Ekon: An Asset To Akwa Ibom And Proud Product of PDP
By Victor Essang
‘‘You are an asset and a proud product of our great party,’’ the State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Harrison Ekpo told Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekon, before presenting the award of excellence conferred on the lawmaker by the Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC),publisher of The Pioneer Newspaper at its 30th anniversary celebration recently.
Few days after PDP poured encomium on the lawmaker, a Federal Government organisation that has felt the impact of Ekon’s oversight functions and collaborative efforts sent a heartwarming testimony that reinforced the emphatic commendation of the party.
The executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote stated the obvious in his message of congratulations to the lawmaker in which he described the award as well-deserved.
‘‘We are pleased that you are recognized for your outstanding achievements and rising profile in the Oil and Gas industry, commitment to human capacity development especially for young people, and revamping local content development to the benefit of Nigerians.
‘‘We have no doubt that the joint work of our institutions would help to further advance the implementation of Nigeria content in the oil and gas industry, as we all strive to make Nigerian content the instrument for industrialization of Nigeria.
‘‘I wish to assure you of my personal commitment and that of the organization, to work with you in achieving the socio-economic aspirations of the Federal Government,’’ the Board stated in the message.
Specifically, Ekon was honoured by The Pioneer Newspaper for teaching over 400 youths of Akwa Ibom how to fish through the sponsorship of skill acquisition in the oil and gas industry, which is just an aspect of his commitment to his constituents.
The skill acquisition training is in line with the shared view of economists and development experts that a country that wants to achieve meaningful sustainable economic growth must begin to aggressively develop its human capital.
Expectedly, the objectives of the training are being achieved on a daily basis as a large percentage of the graduates have been employed in oil and gas industries.
An analysis of Ekon’s representation reveals that he has gone beyond the primary function of a legislator, which is to make laws. Nobody needed to be told that in Nigeria, lawmakers go beyond the confines of their legislative engagements to attend to the needs of their constituency and constituents. This means that there must a delicate balance between legislative engagements and constituency expectations.
On the floor of the Green Chamber, Ekon participates actively in debates and his contributions are always well received. In his first term, he was a member of the committees on Petroleum (Downstream), Army, Aviation, Navy, Solid Minerals, Niger Delta, Local Contents, Loans and Debt.
He registered his presence in the House by sponsoring a motion on covering of open drainages and culverts throughout the country; led the debate on the need to provide biometric capture machines in all the airports in Nigeria as well as unilateral and arbitrary imposition of parking fees on parts of Abuja Municipal Council Area by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Similarly, he also contributed at plenary on the need to unbundle the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL). His contribution shaped the debate on a bill for an Act to Regulate the Naming of Public Infrastructure owned by the Federal Government after an Individual; to provide for the condition and procedure for the naming and to provide for matter related thereto sponsored by Hon. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.
When foreign airlines in Nigeria were charging arbitrary air fares, Ekon rose to the occasion by drawing the attention of the House of Representatives to the issue. He is currently working on how to diversify the Local Content Law.
‘‘What we have now basically deals with oil and gas, but we have made substantive gains when it comes to oil and gas operations in Nigeria. So, I am looking at duplicating and spreading it to other sectors of the economy. Nigeria and Nigerians will benefit immensely, because before now in the oil and gas industry, we did not have Nigerians as players.
‘‘Expatriates did little contracts like supply of table water to offshore employees and people working onshore.
‘‘ These jobs were outsourced to foreign contractors and the skills were not even there in the industry. So, when the Local Content Law came into effect in 2010, it was made compulsory that for you to sign a contract within the oil and gas industry, Nigerian companies should have a first right of refusal. Because of that, Nigerian companies where forced to build capacity. They have gone to the banks and obtained finances, acquired asset and today, Nigerian companies are doing very well in our oil and gas industry.
‘‘Today, if you go to the marine sector of the oil and gas industry, it is dominated by Nigerians. These are things that were not there prior to the passage of the Local Content Bill.
