Samuel Okon
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has commended the Executive Chairman of Etinan Local Government Area, Hon. Uko Umoh, for what it described as prudent management of public funds and the execution of impactful projects across the council.
The commendation came on Monday during the committee’s oversight visit to Etinan Local Government as part of an ongoing statewide inspection of projects executed by the 31 local government councils in Akwa Ibom State.
Welcoming the lawmakers, Hon. Uko Umoh described the visit as a privilege and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring the lost glory of Etinan through people-oriented programmes and infrastructural development.
He said his administration, which assumed office in October 2024, had remained focused on improving the welfare of residents and changing the development narrative of the local government.
According to the council chairman, several projects have been completed within the last 21 months, including the renovation of the Primary Health Centre at Ndon Utim, rehabilitation of five moribund water projects, restoration of electricity in five communities through the provision of transformers and replacement of damaged electric poles, as well as the grading of more than 140 kilometres of rural roads using the council’s grading machine.
In the education sector, he disclosed that the council purchased Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination forms for students, distributed learning materials to 41 public primary schools under the Etinan Local Education Authority, provided school uniforms for pupils of Government Model School, Ikot Isong, and had reached the final stage of processing bursaries for students in tertiary institutions.
Hon. Umoh also highlighted the renovation of the Etinan Township Stadium and the ongoing rehabilitation of buildings within the council secretariat, including the construction of a modern chairman’s office and a place of worship.
He noted that the council had strengthened local governance by providing official vehicles for the Leader of the Legislative Council and the Secretary to the Council.
The chairman further informed the committee that the council had established a model farm cultivating tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, pepper and pumpkin on more than three hectares of land to boost agriculture and food production.
He identified the ultra-modern bus terminal, commissioned in May 2026, as the administration’s flagship legacy project, stating that it had created employment opportunities, improved traffic management and increased internally generated revenue for the council.
According to him, the commissioning of the terminal was accompanied by a multi-million-naira empowerment programme that provided financial grants to widows and entrepreneurs, as well as bicycles for town criers across the 64 villages in the local government area.
Hon. Umoh also revealed that his administration inherited a debt of ₦50 million owed to First City Monument Bank but had reduced the liability to only ₦2 million.
He attributed the achievements of the council to the support of the Akwa Ibom State Government under Umo Eno and the cooperation of the vice chairman, councillors, council staff and other stakeholders.
Responding, the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Rt. Hon. Mfon Idung, applauded Hon. Umoh for embarking on projects that have transformed the council and positioned Etinan among the leading local government areas in the state.
He specifically commended the chairman for the judicious utilisation of public funds and urged him to sustain collaboration with council staff, councillors and supervisors to ensure the continued delivery of projects that address the needs and aspirations of the people.
The committee is currently undertaking an assessment tour of all 31 local government councils following a directive by the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, to evaluate projects executed by local government chairmen across the state.
