C'River: Philanthropist Blasts Federal Lawmaker Over Road Project Claim, Threatens Legal Action
By Ekanem Asuquo
A philanthropist and legal luminary from Obubra ,Cross River Central,Barrister Dr. John Ebokpo, has blasted a federal lawmaker, Hon. Mike Etaba, over what he described as false and defamatory claims surrounding the ownership of the Ogerege Road project in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
In a press statement made available to journalists, Ebokpo stated that the road project was a personal intervention financed entirely from his private resources and aimed at easing long standing transportation challenges faced by residents of the community.
“The Ogerege Road project is my personal intervention and has been fully funded by me out of my private resources to improve the welfare of the people,” Ebokpo said.
According to the statement, Hon. Etaba, the member representing Obubra Etung Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, allegedly claimed during a leadership meeting held on December 27, 2025, that the road project was a constituency initiative awarded through his office to Ebokpo. The lawmaker was also accused of alleging that Ebokpo had previously sought contracts from his office and was executing the project under false pretence.
Reacting to the claims, Ebokpo dismissed them as malicious, unfounded, and defamatory.
“At no time have I discussed, requested, or received any constituency project, contract, funding, or directive from Hon. Mike Etaba,” he said. “These allegations are completely false and designed to mislead the public.”
He maintained that the Ogerege Road intervention was purely philanthropic and not connected to any government agency or political office.
“No authorization or financial support was received from Hon. Etaba or from any arm of government. This project is strictly a humanitarian effort driven by my concern for the people,” Ebokpo added.
The legal luminary challenged the federal lawmaker to provide verifiable evidence or credible witnesses to substantiate the allegations. He also issued a three day ultimatum demanding a full and unreserved public apology, a complete retraction of the statements, and publication of the apology with equal prominence as the original claims.
“If these allegations cannot be substantiated, I demand an immediate and unconditional public apology and retraction,” Ebokpo stated.
He emphasized that his community development efforts were not politically motivated, describing them as acts of service aimed at improving living conditions in the area.
“My commitment to community development has nothing to do with politics. It is simply about giving back to society,” he said.
Ebokpo warned that failure by Hon. Etaba to comply with the demands by January 3, 2026, would leave him with no alternative but to seek redress through all available legal means.
As of the time of filing this report, Hon. Mike Etaba had yet to issue any public response to the allegations. Attempts to reach the House of Representatives member for Obubra and Etung for his reaction were unsuccessful as his phone line was persistently unreachable.
