Crisis rocks Ring Road III project over appointment of CLO

BY Emmanuel Akpan

Serious crisis have rocked the on-going Ring Road 3 construction project over the selection of the Community
Liaison Officer (CLO).

In a protest letter to Governor Udom Emmanuel jointly signed by the village heads of Nung Oku Ibesikpo, Eteidung Clement Ekeng, Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan,
Eteidung O. B. Umoren and Afaha Etok Ibesikpo, Eteidung Hillary E. Asuquo (JP), and made available to LENS INK, the royal fathers in their claimed alleged
that the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang- eyen for single handedly appointing one Akan Okon Edem as the Community Liaison Officer for the project without their consent.

The same letter which was signed by presidents of the Joint Three Community Forum, pastor Anietie Okon Edem of Nnug Oku Ibesikpo, Mr. Dianabasi Sampson Eno of Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan and Mr. Otu Etetim Obot of Afaha Etok indicated that the Commissioner’s decision has brought a serious unrest into the community.

The letter reads in parts, “Sir, as the name implies, Community Liaison Officer is always appointed by the village, especially royal fathers in conjunction with the youths.

As a community we reject this appointment with entirety.”

According to the royal fathers, efforts to persuade the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen to withdraw Mr. Akan Okon Edem as the CLO for the project by QUMECS Construction Company, yielded no good result, stressing that they will resist any imposition of CLO for them.

The Joint Community Forum unanimously recommended a youth leader, Mr. Leo Bassey Udo as their
representative of the community in the community in the project as CLO.

They appealed to the Governor to wade
into the matter by directing the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen to accept Mr. Leo Bassey Udo as the people’s mandate.

They stated, “We request His Excellency to step into the matter and return our right to us in the interest of peace.

We are the peace loving community and we welcome development in our communities.”

The forum further thanked the Governor for the massive industrialization and infrastructural renaissance in the
State, promising to support the Governor to actualize his set targets for the people.

In a related development, the village head of Mbiabong Ikot Akpabio, Eteidung Sunday E. A. Offiong which the
project passes through his village, also recommended Mr. Leo Bassey Udo and Sunday Etim Okon as Community
Liaison Officer and Assistant respectively.

As at the time of filling this report, Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen was not on hand to make comment on the matter, but a close government official who do not want his name to be in print, debunked the allegation, advising that the Commissioner’s name should not be dragged into the community crisis.

He described the Commissioner for Works as a listening man who is always ready to attend to issue channelled to
his office.