ITU/IBIONO IBOM: THE IMPRESSIVE SCORECARD OF IME OKON IN 2 YEARS

CHRAN ATTENDS ITU/IBIONO IBOM FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY MEDIA CHAT, LAUDS HON. IME OKON FOR EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION

The Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), a foremost civil society cum pro-democracy organisation with a bias for accountability and good governance, participated in a well-attended media chat hosted on Monday, 16th June, 2025 by the Member representing Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Bassey Okon at the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency Office, situated at No. 28 Enen, Mkprong Street, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Flanked by his constituency officials and the State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Amos Etuk, who led journalists from a broad spectrum of the Media to the parley, Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Okon delivered a healthy scorecard of his parliamentary stewardship since his inauguration on 13th June, 2023 at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly, Abuja. The scorecard included Bills and Motions, and constituency projects dotting the nooks and crannies of Itu and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas, which constitute the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency.

He enumerated his achievements as follows:

1. Co-sponsor of a Bill for an Act to establish the Metallurgical and Material Engineers and Scientist Registration Board of Nigeria and for Related Matters;
2. Co-sponsor of a Bill for an Act to establish the Biomedical Engineers and Scientist Registration Board of Nigeria and for Related Matters;
3. Motion on the deplorable state of Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Highway and the urgent need to address the delay in rehabilitation and dualisation;
4. Bill to amend the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004;
5. Motion on the need to Investigate the Career Stagnation Caused by Discrimination Between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor Degree Holders in the Nigeria Civil Security and Civil Defence Corps;
6. Motion on the urgent need to Rehabilitate and Decongest Nigeria Correctional Centre;
7. Co-sponsor Motion for IG to intensify effort for release of abducted Corps members;
8. Bill to amend the Industrial Training Fund Act, Cap. 19 (No. 47 of 1971) (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The Federal House Member stated that, by way of oversight, he has discharged his parliamentary responsibilities through meetings, oversight duties and legislative engagement as a committed member of the following House Committees:

1. Inter-Governmental Affairs – Deputy Chairman;
2. Gas Resources;
3. Healthcare Services;
4. HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control;
5. Host Communities;
6. Hydrological Services;
7. Public Sector/Institutional Reforms;
8. Disabilities;
9. Works;
10. House Services.

He further stated that he has also been co-opted into three Committees, namely:

1. Procurement;
2. Basic Education;
3. Interior.

The Learned Member of the House of Representatives enumerated twenty-two (22) life-touching constituency projects that he has attracted to his Federal Constituency, among which are:

1. Construction of Joshua Uwah Street, including installation of streetlights and drainage system, in Mbak Itam III, Itu Local Government Area (commissioned);
2. Provision of solar-powered borehole in Afaha Itam, Itu Local Government Area (commissioned);
3. Provision of solar-powered streetlights in Ikot Obio Enang, Itu Local Government Area;
4. Provision of solar-powered streetlights in Ikot Ubo)Ikot Usen, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area (commissioned);
5. Construction of four-classroom block in PCN Primary School, North Itam, Itu Local Government Area (commissioned);
6. Construction of Civic Centre in Idoro, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area (commissioned);
7. Provision of solar-powered streetlights in Ikot Edok, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area (commissioned);
8. Construction of six-classroom block in Technical College, Ayadehe, Itu Local Government Area (commissioned);
9. Construction of Civic Centre in Nkwa, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area (ongoing).
   Other constituency projects attracted by the Honourable Member to his Federal Constituency include: free medical outreach, payment of N200,000 as bursary to each of the 18 Nigerian Law School students from Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, payment of bursary to over 300 students from Itu) Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, donation of water pumping machine to Union Secondary School, Ibiaku, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, donation of four cars, including SUV, to constituents, facilitation of the training of constituents on auto-gas conversion, donation of digital vulcanising machine to a constituent, facilitation of employment of constituents in federal and state agencies, donation of N500,000 to wives of fallen heroes in Ibiono Ibom to facilitate the establishment of cooperative society, facilitation of transfer of service for a senior nursing officer from the Federal Nursing Centre, Abuja to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital upon request, provision of sundry assistance to over 800 constituents for medical treatment, rent payments, school fees, sustenance and other welfare needs, facilitation of the visit of engineers from the Federal Ministry of Environment to erosion sites in the Federal Constituency, including Mkpeti, Ntiat, Mbak Itam, Ikot Uneke, Ikot Usen and other affected communities, and the award of scholarships and educational support to children of deceased political stalwarts, including two undergraduates, one polytechnic student, three students in private secondary schools and three pupils in private nursery schools.

Rt. Hon. Ime Okon emphasised that the projects are products of the 2024 Budget, in which every member of the House of Representatives was allowed constituency projects worth N200milliion even though he ingeniously networked to attract projects worth over N1.7billion to his Federal Constituency. He stated that projects contained in the 2025 Budget are at various stages of procurement, award and roll-out. He assured that his Federal Constituency will, in the 2025 Budget, benefit from solar-powered boreholes and streetlights, classroom blocks, road construction/erosion control, among other projects.

He used the opportunity of the media chat to correct the popular misconception that each member is allegedly given N1billion cash for constituency projects in the 2025 Budget. He reiterated that each Federal Constituency is allowed constituency projects to the tune of N1billion in the 2025 Budget. He stated, for the avoidance of doubt, that no member executes or administers the projects as it is the exclusive duty of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, where the projects are domiciled, to execute and administer the projects. He also stated that the worth of constituency projects has now been increased from N200million to N1billion with effect from the 2025 Budget.

He thanked members of the Press and the civil society for attending the media chat and solicited their support going forward. He also solicited support for Governor Umo Eno, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other federal legislators from Akwa Ibom State.

The CHRAN was represented at the Media Chat by its Secretary, Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo, who commended Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Okon for the life-touching projects that he has attracted to the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, which the CHRAN had tracked and verified on Wednesday, 4th June, 2025 when the CHRAN Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong, led a team of twenty-two (22) eminent persons, including the Secretary of CHRAN, members of CHRAN and media practitioners, on an intensive and extensive projects tracking/verification tour of the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency.

CHRAN expressed satisfaction with the quality and the utility of the projects, particularly the classroom blocks at PCN Primary School, North Itam, Itu Local Government and Technical College, Ayadehe, Itu Local Government Area; the solar-powered borehole at Afaha Itam, Itu Local Government Area; the solar-powered streetlights at Ikpa Ikot Ubo/Ikot Usen, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area; the Joshua Uwah Street road construction at Mbak Itam III, Itu Local Government Area and the Civic Centre at Idoro, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area and urged the Honourable Member representing Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency to ensure water supply to the quality toilets that he has attracted to PCN Primary School, North Itam, Itu Local Government Area and to also ensure that toilets are provided at Technical College, Ayadehe, Itu Local Government Area to compliment the quality six-classroom block that he has attracted to the Technical College. CHRAN also encouraged the performing federal parliamentarian to attract laptop computers to schools in Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency to position his constituents favourably for computer-based tests, the new examination model at all levels in Nigeria.

The CHRAN and the Media were unanimous in commending Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Okon for being characteristically open to the public, an admirable trait that dates back to when he chaired the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Information.