The restoration of the historic Control Post landmark in Ikot Ekpene is finally underway.

ICMS,Inc Reports,

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

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After more than three years of Akwa Ibom State government neglect and abandonment, work is finally ongoing towards the upgrade and restoration of Control Post.

Control Post is a famous road intersection in Ikot Ekpene 

Control Post is a historic and famous landmark in Ikot Ekpene and a famous road intersection (or junction) in the village of Ikot Ekpene where Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road and old Itu-Ikot Ekpene road and other local internal roads like Atan road in Ikot Ekpene converge.

Control Post is also the focal point of Ikot Ekpene village (Usug Ikot Ekpene) which the historic raffia city (town) and local government derives its name. Its historical significance is even more obvious when placed in the context of Ikot Ekpene being the location of the first British Colonial experimentation in local self-governance.

In the Control Post construction background can be seen another famous
building in Ikot Ekpene: The Four Point Hotel by Sheraton

During the Nigerian Civil war, the Nigerian army understood the strategic significance of maintaining its control of the state from invading Biafran soldiers and decided to stand its ground in Control Post. It also has always been an energetic center of commercial activity for the residence of Ikot Ekpene and the surrounding areas. One aspect of the political anger of the voters of Ikot Ekpene during the last governorship election can best be understood in the context of the above discussion.

The anger of many voters surged during the elections over the abandonment of the restoration of Control Post and the failure of the current state government to complete the controversial 25 kilometers Uyo-Ikot Ekpene dualized federal highway started by the former Godwill Akpabio’s administration. The political controversy over who was to blame for the lack of completion of Uyo-IKot Ekpene road and Control Post being the terminal point of the road construction pitted the two major political parties (PDP and APC) in the state vying for political power and control of the state government.

The writer visiting the site of the abandoned Control Post in 2018

Politically and in retrospective, one can argue that restoration of construction was inevitable and a win win situation for Ikot Ekpene voters no matter which political party won the governorship elections in the state.  This is because both political parties vowed to revive the road construction and restoration of the abandoned Control Post which had become an eyesore and a major point of flooding preventing access to Ikot Ekpene city from Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road or from old Itu-Ikot Ekpene road.

Construction of an expensive project such as the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road 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 constantly faces as we witnessed in the abandonment of the dualiization of Uyo-Ikot-Ekpene federal road is the lack of capital planning foresight and the failure to build into the state government capital budget for projects a contingency budget to accommodate unforeseen circumstances (like the fall in oil revenues) as Nigeria and the state government is constantly experiencing.

The abandoned Control Post became an eyesore and a major flooding point in Ikot Ekpene city.

With the resumption of construction of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene dualized federal highway road and active work going on towards rehabilitation of Control Post, high tribal voter tempers and criticism of the current Akwa Ibom State Government appears to have been abated. This writer gathers that the original plan for the dualized highway and Control post which incorporated a flyover bridge may not be realized due to cost considerations related to completion of the project.

Nevertheless, there is a sense of relieve among Ikot Ekpene residence that something is finally being done.  The current State administration of Governor Emmanuel Udom must be applauded for fulfilling a major political promise to fully reconstruct and modernize Control Post. We look forward to a revitalized Control Post community where economic activity is restored following the completion of the long awaited Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road by December 2019 as promised by the state government.  

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All rights reserved by Tom Okure, Ph.D President and CEO of Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc (or ICMS, Inc). The information included in this article may not be used, reproduced, transmitted, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written permission of ICMS, Inc. The author Dr. Tom Okure is President of ICMS, Inc, a multifaceted business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New York. Dr. Okure is a writer, author, business/management consultant, public policy advisor and commentator and a change advocate.

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.