It was a big relief and joy unspeakable for the people of Ikot UdoAsan Ibahasi in Ini local government area of Akwa Ibom State to see a primary school sited in the area, twenty nine years after its creation.
INI local government was carved out from Ikono local government in 1991, since then pupils in Ini walk over five kilometre distance to access primary education in the nearest local government which is Ikono.
Worried by the level of stress these children were meant to undergo with its attendant risk, the local government Chairman, Israel Idaisin said he decided to build a primary school for his people to ameliorate their sufferings.
Idaisin, told journalists who visited the area for on the spot inspection of projects over the weekend that he was compelled to build the primary school due to hardship and stress pupils in his community face while trekking to schools in neighboring local government.
He said he uses his personal funds to run the school and pay the salaries of teachers and staff since primary school education is free and compulsory.
According to him, “I was worried that my community had no primary school, therefore i decided to build one ,I pay the salaries of the teachers and staff from my pocket. Team from the ministry of education had visited the school and had given us approval.
He however expressed optimism that the state government would assist with road construction in order to lessen the suffering of pupils and teachers.
Idaisin also disclosed that over 700 students who are of Ini Origin have been paid their bursary for the 2020 academic year.
He further disclosed his efforts in restoring peace and normalcy in Ini troubled market which happened to be the oldest market in the local government.
He narrated that in one of the turbulent times in the market, a trader was shot dead at a close range by a bandit because he refused to surrender his money to them.
Idaisin said when he assumed office as the local government boss, he first of all engaged the services of the police to wade off those miscreants and thugs in order to restore sanity in the market, noting that, that has paid off as people from other communities and states have started coming back to ply their trade.
“The market is the oldest market in Ini LGA and it’s the major market of our people, but for a long time now, these miscreants and thugs have taken over the market. They pursue people and loot their shops and the market totally collapsed. There was nothing left again.”
It was my first call after assumption of office and I said this is all that we have, we cannot allow it to waste away. So, I now moved in, and since there was no money, I had to use my security votes.
“The police and other security agencies help by chasing away the boys and today there is normalcy. The Hausas, the Yorubas and the Igbos that used the market have all returned.” He said.
Idaisin who also won the best local government chairman award south south from the presidency disclosed that he has been able to construct an ultramodern motor park and purchased over fifty mini buses to give youths who would ply the area and make returns to the council adding that revenue made from the market and the motor park would boost the Internally Generated Revenue base of the council in near future.
