Nsima Ekere Gives us road after 500 Years – Community Leaders

By Saviour Ekpe

There are wild and unending celebrations in a suburb community within the limit of Uyo Capital City Development Authority, thickly populated with propensity of becoming a mega community in the nearest future. Known as Mbiabong Itam in Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom State, which has existed centuries ago without any government presence whatsoever.

            According to the village head of Mbiabong Itam, Eteidung Edet Asuquo Inyang who expressed joy over the road constructed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) saying that he is happy that the road has been constructed in his life time, “the road has been like that for the past 500 years. I was born to see that bad road, my great grandfather and indeed, father were all born to see the road in that bad condition. It was Nsima Ekere that remembered us in this part of the world. I am very happy that that road was repaired in my life time during my reign as village head. The road links Afaha Itam two, Afaha Mbiabong, and Ibiaku Ikot Obong all in ward three. He is a talking, walking person and to say that we are happy with him is an understatement”.

            Also speaking to Century Newsfront, the youth President of the area, Obong Christian Edem Edet was full of praises over what he termed as the good work of a good man. Obong Edet who was surrounded with a crowd of his commanders in the community said that what the NDDC boss has done in their community will not be forgotten in a haste as they are appreciative of the gesture of Obong Nsima Ekere, “We are so pleased because Obong Nsima Ekere has fulfilled the promise he made to our community some time ago when he came for a burial ceremony of one our late patriarchs some time ago. I am standing here as youth President of Mbiabong Itam village to thank him on behalf of all youths, elders, women, children indigenes and strangers alike of this community and that God will bless all his endeavours. I want to use this medium to plead with him that he should revisit the road again that he ensures that the road is linked to other places for easy movement of goods, products and services and for rendering of effective services to the good of the people. The whole of this community have vowed to vote for Nsima Ekere. He is over-qualified to govern us for removing this age long shame and reproach, which we all born to see”.

            Also eulogizing the NDDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Obong Nsima Ekere, Mr. Utibe Udo Ebong said that the gesture of Nsima has brought a great relief to them and create economic turnaround to the fortune of the community, “our parents had died, suffered and left this road; no development that came to our community for many years. We prayed and wished that things change in this community. At the end of the year like this, we used to call everybody that lives here for work that is to manually repair the road so as to make it a bid smooth for motorists to ply. Surprisingly for us, during the burial of S. W. Akpan, Nsima Ekere came and when he saw the deplorable nature of the road, he promised that this road will be fixed today, it is history. We were again surprised that the first thing he did was to construct bus stop by the Itu/Calabar Highway for us to shed our people from reign and sun scourge while waiting for bus to convey our them to market and other places”.

Mr. Ebong noted with delight the extent of development the road construction has brought to the area, which according to him, more good things are coming their way, “It is a good thing that has happened to us, we are happy and glad with Nsima Ekere for doing this for us. He has made development to enter Mbiabong, for instance, as you came here you drove your car to this place whereas it would not have been easy before now. This effort alone has made people to begin to come to our market from other communities to buy and sell, which was not possible before now. We are also aware that he is vying for the office of governor, we are in total support because we know that when he finally emerge, we will benefit from his government. But we are still requesting for more help like linking the road to other communities, giving us portable source of drinking water etc”.

Others who spoke to glowingly to Century Newsfront among others were Imo Etim Emma, Asuquo Edet Asuquo, Prince Ime Okon Obot, Ekemini Ndarake Etim.