The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio has advised the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to expedite action on the construction of Ibeno – Eket road, threatening that the state government would take over the dualization of the road if at the expiration of three months there was no significant progress of work on the federal road.

Chief Akpabio who was visibly angry at the state of the road, gave the charge at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Ibeno over the weekend, said the area which is the host community of Mobil Producing Nigeria deserved better infrastructure for being the source of wealth of the nation.

According to Governor Akpabio, "At the Palace of the traditional ruler, I had discussed with the Commissioner in NDDC and I have told him that if in three months I do not get a positive feedback from NDDC, the state government would take over the dualization of that road.

"That road at its present stage is a shame to Nigeria and the oil company and if nothing is done about it, I would intervene. Eventhough it is a federal road, it is Akwa Ibom people who are dying on that road and we would not allow it to continue further," the Governor said.

The Governor also promised that during his second term, at least one industry would be cited in the area, thus making good roads very critical to the area. He also pledged that before the end of his second term all communities in the local government would be connected to the national grid.

Earlier, representatives of Ibeno Local Government Area had eulogized Governor Akpabio for his intervention in giving the people of the area critical infrastructure like the General Hospital.

Spokesperson for women in the area, Mrs. Eunice Thomas also praised the Governor and his wife for accommodating women from the area in his administration. She recalled that Governor Akpabio as women's friendly Governor had made a woman the Chairperson for the local government council, appointed another woman from the area as the Commissioner for Women Affairs, while the Senator representing the district is also a woman.

Mrs. Thomas claimed that women of Ibeno have had more than the 35 percent they were agitating for and promised that they would vote massively for Governor Akpabio and his running-mate Obong Nsima Ekere at the April polls.

At the campaign stop in Esit Eket local government area, Governor Akpabio to the delight of the massive crowd that had thronged out to welcome his entourage, disclosed that the state government would take-over the payment of the compensation for the right of way of the gas processing plant pipeline in the area to ameliorate the plight of farm owners from the area.

The Chairman of the council, Hon Victor Isangedighi praised the Governor citing the gas plant in the area and the construction of Etebi – Enwang road and said the Governor needed not have campaigned in the area as his good works would speak for him at the polls. In the same vein Senator Etang Umoyo pledged the support of the people for Governor Akpabio's re-election, saying the people were appreciative for the massive infrastructural development and uncommon transformation that the Governor has brought to Akwa Ibom State.