OPINION: THE THREE YEAR BLUEPRINT OF TRUE REPRESENTATION IN ABI/YAKURR FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF CROSS RIVER STATE.
By Uduak Iniodu
There is a timeless socio-political axiom preserved in the ancient book of wisdom (Proverbs 29:2) which states that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked rule, the people groan. While this scripture was birthed out of generations of observing monarchical successes and failures in the ancient times, its principles have remained a vivid litmus test for modern democratic governance. In the contemporary Nigerian legislative landscape, particularly within the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State, this scriptural truth has found a practical expression.
As Hon. Alex Egbona marks the critical three year milestone of his current tenure in the National Assembly, the transition from civic groaning to community rejoicing has provided a masterclass in purposeful leadership. For the people of Abi and Yakurr Local Government Areas, this milestone is not merely a celebration of time spent in the hallowed chambers but a validation of the solemn campaign manifesto and the actualization of his defining leadership mantra that his people will never walk alone.
In a modern democracy, righteousness in leadership is not defined by personal piety alone but by the alignment of a leader with equity, transparency, accessibility and human welfare. Before Egbona got the mandate, first in 2019 and later in 2023, many rural Communities across the Constituency groaned under the weight of detached representation where politicians only appeared during election seasons. Dr. Egbona broke this cycle by treating his election as a covenant. By anchoring his legislative blueprint on his campaign document My Pledge, he translated political promises into measurable human indices. In his three years of the second term in office, Egbona has consistently demonstrated that the ultimate purpose of political influence is the elevation of the common citizen to ensure that the vulnerable are insulated from economic and infrastructural hardship.
According to him, a Constituency cannot rejoice in empty rhetoric nor can it applaud in darkness. To replace the groans of infrastructural neglect with the songs of development, Hon. Egbona strategically deployed his legislative network to attract high impact federal projects directly to the grassroots.
His footprints are visible in virtually every ward of Abi and Yakurr Local Government Areas. His interventions in the last three years cut across healthcare, education, agriculture, social services, water supply, rural electrification and employment generation.
In the healthcare sector, fourteen Primary Healthcare Centres located in Ebom, Usumutong, Adadama, Afafanyi, Anong Ekureku, Ngarabe Ekureku, Agbara Ekureku, Ntan Ekori, Nkpolo Nko, Mkpani, Usere Ugep, Assiga and Imabana were equipped with mini grid solar inverter systems while health facilities in Agbara, Afrekpe Ekori, Ngarabe, Itigidi and Imabana benefited from renovation works. Medical consumables were supplied to health centres across the Constituency while solar street lights have been provided in all Primary Healthcare Centres. Healthcare workers were trained in maternal and child healthcare. In addition, over 750 Constituents were enrolled into the National Health Insurance Scheme, a new staff quarters was constructed at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Ngarabe and a comprehensive medical outreach was conducted across Abi and Yakurr Local Government Areas. Solar-powered boreholes were also provided to support healthcare delivery, while numerous Constituents received medical assistance and referrals for specialized treatments.
Education has equally enjoyed deliberate attention from the representation of Egbona.
New six-classroom blocks were constructed in Ediba Anong Ward, Agbara Ekureku II, Mboti Imabana 1 and Ikpalegwa while existing school facilities such as Primary School Lehangha received major renovation. Six classrooms at St. Ben's Primary School, Agbara Ekureku II was re-roofed and renovated while classroom blocks at St. Vincent Primary School, Anong Ekureku, received new roofing. Educational materials, desks and tables were distributed to selected schools, school fees were paid for indigent students and laptop computers donated to support teaching and learning in selected institutions.
Recognizing agriculture as the economic backbone of many households, the federal lawmaker extended support to farmers through the distribution of pumping machines, fertilizers, sprayers and grinding machines. He further organized capacity building programmes in poultry, piggery and fish farming, empowered beneficiaries with practical skills to improve productivity and create sustainable sources of income.
Access to potable water and rural infrastructure also received priority attention. Solar powered boreholes with reticulation systems were constructed in Mkpani, Nko, Agbara, Ekureku-Be, Anong Letafor, Anong Ezeke, Ijiman, Ajere, Agbara Farm Road and Eminekpon while existing boreholes in Usumutong, Egboronyi, Agbara and Ngarabe were rehabilitated. Transformers were provided to Eminekpon and Agbara Communities while solar powered street lights have become a common feature across the wards of the Federal Constituency, improving security, enhancing social life and stimulating local economic activities. The construction of an ultra modern Civic Centre in Akarefor Ekureku became the game changer to further underscores his commitment to community development and social cohesion.
The human interest angle of this impact is felt during regular Constituency Town Hall meetings where the grassroots gather to interface with leadership. For years, many young people drifted without opportunities while rural communities struggled with inadequate infrastructure and limited access to essential services. Today, over fifty Constituents have secured federal employment opportunities through his interventions, while hundreds of others have benefited from empowerment programmes involving motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, generators, refrigerators and startup support. Relief materials and food items have also been distributed to vulnerable families and displaced persons affected by communal crises and economic hardship. What was once a cry of neglect has steadily transformed into a celebration of inclusion and progress.
What makes the three year mark of this tenure distinctly significant is the accessibility of the results. Dr. Egbona has proven that he is less concerned with the loud theatrics of politics and more committed to the mathematics of delivery. By running functional liaison offices right at home, he has ensured that the average farmer from Abi or market woman from Yakurr has direct access to the ears of the government. When the vulnerable know they have a defender at the federal level, fear gives way to confidence. This is the exact cultural transformation written centuries ago in the Book of Proverbs: a secure, empowered and healthy Constituency is a rejoicing Constituency.
Interestingly, the verdict on stewardship of Hon. Egbona is no longer confined to official scorecards or political commentary. Across the streets, markets and Communities of Abi and Yakurr, a common refrain has emerged: that the Federal Lawmaker should be returned to the House of Representatives in 2027 to complete the lofty and life touching projects already initiated across the Constituency. Many residents point to the fact that several ongoing projects have progressed steadily despite the challenge of delayed releases of funds to contractors by the Federal Government. For them, continuity has become a development imperative rather than a political slogan.
Professor Joseph Asor of the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Calabar and former Councillor in the Yakurr Legislative Council, Hon. Imelda Bassey believes that returning Egbona to the National Assembly in 2027 has become a community project that transcends Political Party lines. According to them, the Constituency has witnessed a level of grassroots focused representation that should be consolidated rather than interrupted. Similar sentiments are shared by Mr. Joseph Ohom and Mr. Esangha Ofem who contend that the accomplishments within seven years has surpassed what many others collectively delivered over the course of two decades of representation.
Victor Arigoh and Victor Emori also maintain that one of the defining strengths of the stewardship has been the equitable spread of infrastructure projects, empowerment programmes and social interventions across all the Wards of the Federal Constituency. In their view, re-electing him would not merely be a reward for performance but an encouragement for even greater service to the people.
As the National Assembly journey progresses, the three year scorecard of Rt. Hon. Alex Egbona stands as a testament that when a leader honours his pledge, the people will always respond with praise. For Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency, the fresh air of true representation is here. The evidence is visible in every ward, every Community, every solar light, every healthcare facility, every classroom block, every borehole, every empowerment programme and every life touched by purposeful governance. They are walking hand in hand with a Leader who ensures they will never walk alone.
Iniodu is a Random Writer and Leaves in Abuja
