The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called on Nigerians to take ownership of government projects in their communities and ensure they are protected from vandalism.
Akpabio made the appeal on Tuesday while commissioning several projects in Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The Senate President, represented by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, said that every project provided by government belongs to the people and must be safeguarded.
“My duty as your representative in the Senate is to ensure I bring projects that you asked for, in the overall interest of the people,” Akpabio said. “But you, as beneficiaries, also have a duty to protect these facilities. If you destroy them, you are destroying your own property and discouraging government from doing more.”
He urged communities to take full ownership of projects sited in their areas, stressing that such responsibility would encourage government at all levels to deliver more dividends of democracy.
Akpabio also assured Nigerians of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving lives across the country. According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda was already focused on empowering ordinary citizens.
“This current administration is one with a human face, determined to make things easier for the common people,” Akpabio noted. “The President recently approved that 1,000 Nigerians from every ward across the country should be financially empowered to boost their economic strength at the grassroots.”
Earlier, a community leader and member of the National Communication Commission, Chris Okorie, pledged the community’s support for President Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Senator Akpabio in future elections.
The projects commissioned by the Senate President included an eight-classroom block and an ICT centre at St Augustine Secondary School, Ika Local Government Area; 12 classroom blocks at Community Secondary School; and an ultra-modern market at Uruk-Ata 2 in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.
