Qua river hotel: You goofed at umo eno’s thanksgiving, Eket people tell Akpabio

The people of Eket have called out the Senate President, Senator Godswil Akpabio over his alleged “deceitful, misleading and inciting statements” on the status and ownership of the moribund Qua River Hotel in Eket. Senator Akpabio had told participants at a thanksgiving service hosted by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, at his […]

The people of Eket have called out the Senate President, Senator Godswil Akpabio over his alleged “deceitful, misleading and inciting statements” on the status and ownership of the moribund Qua River Hotel in Eket.

Senator Akpabio had told participants at a thanksgiving service hosted by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, at his All Nations Christian Church in Eket on Sunday, 11th February, 2024, that he had repurchased and redesigned Qua River Hotel to give Eket people a sense of belonging.

But in a communique signed by its converter, Comrade Samuel Ubokudom on Tuesday, Ekid Nation Interest Forum, Edem Udo Street, Eket, described the Senate President’s comments as unguarded and blatant lies.

“We have pondered on the frivolous, deceitful, misleading and inciting statements made by Senator Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria’s Senate President during a recent church thanksgiving service hosted by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, at the All Nations Christian Church in Eket on Sunday, February 11.

“Senator Akpabio deliberately came for the programme few minutes to the end of the church service, an act he has mastered over the years since his days as Governor of Akwa Ibom State. We are not particularly worried that he intentionally arrived late, disrupting the service, causing protocol breach and undermining Governor Umo Eno, who had to punctuate his address and wait for several minutes, for the late comer to dance in and greet everyone before taking his seat.

“We are only aghast that Akpabio was later to open old wounds on the sensibilities of the people of Eket when we listened with disdain, to the frivolous, deceitful, misleading and inciting statement made by Senate President of Nigeria especially on the abandoned moribund Qua River Hotel in Eket.

“Chief among his lies was that he had re-purchased the Qua River Hotel, which had previously been sold to a private firm in 2001 by the then Governor Victor Attah administration, and that he had gone ahead to design a 16 Storey Hotel for the present location of Qua River Hotel for Eket people.

“Even if Akpabio does not have any regards for Eket, he should have at least fear God and scrutinize the lies. Nothing could be so untrue like Akpabio’s gospel of Qua River Hotel. Amusingly, Akpabio is now pretending to love Eket people. That is just a product of the guilt that he has had to fight with and suppressed over the years.

“That was simply his style of confession, and speaks volume of a guilty conscience. Perhaps Akpabio feels that Eket people have very limited retentive memory when he himself is the one whose memory needs to be recalibrated.

“Let us therefore remind Akpabio that at the QIC Primary School, Usung Inyang Eket in March 2007 when he visited Eket to seek for votes as the PDP Governorship Candidate, he made bold to promise several things: the building of a new stadium in Eket, revamping of the ailing Qua River Hotel and resurrecting the Qua Steel Factory. He also promised Eket – Ibeno Road and Eket-Etinan Road among others.

“He clearly said, “I know you want Eket Sports Stadium, I can assure you, I can assure you and I can assure you.
“You want the Qua River Hotel, I can assure you I can assure you and I can assure you…” It had since been confirmed that Akpabio in 2007 was basically listing all what he will never do for Eket people; and he showed undiluted fidelity to the pledge to neglect Eket as if he swore to an affidavit to do just that.

“He did none after eight years. This is why we condemn his open mockery on Eket after such heartless treatment? Oh what an audacity to add salt to injury.

“Our happiness is that God has been passing through succeeding administrations to give Eket what Akpabio vehemently opposed and denied the area. It was only after the Senate President left office in 2015 as Governor that infrastructural reforms were witnessed in Eket, despite its strategic status as headquarters of Eket senatorial district.

“All of the music of uncommon transformation that rocked the airwaves throughout his eight year tenure had no echo throughout Eket land as no major road was constructed beyond ground breaking stage. We have now seen the construction and in dual form, the Eket – Ibeno Road, Eket – Etinan Road all the way to Uyo and the remodeling of Eket into an urban standard.

“We now see how it feels to have roundabouts with water fountains and amphi theatre. Sporting life has resurrected in the area with the ultra modern sports facility. We know those who truly love Eket.”