NDDC’s Intervention: Akwa Ibomites celebrate clean roads, street lights

For many people living in different parts of Akwa Ibom State, good roads and street lights make a huge difference. While the roads pave the way, the street lights show the way.

The excitement of the beneficiaries of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC intervention cuts across the state as the infrastructure upgrade touches the lives of people living in Uyo, the state capital, as well as those in rural communities like Uquo community in Esit-Eket Local Government Area.

A visit to Nsentip, Udo, Atakpo, Ukana offot and Nkemba, Udo Eduok, H-Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, and some sections of failed internal roads in Federal Housing, Uyo, tells the story of a welcome intervention by the NDDC.

The roads which were in very bad shape a few months ago, are now repaired, restored and wearing a new look. Residents of the areas served by these roads are in jubilant mood and they tell anyone that cares to listen, that NDDC did a new thing in their lives.

Mrs. Imaobong Essien, a seamstress whose tailoring shop is located along Nkemba street, said, ‘’just like what is happening in other streets in Uyo, the NDDC has repaired our street without minding who lives here. We are very grateful.’’

She gave kudos to the Commission for carrying out extensive emergency road repairs in the area, saying the intervention has alleviated their sufferings.

Other inhabitants of the transformed areas, like Essien, were full of gratitude to the NDDC for executing projects that impact significantly on Uyo and other parts of the state.

From records made available by the Akwa Ibom State office of the NDDC, the Commission has completed 41 out of the 62 emergency repair works it embarked on, while 18 are on-going.

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Scores of residents who spoke with our correspondent commended the NDDC, saying the commission has fulfilled its core mandate for which it was established by the Federal Government 17 years ago.

Also a staff of the National Examination Council, NECO, who spoke in confidence, said before now, the Ukana Offot Street, off Abak road in Uyo city, was an eyesore not benefiting of an oil-rich state like Akwa Ibom.

According to him, Ukana Offot Street where the state office of NECO is located was terribly bad to the extent that it affected activities of the examination body especially during public examinations which required the movement of examination materials to various schools and centres in the state.

‘’We have endured the very poor state of the road for over four years. The road at some point became completely impassable. But today we can conveniently drive through the road and other adjoining streets. We want to use this opportunity to thank the NDDC for remembering our street’’.

Residents of Udo Street, considered the nerve-centre of the newspaper industry in Uyo, and known for its boisterous commercial activities, have also commended the NDDC for fixing bad portions of the street, saying they are now more comfortable transacting their businesses.

A resident of the area who identified himself simply as Ambrose said, ‘’the Udo street you are seeing today was completely abandoned. Residents always sought alternative route to get to their homes. ‘’The repairs on the road by the NDDC has helped us overcome the trauma to go through finding alternative road. We thank the NDDC for taking away our burden and helping us boost our businesses’’.

In the same vein,  Chief Ntekpere Akpanusoh, one of longest living residents of Nsentip street, said, ‘’It won’t be wrong if one says that the repairs of Nsentip Street deserves a testimony in the church. The road has been abandoned for so many years.

‘’The first day we saw caterpillars and tractors moving into the street for work to start, residents trouped out to the street in jubilation, all praise to the NDDC for coming to our rescue.
‘’The NDDC intervention has erased the memory of our suffering over the years. The Commission has done extremely excellent for us.’’
Also speaking to some inhabitants of Udo Eduok/Itiam Street in Uyo, a resident said that, ‘’before now the entire stretch of the road and adjoining streets used to be waterlogged and that made life extremely difficult for us.
‘’It was one of the worst roads within Uyo, the state capital. Residents around here had experienced untold hardship and difficult condition for many years as a result of the very bad road. If I should speak the mind of people around this area, I guess they would want to say thank you to NDDC. I want to use this opportunity to call on NDDC to do the good work they are doing as they are impacting directly on the people’’.
They expressed confidence that the contributions and commitment of the commission in the development of the state will continue to be appreciated by the people of the state.

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In Esit-Eket Local Government Area, the Uquo community is relishing the solar-powered street lights installed by the NDDC, which they said had changed the socio- economic lives of their people.

Before now, the only attraction in Uquo community is its serenity. Though there has always been social interaction in the community, life was very dull and unattractive. The approach of nightfall in the area was always accompanied with fear and insecurity, resulting in residents confining themselves to their houses.

This was the situation until the NDDC lightened up the communities with solar-powered street lights.

The solar projects awarded by the commission in July, 2017 have brought tremendous social and economic values to the lives of the citizenry.

The dreary and boring lifestyles of the communities have improved as market men and women could sell their wares into the night. Social functions and interactions have also come up even as the people have continued to express their excitement and joy as a result of projects by the Commission.
The elders and youths in Esit-Eket LGA are full of praises for the Federal Government for lightning up their communities with solar powered street lights through the NDDC.

A community leader in Uquo, Mr Simon Okon, said the NDDC needed to be applauded for keeping the hopes of the villagers alive with the provision of the street lights.
He said since the communities and the entire Esit-Eket LGA have been without light for upwards of six months, noting that the street lights have been the only source of social integration in the communities.

“Frankly speaking, we need to commend the NDDC for complementing the efforts of the Federal Government in ensuring that the dividends of democracy got to the rural communities through the provision of basic amenities,”

He took the state government to task on the provision of a power sub-station to bring to an end the perennial challenge of electricity supply faced by the communities.

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The clan of Ekid –Offiong Community, Obong Etuedu Ikot, also commended the NDDC for its complementing role in the provision of basic amenities in the communities. Chief Ikot said the commission has lived up to its expectation in the community and has to be commended.

“I think NDDC has done well in our community, especially the time our son was there as the managing director. We have not been having light for the past six months. The only thing that has brought social harmony and satisfaction to our community is the solar powered street lights that you see around us.

“This has helped in keeping down the rate of crime in the communities considerably and we are grateful about it”.

He urged the Commission to do more in the provision of access roads to link villages to ease commerce and transportation of goods and services.

Speaking in a similar vein, a youth who identified himself Etim lauded the NDDC for the provision of the street light projects. He said the solar powered street lights are the only projects that give the communities their significance and prestige in the scheme of things.

“The street light projects are the only ones we can boast of having in our community and when you come here, especially in the night these communities look like a big city, and we are happy and proud about that”

Etim called on the Commission to come to the aid of the communities in the construction of the road leading to the Atlantic Ocean, adding that “this is where the livelihood of the people depends.”

Amaka Agbu