Friday May 22, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
By Idorenyin UMOREN
COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding a registered nongovernmental, apolitical and anti-corruption human rights organization, has written to the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Udeme Otong, demanding his intervention in the ongoing construction of Ikot Edong, Afaha Ikot Inyang, Uruk Ata, Etim Ekpo – Abak Itenghe Road.
In a letter dated May 18, 2026 and titled: ‘Construction Without Conscience: Re- The Road Construction. Around Christ Faith Church Abak Itenghe. Demand For Immediate And Appropriate Remediation To Avoid The Adverse Effect Of Poor Drainnage System On The Inhabitants Of The Area’, and signed by the Executive Director of the Organization, Saviour Akpan Esq, draws the Speaker’s attention to the shoddy job done by the one BIS company, around Abak Itenghe village in Abak local government area.
The letter requests his Intervention to cause the company to do a better job that can stand the test of time.
The letter States in part: “We are writing most respectfully to bring to your attention and immediate action for proper work to be done with regards to the road construction currently ongoing which is connecting communities in both Etim Ekpo and Abak Local Government Areas of the State.
“We are particularly concerned about the shoddy job done at the axis of Christ Faith Church Abak Itenghe, with regards to how the drainage system is being channeled into the poor settlement area without regards to their safety, security and fundamental rights to life which has been constitutionally guaranteed to them.”
The Executive Director further stated in the letter that: ” Sir, Nigeria as a sovereign nation is signatory to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and human Rights and to ensure responsibility of the state to the realization of the three pillar provisions of the principle namely:
1. State Duty to protect
2. Corporate responsibility to respect
3. Access to remedy where there is an infraction, the country has developed and enacted the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights as a framework to guide relationship with citizens and corporations and companies in handling developmental projects in the country.
“With the above in mind, we write to let you know and to understand that the nature of construction works done around that particular environment which is devoid of serious Environmental Impact Assessment is an insult to the sensibilities of the inhabitant of Abak Itenghe as your primary constituency and the village which you hail from.
“Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is meant to identify, predict, and mitigate harm before a road is built and when such is ignored or done poorly, the adverse effects show up across ecosystems, health, communities, inhabitants, and even the project itself.
“We are therefore writing to you to without further delay cause for the proper construction of the drainage with a proper channel that can stand the test of climate change and will freely empty the water into the “ODO” pond which is already in existence around the community.
“It has been observed that EIA was skipped or not properly carried with regards to this particular project and it is worthy of note that skipping an Environmental Impact Assessment in road construction of this nature turns the road from development tools into sources of long term environmental damage, health problems, and social conflict. We don’t want that, please.”
The letter which copy was sent to, the Executive Governor, Akwa Ibom State, the Chief Judge Akwa Ibom State, Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, National Human Rights Commission, Abuja and the Media, also stated that: “Also, do well to visit the drainage system constructed at the mentioned spot and consider the plight of the inhabitant who have been there before now and since there is no well-prepared resettlement plan kindly direct that the right thing is done. The poor drainange design and the channeling of the slope iswashing out the entire habitat of your poor brothers and sisters as we are made to understand that you are from that community.
“We shall be ready and glad to avail you a checklist of EIA on Road construction to avoid a repetition of the situation going forward.
“Believing that you shall heed to this without delays, we graciously expect positive feedback from you,” the letter concluded.
