A former chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Ekpo Okon, in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria, has vowed to make provision for basic infrastructure which are critical for uplifting people out of the shackles of chronic poverty and enslavement.
Ekpo Okon made the assertion during a chat with Voice of Nigeria in Calabar metropolis.
Okon, who is also a former member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives and describes himself as “the man in your neighbourhood” maintained that he was better suited to represent the southern senatorial district due to the wealth of experience garnered over the years and living amongst those at the grassroots.
According to him, “when you talk about representation, you can only represent people that you know, feel what they feel and understand their plight. I grew up here and live in their midst. Indeed, if you notice my slogan is ‘the man in your neighborhood’. I am a man in their neighborhood, so I understand my neighbourhood.”
Addressing infrastructure
The senatorial candidate acknowledged the huge unemployment gap, which he noted was one of the challenges facing citizens in the district, stating “the challenges of unemployment, helping the people access facilities that would enable them to employ themselves is important.
“I am looking at making people work with agencies that can help them stand on their own; create businesses for themselves and develop capacity as well as employ themselves. I am also looking at critical infrastructure. I have the privilege of being close to a rural community and I come from one, which I frequent.
“There are so many communities within the southern senatorial district. I know them at my palm and I know their challenges. I believe if we can help the people develop their infrastructure, it will enable them to create their own economy, live better lives and that is my own idea of representation,” he said.
Engaging communities
On the best approach for effective representation, Ekpo Okon said that the option with a significant positive result over time was personal engagement with communities and doing a Community NEEDS Assessment.
“Over time, I have watched how people complained about not having access to their representatives and I think it is not right. You must be in a position to engage with people sometimes. You cannot pretend that you know what they need, some of these empowerments I hear people do – buy certain things, call people and give to them – that is how one will give a vulcanizing machine to somebody, who has never patched tyres or ever thought of it.
“So, it is better to engage with the people, look at their needs to be able to address them based on their needs. The experience I have gained over the years and the fact that I have chosen to be close and remained with the people puts me in a better position to offer them that representation,” Okon stated.
He added, “The southern senatorial district is made up of seven local government areas, to achieve infrastructural growth efforts must be deliberate in tackling the problems identified. Their needs differ from council to council, what the man in Calabar Municipality needs is definitely different from what the man in Biase needs. So I would first engage with them to know what they want.”
Olusola Akintonde
