As the tenure of Ibiono Ibom nay Itu Federal Constituency to Represent Uyo Senatorial District gradually comes to end the need for a change in the representation of the district remains paramount. In line with a gentleman agreement, each of the nine Local Government Areas will represent the district in the red chambers of the National Assembly through a well spelt out rotation among the three Federal Constituencies.
Its pertinent to note here that Uruan Local Government will now take their turn from 2015 to 2019 as a result of the zoning of the seat to Uyo Federal Constituency. The last time Uyo Federal constituency represented the district was from 1999-2003 where Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, a one-time executive chairman of Uyo local government area was elected upon the return of democracy to Nigeria.
The next senator come 2015 is a young man from Mbiaya Uruan in Uruan Local Government Area. Born some 39 years ago and married with two lovely children, a devote Christian of the Catholic faith. He holds a Second Class Upper Division from the Department of Economics, University of Uyo while he had his primary education at Primary school Bonny Camp and Secondary School in Command Secondary School Abakiliki, Ebonyi State.
After a successful outing as a Corp Member at Cooperative Development Bank, Rivers state he was employed as Planning Officer in the Ministry of Economic Development and was later transferred to the Ministry of Youth and Sports as the Planning Officer in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.
On appointment of Dr Chris Ekong as Special Adviser to Obong Victor Attah led Government on Youth and Sports, our future Senator was appointed as Special Assistant to the Special Adviser where he served diligently which earned him promotion as a Special Adviser to the commissioner following the upgrade of the former Bureau of Youth and Sports to a full fledge Ministry.
One of the many reasons why our representatives at all level fail to give above average representation is the fact that most of them come from ’above’ to represent people who are mostly rural dwellers. This is why it is difficult for them to interact, debate when issues bother on the rural poor is brought before them. This is where Rt. Hon Anthony Akan will make a big and outstanding difference as he emerges the next senator for the district. He was appointed on two occasions as chairman, Transition Committee for Uruan local Government Area first at the youthful age of 32. This was as a result of his zeal in mobilizing the people at the grassroots to support and vote for the election and re-election of Chief (Dr)Godswill Akpabio in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
In 2012, he aspired for a full tenure as an elected council chairman and got an overwhelming support from the people of Uruan, a platform he has used to change the story of Uruan Inyang Atakpo and her people. He has turned the fortune of the people around through grass root development and empowerment. His closeness to the people makes it possible for him to know the problem of his people and through the lean resources available, he pays salary before the 28th of every month, renovated old Ifiayong market and constructed more administrative block within the council as well as a perimeter fence round the council headquarters and this effort baffle many political watchers and others is the effective utilization of the little council funds at this man’s disposal. The exploits of Hon Tony Akan is attributed to the fact that he is one man that has the interest of the people at heart. He knows them and shares in their common problem which explains why he did not wait for any instruction before launching out for the good of the people. He has effectively deployed the SURE-P fund by empowering more than 250 people of Uruan every month.
As the people of Uyo Senatorial District settle for Rt. Hon Anthony Akan, the expectations of the people is high judging from what he has done in Uruan both as a transition committee chairman and the executive chairman in the last two years. The people are optimistic that what has eluded the district in the past in terms of attracting federal government presence either in the area of empowerment or development of infrastructure. This has been the heart cry of the people of Uyo Senatorial District over the years.
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