Akwa Ibom lawmaker seeks provision of roads in farming communities to boost food production

Moses Essien, an Akwa Ibom State lawmaker, has called for the need to construct roads in farming communities to aid the evacuation of foodstuff, saying that it will boost food production as farmers would readily have access to markets in urban centres.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, a predominantly agrarian community in the state, said that farmers in his constituency lack access roads to bring their farm produce to the market in the urban areas of the state.

Speaking during an interaction with reporters in Uyo, Essien, a former member of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently, lamented the absence of access roads for farmers in the area.

“I am requesting for the provision of access roads to the farming communities in my constituency. We have fertile land and we need to have access roads to bring our farming produce to the market in the urban areas,’’ he said.

Essien who said he has disbursed N10 million as business development grant for youth, women and elders in the constituency, said that traditional rulers were not left out in his business development programme.

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According to him, Ibiono Ibom is rich in mineral resources including marble which, he said could be used to produce toilet wares, breakable plates saying the resources should be developed to create wealth for the people.

Essien, who is the chairman, House Committee on Health, expressed delight over the inauguration of the state Health Insurance Board, explaining that he would be happy to see the full implementation of the health insurance scheme in the state.

He said that the health committee of the state assembly would soon undertake a tour of secondary health facilities and health centres across the state to find solutions to their challenges including the alleged poor attitude to work by the health workers including medical doctors.

On the outbreak of cholera in the country, he said that the assembly would continue its advocacy for good personal hygiene while working with the state Ministry of Health by supporting advocacy and all the policies of the state government to ward off the disease in the state.

Essien lamented the economic hazard of some corked oil wells in his constituency, which he said had overflowed, leaving a tale of devastation in the community.

“The oil should now be in commercial quantities for exploitation, we will visit the site to ascertain their viability soon,’’ he said.

He said his decision to defect from the YPP to PDP was the decision of his constituents, adding that it was not a personal decision as he was asked by his people to move to the PDP after other bigwigs of the YPP had earlier done so.