Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel has frowned at the destruction of the multi-million-dollar coconut plantation in the Eastern Obolo Local Government by suspected youths of the area.
The governor revealed this on Tuesday, while inaugurating the 16.71Km Abak Ifia-Ikpe Mbak Eyop Ikot Abia Osom- Nko Road with 2.1km outfall drains in Ikot Ekpene and Obot Akara Local Government Areas, at Ikpe Mbak Eyop in Obot Akara.
The governor said the plantation has provided jobs for many people of the area and beyond, noting that it was established to provide the raw material for the coconut oil refinery sited in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
He lamented that the destructive act by youths at the plantation has cut-off employment opportunities and other economic benefits from the people.
The governor who also stressed that the act also truncated negotiations made by investors to invest in the project, called on youth leaders in the state to devise legitimate means of checkmating such an act.
Condemning acts of vandalism, he called on youths to take ownership of government projects cited in their communities as the destruction of such projects remains the bane of socio-economic development in Africa.
Commissioning the road, the governor noted that the new road project linking various communities in the two local government areas was a fulfillment of his promise to provide live touching projects that will transform the rural communities.
“I said in my second term that we will do a lot that will impact the economic lives of the people within the rural areas and this project is one of them.
“Let me thank the contractor that handled this project and like the Paramount Ruler said a lot of food and farm produce from this area will easily be transported to the urban market and it will improve the economic lives of the people.
“We woke up this morning and the entire Coconut Plantation we planted which was already fruiting was destroyed by the youths of Eastern Obolo, a multi-million dollar project all gone, and we have a refinery.
“I think this is condemnable. I don’t know who will support this, I don’t know who will not condemn this, but I think this is extremely unfair, I believe the youth leaders in the state will rise to condemn this in totality because you are cutting employment opportunities of people”, the governor said.
He thanked the youths of Obot Akara and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas for their cooperation with the contractors during the construction of the road and urged them to take ownership of every project sited in their communities, stressing that such remains the only means towards development.
Presenting an overview of the project, the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga described the road project as a hybrid road construction handled by Gracib Investment Limited and Flashpoint Technical Services Limited which consisted of two parts.
Ibanga further said that the road project of 16.71km is constructed with side drains and two outfall drains to meet international standards, adding that it has opened up the communities to urban cities for trade and commercial businesses.