The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging Governor Udom Emmanuel to direct the 31 local government councils in the state to overhaul the dilapidated buildings in the Security Villages in their respective local government areas to enable local government officials take immediate occupation of their assigned apartments.
“Local Government officials soon to be elected shall take immediate occupation of their assigned apartments upon swearing in to comply with this resolution, Speaker Onofiok Luke said.
In a release made available to our news desk by the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Kufre Okon, the directive followed a motion on the “Negligent Abandonment of Security Villages” presented by the Deputy Leader of the House and member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Barr Ime Okon.
In his motion, the Barr. Okon said that “the 434 buildings in the 31 Security Villages across the 31 local government areas in the state have been deserted, abandoned and are now dilapidated and in complete state of disrepair, offering hiding places for hudlums…which negates the purpose of the project and constitute huge economic waste and discredits the good intention of government.”
Barr Okon noted in the motion that in line with the Local Government (Administration) Law of Akwa Ibom State, 2007 as amended in 2017, principal officers of local government councils should reside “where they serve”. He said it was in line with this constitutional provision that the immediate past administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio blazed the trail by commissioning the ‘Security Villages’ in the 31 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom state.
The motion was widely supported by members of the House.
In the resolution passed, the Assembly wants the Security Villages put back to usable state and “all principal officers of the 31 local government councils in Akwa Ibom state to relocate and occupy the Security Villages.”
