The village head of Mbiabong Ikot Antem, Eteidung Essien Solomon Essien.
By Uwana Edighienyong, Uyo.
After several years of outcry for accessible roads to link Mbiabong Ikot Antem, one of the host communities of the Shelter Afrique, an Ivy league government estate in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, respite has come.
Between July and October last year, one part of the community was flooded, another part where a new road was constructed was not motorable.
The state of Mbiabong Ikot Antem road as of June 17, 2021. Credit : Abasifreke Effiong.
Government security could not access the community, creating opportunity for crime to fester, a member of the village council said last year.
This prompted the community to send numerous SOS to the state government.
The Dune can recall that the community had threatened to block Oron road, the highway leading to the Victor Attah International Airport to protest long neglect and abandonment of road projects in the community.
State of the ongoing road project constructed in Mbiabong Ikot Antem, Uyo Local Government Area. Credit : Unwana Edighienyong
The deplorable state of roads in Mbiabong Ikot Antem and the entire Mbiabong Etoi clan remained a concern to residents and businesses operating in the area.
Last week during an independent tour of project sites in the community, The Dune observed that road project in the community awarded by the state government has reached advanced stages of completion.
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The contractor has taken full advantage of the dry season to make the roads motorable, saving the numerous micro and small-scale businesses in the community from folding up due to poor patronage caused by bad road.
The village head of Mbiaobong Ikot Antem, Eteidung Essien Solomon Essien, thanked the state government for intervening in the deplorable state of the roads in the community, saying that their joy will be full when the project is fully completed.
Eteidung Essien appealed to the state government to undertake the construction of other adjoining roads to the village, from Oron road by Shelter, Oron road by Baremans, and Oron road by Trugas station, to build a formidable road network.
“I told the government that four roads are linking the people of Mbiaobong to the airport road/Ifa Ikot Okpon/Mbak Etoi which are, Mission road,Obong Okon Essien road and two other roads.
“The case of the Mission road, according to sources, was awarded but cannot be carried out due to the death of the person that the contract was awarded to. The community appreciates the effort of government and also hopes that they will intervene in the construction of mission road and other road to aid access to the community”.
The village head called on the Ministry of Works and Fire Service to provide compact supervision of the project to ensure that the job is completed on time and with good quality.
Eteidung Essien appealed to the contractor handling the road to water the stone-base poured on the road to minimize dust and reduce possible health hazard the pollution of the air by the stone dust could cause.
A resident of the community and business woman who spoke with our correpondent Mrs. Mary Smith, thanked the state government for fixing the road, recalling that many businesses record very low sales last rainy season due to the bad state of the road.
Edighienyong is an intern with The Dune.
