Stakeholders in oil rich communities of Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State by have commended the NNPC/Seplat (JV) Host Community Development Trust in the council for responding to pressing community needs particularly in flood control, rural electrification and education.
Speaking with journalists at Upenekang on Saturday, the Village Council Chairman of Idung Abasi Okure, Chief Nathaniel Ukochio, commended the Trust’s leadership under Mr. Samuel Ekpenyong for initiating projects designed to improve the living conditions of residents across the oil-producing communities.
Ukochio said the Trust had demonstrated commitment to addressing some of the challenges confronting Ibeno communities, particularly the recurring flooding experienced in the coastal local government area.
He noted that the Trust’s Management Committee (MANCO), headed by Engr. James Utiaruk, was coordinating and supervising the implementation of the projects to ensure that the interventions produced tangible benefits for the host communities.
He identified the ongoing opening, clearing and dredging of waterways and drainage channels as one of the major components of the flood-control intervention.
According to him, the exercise covers vulnerable locations in Mkpanak, Upenekang, Iwuo-Okpom, Okoroutip, Iwochang and other communities across Ibeno.
“The decision by the Trust to commence flood-control measures before the situation becomes catastrophic demonstrates responsive leadership and foresight,” he said.
Ukochio, however, appealed to the Trust to extend the exercise to all the 27 villages in Ibeno, stressing that flooding remains a challenge affecting communities across the local government area.
A woman leader, Lady Ikwo Dan recalled the devastating impact of flooding on Iwuo-achang, saying floodwaters had repeatedly destroyed property and disrupted economic activities expressing appreciation to the Trust and its leadership for the interventions.
Also speaking, the Alternate Chairman of the Trust, Barr Diamond Akpanika, explained that flood control was only one component of the broader development programme being implemented by the NNPC/Seplat Energy JV Ibeno Host Community Development Trust.
Akpanika said the Trust had also embarked on rural electrification projects aimed at improving access to electricity, stimulating economic activities and enhancing the social wellbeing of residents.
The stakeholders also noted that the development challenges confronting Ibeno were too enormous for any single institution to tackle alone.
They thanked Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno for responding to the recent flood menace in Ibeno, and also called on the Federal Government, interventionist agencies, other settlors, development partners and non-governmental organisations to complement the efforts of the NNPC/Seplat JV Ibeno Host Community Development Trust in tackling development challenges in the area.
