Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel and the emeritus General Superintendent of Qua Iboe Church bickered over poor road at the funeral service of a member of the State Technical Committee on Implementation of the Ibom Deep Seaport, Surveyor Idongesit Udoffa.
At the funeral held at QIC Central Primary School, Ibesit Anwa Udo in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Rev. David Udoudom berated the slow pace in the construction of the the road, thus exposing its users to untold hardships.
Earlier, Rev. Udoudom who was the guest preacher had in his sermon told the congregants that Oruk Anam road was good and manageable by the people only for the State Government to have awarded a road contract and the job has not been delivered till date making it difficult for road users to drive the road.
The Ukanafun-Ikot Ibritam-Ibesit-Ikot Esenam-East West Road whose contract was awarded in 2015 has remained impassable except for some portions that have been macadamized.
Again, Ikot Ebak Road in Oruk Anam leading to the compound of Ime, wife of Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen who is the Chief of Staff to the Governor and the immediate past Commissioner for Works, is equally impassable and no contract has been awarded for its construction.
Angered by the delay in the completion of the road, Udoudom averred that when a leader is given a job to do, he should do it well and properly as it will account for either good or bad.
The terse sermon did not go down well with the Governor Emmanuel, who immediately mounted the podium and castigated the Clergyman for commenting on the road.
The governor cautioned against unverified and misinformed utterances on the current state of the roads under construction.
He sued for discretion among religious leaders in matters of governance, asking the Fathers of Faith to allow him do what he is supposed to and let people handling church leave governance for people in government.
“The public should be told the truth. We must put it straight, that the pulpit should not be used as a platform to mislead people with unverified information.”
Governor Emmanuel said the ongoing Ikot Ekaide-Ikot Okoro-Ikot Ibritam and other road projects in Oruk Anam were among the longest road projects being executed by the state government.
”We have four contractors working now in Oruk Anam, but in 2018 while the contractors were very serious with the work. Oruk Anam, my in-laws, were the first local government area to kidnap construction workers and even killed a soldier and that work was stalled for almost one year.
“We had to go look for new companies to take up the jobs and the whole documentation process for contract to be re-awarded,” he stated.
This, he explained, was why four major road contractors have been engaged to get the job done, and gave assurance that all works on the road will be completed before the end of 2022.
“I want to reassure Oruk Anam people that we have four major contractors working here and before the end of next year, we’ll complete all the roads. Let us just pray for good weather and we’ll get that done.”
“So let’s face fact and let’s do what we’re supposed to do. Let people handling church leave governance for people in government.
“The public should be told the truth. We must put it straight, that the pulpit should not be used as a platform to mislead people with unverified information,” Emmanuel noted.
The Governor who was still angry with the clergyman announced a donation, saying openly that the money was for the church and not for any individual (pastor).
