Abuja (Precise Post) – Federal lawmaker representing Oron federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Nse Ekpenyong may soon loose his seat as his constituents have resolved to start his recall process over what they described as poor performance.
The constituents under the aegis of Coalition for Development (C4D), said Hon. Ekpenyong is unable to engage authorities to stall the planned relocation of Ibaka Deep Seaport by the Akwa Ibom state government.
The Ibaka Deep Seaport was conceived by the Victor Attah administration but was ignored during the eight years of Godswill Akpabio as governor. Governor Udom Emmanuel however made it a campaign issue.
But Governor Emmanuel moved the port to somewhere in Ibeno LGA where he is allegedly making plans to build a dugout port.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo Sunday, the Lead Advocate of Coalition for Development (C4D), Alexander Asuquo, lamented that Oron nation was being strangled by the silence of their representative.
He said: “Ibaka Deep Seaport and Maritime University are the most important issues on the mind of an average Oron person at the moment.
“As important as these issues are, the member representing Oron federal constituency has maintained a conspiratorial silence over them and the silence is killing us.
“Oro people have elected to take the bull by the horns by petitioning relevant authorities to prevent the politically motivated, environmentally destructive and scientifically manipulated relocation of the seaport.
“The executive at the federal level has purportedly approved the relocation of Ibaka Deep Seaport to Ibeno.
“Other arms of the federal government, such as the legislature and judiciary still have constitutional powers to question the relocation and the purported approval.
“The National Assembly has the power under the constitution to halt the relocation.
“All it takes for the issue to be brought to the attention of the National Assembly is a motion backed by empirically verifiable scientific, engineering and historical data. Motions do not move themselves. Someone has to move it. This is why he must speak for us or return home,” Mr Asuquo affirmed.
He insisted that Oron was “an environmentally raped community, a politically subjugated ethnic nationality, and economically challenged people,” who cannot afford to have a ‘silent’ lawmaker trading with their destinies.
“The quietness and ineffectiveness of Nse Ekpenyong have huge consequences and we cannot ignore it anymore. We must correct our collective mistake through a Recall.”
Barr Asuquo stated that “Nse Ekpenyong was not only uniformed and unaware of governance and the essence of representative democracy, but that he was also insensitive to the effects of his deficiency.”
However, reacting the Personal Assistant to the Reps member, Mr Collins Jackson opposed the recall agitation, saying his boss is a “silent achiever.”
He listed Ekpenyong’s achievements in six years to include renovation of three classroom blocks, construction of two boreholes, provision of two street lights, construction of 2km of road, construction of one school block and construction of one community hall.
