IKOT EKPENE CONTROL POST ABANDONED BY AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS AT IKOT EKPENE CONTROL POST?

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

(Dr. Okure is an Ikot Ekpene Indigene based in the USA

and a Public Policy and Economic Development Consultant/Advisor)

Picture in article courtesy of Ubong F Essien

Dated August 2, 2016

It would have been better to do nothing rather than turn this historic CONTROL POST location (Site) into the SORRY STATE depicted in the pictures in this article. 

Ikot Ekpene Control Post Road Project Abandoned by AKS Government

Someone should tell/advice the AKS government that this is appalling and very unacceptable. Control Post is the very heart of Ikot Ekpene and a very historical spot where the British Colonial Government began the mapping of the town and administration of the province. This is the locus point of Ikot Ekpene village (Usug Ikot Ekpene) which the town and local government derives it’s name. This is also the central point of the author’s village and a very important junction point in Annang nation.

Policy Advice on Construction Projects in Akwa Ibom State

Construction projects should never be started without a special dedicated budget fund to accomplish the task over a period of years. Budgetary revenues would be released annually as planned project targets are accomplished until the planned infrastructure/project is completed. The dilemma that Akwa Ibom State is facing as we witness the abandonment of many planned projects that the administration of Akpabio undertook like the Tropicana Plaza in Uyo and dualiization of Uyo/Ikot-Ekpene Federal road is the lack of capital planning foresight and the failure to build into the government capital budget for projects a contingency budget to accommodate unforeseen circumstances (like the fall in oil revenues) as we are experiencing throughout the country. Moreover, in civilized countries in Europe and the United States infrastructure projects are funded from dedicated funding revenue streams which in New York State budgeting is referred to as Special Revenue Funds (SRF). Initial funding for specific infrastructural projects can begin by issuing specific capital bonds guaranteed by the Federal government as a debt to the state. When the specific bond funded project is completed, it could be utilized to generate specific revenues to repay the long term bonds associated with the project.  

The Need to Establish Dedicated Special Revenue Funds (SRF) in AKSG Budgetary System.

Special Revenue Funds (SRF)  are dedicated revenues in government budgets to accommodate specific activities like road construction and maintenance, education, sanitation etc. SRFs are derived from sources outside the General Funds (GF) account of government budgets. In Akwa Ibom State, the government can institute a road tariff (or toll) and other user rates/fees (at the airport, parks, etc.) specifically aimed at generating dedicated budgetary Special Revenue Funds (SRF) to maintain and beautify the existing road networks in the state. The state is blessed with a good road network that are already in place which were built by the previous Akpabio Administration.

SRFs cannot be used for other than the purpose they are setup for. They can be established by the Executive governor or by the State Legislature to fund a specific project. Such funds are untouchable (outside politics) and cannot be used by the Legislature to pad the annual state budget. Over the years SRF can grow to enormous amounts and properly administered, can be employed to start, complete and fund magnificent projects. It is high time Akwa Ibom State should in earnest start generating significant internal revenues and reduce its dependence on federal allocations. In addition to creating industries in the state, focus should be placed on utilizing existing state assets to generate special revenues which should be utilized for specific purposes. The establishment of a State Lottery is a good example which can benefit the public and could generate a lot of funds for the state.  Dedicated lottery funds in a SRF budgetary account could be used to maintain our primary, secondary schools and Universities.  This is how proper state budgeting should work in a properly functioning state budgetary system.

Conclusion

Unless Akwa Ibom State policy makers start “thinking outside the box” and begin to explore setting up various SRF accounts to accommodate newly planned projects and the maintenance of existing projects like the abandoned dualization of Uyo Ikot Ekpene road, we will witness a slow and steady deterioration of the existing infrastructure which is already in place in the state, which is clearly exemplified by the mess we are seeing in Ikot Ekpene’s control post.

Origins of the use of Paramount Chief titles in Africa.

Brief History and Insight on the Use of Paramount Chief Titles in Nigeria and Africa.

ICMS, Inc Educational Series
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
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A paramount chief in the African context is used to describe a very powerful chief of the highest order. In Nigeria as in many parts of West Africa, the British Colonial Governors and their administrators created Chieftaincy systems which transformed local societies they governed by empowering a set of Paramount Chiefs as the sole authority of local government in the various Protectorates that they British controlled.

Chief Mutondo (of Zambia) who 

was declared paramount chief of Nkoyas

A paramount chief unlike a local chief has power which extends over an entire governing region. In British Colonial times, the term was used to designate the highest level political leader in a colonial regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief based system. Such a ruler had great authority which transcended multiple chiefdoms or the rulers of exceptionally powerful chiefdoms that have subordinated others. 

The title of Paramount Chief was a convenient formal title established and used by the British colonial administrators during the 19th and 20th-century in Africa, India and Asian colonies to describe very powerful local rulers equivalent to "kings" in Europe. The term was coined and used because of necessity as a substitute for calling local tribal leaders "King." Calling a supreme local leader King was prohibited because only the "British Monarch" was entitled to be called King. Since the title of chief was frequently used to describe local rulers and by British district and town administrators, it became necessary to add "Paramount Ruler" title to a very powerful regional Chief in order to differentiate such a ruling tribal monarch from a local aristocracy (chief).

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