‘‘So, the Local Content Law has brought about capacity building, asset ownership, and skill development in our oil and gas industry.
‘‘Now, I sat back and said to myself, since I can make this kind of gain within seven years of this law, if we can amend the law to accommodate other key sectors like power, construction and aviation and we make half of the gain we have made in the oil and gas industry, I think our youths will be gainfully employed. That is my bill and pet project. It is a big bill, which has taken much of my time,’’ the lawmaker said.
In 2014, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, represented President Goodluck Jonathan in commissioning projects executed by Ekon in the Federal Constituency. He could not go to all the locations in the three local government areas that make up the federal constituency, because of the high number of projects.
Some of the projects commissioned were electricity at Utu Ikot Eboro, Etim Ekpo; Ikot Ukpong, Afaha Obong Clan, Abak; town hall, Utu Ikot Eboro; classroom block, Primary School, Ikot Udobong; water facilities, Nto Mbadum and Ikot Akpan Anwa, both in Ika Local Government Area; construction of Primary Health Centre , Edem Akai; solar street light at Nkpoho Eto Market. He also brought a transformer to Eka Uruk Eshiet village.
‘‘From 2011 to 2015, which was my first time in the National Assembly, I have brought more than 21 projects to federal constituency. I went beyond the bounds of my federal constituency.
‘‘For instance, I donated a transformer to some friends of mine in Oron Local Government Area, equipped an I ICT centres in Ukanafun Local Government Area; Itu Ikot Ekpenyong in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
‘‘More than that, I facilitated the donation of 110 laptop computers to the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana and the same number to the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).
‘‘I also facilitated the establishment of a sea diving facility at the Maritime Academy, Oron and that is a multi billion Naira project,’’ the lawmaker disclosed in a recent interview.
‘‘Recently, I bought JAMB forms for qualified candidates in my constituency. Some of them were not able to pay for the forms. So, what I did was that those that were not able to pay, I paid 100 per cent and a stipend for transportation.
‘‘Those whose parents had paid for the forms already, I refunded the money and also gave them stipend for registration and other things.
‘‘I am building a youth empowerment centre in my constituency headquarters, Abak. Since I came in office, I have been paying rent on my constituency office.
‘‘The long and short of it is that I am currently building a youth empowerment centre that will also have a constituency office and a training facility. I am looking at putting an ICT centre, with a hall for meeting, which could be rented out. It is a massive project, which I am also considering a recreational wing as part of facilities in the centre,’’ the lawmaker said in an interview.
It is not in doubt that the lawmaker would not have performed creditably to the admiration of PDP in the State if he were not a ranking member.
Acknowledging the importance of a ranking member in the National Assembly at the constituency briefing of Senator Bassey Albert, who represents Uyo Senatorial District last weej said, “as a state, I am speaking sincerely and honestly, we must stand as a state and determine how many of the good representations we have that we must send back to the Senate and House of Representatives,’’
“Henceforth, we shall not withdraw our performing NASS members. When someone does well, we’ll send him back. We’ll look at the performance of our NASS members, those who did well shall return.
“Some States have same people in NASS, since 1999, 2003 and so on. When you are in NASS as first-timer, you cannot be chairman of a committee that can be profitable to your State in terms of empowerment and development. But if you are a second-timer, you can access such opportunity. It’s time we start thinking in that direction,” Governor Emmanuel said.
On his part, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said we can’t change the winning team.
Similarly, the state chairman of PDP, Obong Paul Ekpo has endorsed the re-election of performing lawmakers.
He spoke at recently at Uquo in Esit-Eket, during the constituency briefing and empowerment ceremony of the member representing Esit-Eket/Ibeno State constituency, Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh.
“For us as a party, when we see a superlative performances by our representatives starting from the National Assembly to the State Assembly, it gladdens my heart, because they are helping the party. By doing so, the work load of the party(PDP) has been reduced.
“If you have someone who is already in the House of Assembly or National Assembly and he is doing well, will you keep the person outside?
