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Oversight Tour Exposes Neglect at Mkpat Enin Legislative Block as AKHA Warns Councils on Accountability

 



The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has warned that financial autonomy for councils must translate into improved infrastructure and accountability, after an oversight visit revealed severe neglect at the Mkpat Enin Legislative Council complex.


The Committee, led by Chairman Rt. Hon. Mfon Idung, began its tour of the state’s 31 local government councils on Monday with an inspection of the Mkpat Enin legislative block, the seat of the council’s lawmaking arm. 



What the lawmakers met was a facility in disrepair: weather-stained walls, a deteriorating roof, overgrown surroundings, and an overall lack of maintenance. The condition, the Committee said, fell far short of expectations for a council now receiving its statutory allocations directly.


“The state of this legislative block is inconsistent with the status of a local government that enjoys financial autonomy,” Rt. Hon. Idung stated. “Institutions of democracy must reflect the dignity and standards we expect of public governance.”


During an interaction with the Council Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Inyang, the Committee demanded an explanation for the neglect. 


Inyang said he had directed the Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. Nyakno Ekpo, in January to submit a renovation proposal, but had received nothing to date. 


Ekpo, when called to respond, offered no justification for the delay, a response that drew sharp concern from the Committee over the lack of urgency toward maintaining a core democratic institution.


The inspection also revealed tensions between the executive and legislative arms of the council. The Committee cautioned that while checks and balances are necessary, avoidable friction between both arms only stalls development and service delivery. 


“We need collaboration, not conflict,” Idung told both sides. “The people of Mkpat Enin deserve a local government that works as one.”


Further concerns emerged over councillors’ welfare. Ekpo disclosed that only nine of the council’s 15 members had received their furniture allowances from the chairman, prompting the Committee to raise questions on equity and transparency in the administration’s disbursements.


The oversight extended beyond the chambers. Residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, decried the absence of functional public toilets within the secretariat premises. They alleged that the lack of facilities has led to indiscriminate defecation around the complex, creating serious public health risks.


A tour of the secretariat by this reporter confirmed the residents’ account. The compound was overrun by vegetation, stagnant water, and general disrepair — a condition at odds with the image of a council expected to administer one of Akwa Ibom’s key local government areas.


For observers, the Mkpat Enin visit underscored the importance of legislative oversight under the new autonomy regime. Beyond auditing finances, the exercise tested whether councils are managing public assets responsibly.


As the Committee proceeds to the remaining 30 councils, its message from Mkpat Enin was clear: financial autonomy is not just about receiving funds. It is about accountable leadership, asset maintenance, and ensuring that local government institutions inspire public confidence, not public concern.


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