Akwa Ibom indigenes urge Governor Umo Eno to focus on state development, prioritising housing, healthcare, and education over Abuja projects

Residents of Akwa Ibom State have appealed to Governor Umo Eno to prioritise development within the state rather than pursue a proposed housing estate in Abuja, Daily Post Nigeria reports on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Also read: Akwa Ibom Governor Sacks Chief Of Staff, Ephraim Inyang

The call follows widespread commentary, including from veteran journalist Jimi Disu and Dr Tom Fredfish, Chairman of PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPA-J).

In an open letter titled “Prioritising Development in Akwa Ibom: A Call to Focus on Home,” Ms Mfon Umana, a prominent Diasporan Akwa Ibomite, described the Abuja housing initiative as “taking from one purse to fill another.” Umana emphasised that residents of the Federal Capital Territory, including Akwa Ibom indigenes, contribute taxes to the FCT administration rather than to Akwa Ibom.

She argued that directing resources to projects within Akwa Ibom would deliver the greatest and most lasting impact, noting urgent local needs such as housing, roads, healthcare facilities, schools, water supply, and employment-generating investments.

“Every naira deployed outside the state is a naira not invested in Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Eket, and other rural communities,” Umana wrote. She proposed alternative measures, including partnerships with private developers or leveraging existing government housing schemes to benefit Akwa Ibomites living in the FCT.

Umana also urged the government to construct teachers’ quarters across primary and secondary schools, establish general hospitals in larger local government areas, and equip educational and healthcare institutions with ICT tools.

She stressed that such investments would create jobs, stimulate the local economy, and leave tangible, long-term improvements across the state.

Also read: Akwa Ibom Police Rescue Elderly Man from Fraud Syndicate

While stressing her respect for Akwa Ibom people living in Abuja, Umana concluded that Governor Eno’s constitutional mandate and fiscal responsibility are clearest within the state’s borders, and that resources should be channelled where they can have the most direct and visible impact.