting the contract to their village.
He said “this year is a year of love, progress and development in the entire country. We are peace loving people especially with our neighbours. Before now, we never knew that Akam will be remembered by any government. But today, you can see our roads being tarred with erosion control.”
According to him, “the state Governor Senator Liyel Imoke, should be thanked so much for allowing the contract to be sited in our community. Now, that we are beginning to see development, we shall not hesitate to ask for a transformer in our community.”
He expressed joy that after the completion of the contract, the problem of erosion in Akam could have been over.
Ovar Ogar regretted that the flood and erosion problem had lived with the community over a period of years and expressed their gratefulness to God Almighty for keeping them alive to witness this tremendous transformation of their village.
He, however, called on the state government to also assist in the renovation of St. Patrick’s primary school whose roof was blown off recently by a windstorm and the grading of their farmland roads.
Also speaking, Hon. Peter Ejukwa Edim, one time Supervisory Councillor for Health in Ikom local government, described the transformation in his village as unprecedented in the history of the community.
He commended the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and member representing Ikom I state constituency, Hon. Agbiji M. Agbiji for always speaking for Akam community.
Hon Edim, used the opportunity to re-affirm their unalloyed support to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.
According to him, “Akam community has always supported PDP and will continue to remain resolute forever especially when it comes to elections.”
The Secretary Akam Traditional Rulers’ Council and a retired Superintendent of Police, Mr. Stephen O. Agbor,(KSM) said ‘I lack word to express the joy in the faces of my people on the transformation of our community and commended those behind it.
He called on the Federal government to establish a cocoa industry for the production of beverages in Akam because of the quality of cocoa it produces which is the best in the country.
By so doing, he said, the people of Akam and the entire Ikom local government would have been fully engaged in the mass production of cocoa. He expressed hope that now that the community has started to benefit from government development, the future of the youths in terms of employment will soon be over.
He said that aside, cocoa production, the people who are mainly agriculturists produces yam and plantain in large quantities which can be transformed into other beverages too.
According to him, “over 28,000 tonnes of cocoa are produced in the community annually and because of bad road, the cocoa are usually sold at give away prizes to the great disadvantage of the farmers.”
The youth leader, Mr. Arong E. Arong, expressed joy over the siting of the project in Akam Community.
He advised the people to be steadfast and not relent in supporting the PDP government at all at times.
Earlier, the women leader, Mrs. Achi Okey Edim, pledged her loyalty to the administration of Governor Liyel Imoke and the entire PDP in the country.
She said “that Akam women will continue to support all the policies and programs of PDP and commended the presidency for siting the project in the community.”
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