Questions Trail Fate of 1,000 Empowerment Vehicles in Cross River South
By Ebi COLLINS
Questions are being raised over the whereabouts of more than 1,000 tricycles and mini buses reportedly distributed during a recent empowerment programme in Cross River South Senatorial District, with a concerned citizen calling for a thorough investigation into the beneficiary selection process.
The concerns were raised by a concerned citizen known as Orok Duke in a post on his verified Facebook page, recently, where he wondered why many of the vehicles have not been seen operating across the district weeks after they were distributed by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong to beneficiaries drawn from the seven local government areas of the senatorial district.
According to Duke, the empowerment programme attracted widespread commendation when it was held, with beneficiaries receiving tricycles, mini buses and cash gifts. However, he questioned why residents are not seeing a significant number of the branded vehicles on the roads despite the scale of the intervention.
"How many of those branded mini buses and keke have you seen across the senatorial district?" he asked, noting that he had personally seen only one of the distributed buses since the empowerment exercise took place.
The concerns have been further heightened by reports from some residents who claim to have seen some of the vehicles being moved out of the state. A transporter, Johnson Sunday, told THE BEAGLE NEWS that he recently sighted about four of the branded mini buses loaded on a truck along the Odukpani-Itu Federal Highway heading towards Akwa Ibom State.
"I saw about five of the branded mini buses on a truck heading towards Akwa Ibom. Given the recent empowerment programme, I became concerned that the vehicles could be heading for sale outside the state," Sunday said.
With each mini bus estimated to be worth about N4 million and each tricycle valued at approximately N3 million, the reported empowerment package represents a significant investment aimed at boosting livelihoods and supporting small-scale transportation businesses across the district. However, there is no independent evidence at this time linking the vehicles observed by the transporter to any alleged diversion or resale scheme.
While acknowledging that the senator carried out the distribution, Duke alleged that some grassroots political actors may have manipulated the beneficiary selection process by nominating individuals who were not the intended beneficiaries and later taking possession of the vehicles for resale.
He claimed that reports from communities suggested that some individuals may have acquired multiple vehicles and tricycles through the arrangement, thereby defeating the objective of the empowerment programme, which was designed to support livelihoods and create economic opportunities for constituents.
The social commentator recalled that the empowerment initiative had earlier generated public debate following claims that the distributed items originated from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and should have been spread across the state's three senatorial districts. He noted that the commission later issued a clarification on the matter and said he chose not to comment at the time because he did not have sufficient information.
Duke urged public office holders to strengthen verification mechanisms for empowerment programmes and ensure that beneficiaries are carefully screened to prevent abuse of such initiatives. He also called for an investigation into the allegations, saying the outcome could help improve transparency and public confidence in future empowerment interventions.
