By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN) has said that many Local Councils in Akwa Ibom remained poverty centres despite the huge amount they receive as allocation.
This is even as it has challenged Governor Umo Eno to tour the 31 Local Councils of the state in the first quarter of 2026, to ascertain how the humongous allocation given to them are expended.
State director of CHRAN, Comrade Franklyn Isong who made the appeal in Uyo during an end of year press briefing said the tour would give Eno first hand information of whether the council chairmen are truly residing in their domains as directed and if the level of development is commensurate with the funds they receive.
Isong stated that the group’s advocacy for grassroots development and good governance through the local government administration has not yielded sufficient result noting that most councils are poverty centers due to lack of development and public infrastructure.
“While CHRAN commends the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, Ph.D., for repeatedly asserting in different public fora that his administration has not touched the monthly federal allocations accruable to the 31 local governments in the state, the Center calls on the Governor to embark on tour of the 31 local government areas in the first quarter of 2026, to ascertain how these humongous funds are used by the council chairmen and to assess their level of performance in their local governments.” He said.
On the 2025 Christmas Village, the Director called for transparency and accountability in handling the activities regretting that the 2025 Christmas Village has been politicised, monetised and hijacked by powerful politicians, leaving out the downtrodden, students, and widows in the State.
“The Center notes that the original essence of the Akwa Ibom Christmas was to touch the lives of the poorest of the poor in the state. The Center notes that the owners of shops and spaces in the 2025 Christmas Village are majorly from Uyo local government area. The Center calls for a more transparent and accountable process of allocation of shops and spaces in the Christmas Village in future exercises.
“The Center is against the use of the name “Christmas Unplugged”, because it does not reflect the local setting of the original concept of the Christmas Village.” Isong stated.
The group also demanded for accountability from state and National Assembly Lawmakers from Akwa Ibom noting that only a few of them have performed in the year under review.
It also threw its weight behind government’s regulation of activities of Ekpo Masquerades in Akwa Ibom lamenting that criminal elements have hijacked the culture of Ekpo Masquerades to carry out their criminal activities.
