A lawmaker representing Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno federal constituency of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Owoidighe Ekpoatai has denied collecting funds for her constituency projects.
Speaking in Eket while distributing Christmas gifts to some less privileged widows and women in her Eket constituency, the legislator spoke of procedures in the National Assembly for collection of funds for constituency projects and also debunked the claim that she diverted funds meant for constituency projects.
“I heard that some people came in the name of tracking that I Mrs., Owoidighe Ekpoatai diverted money meant for my federal constituency. “I can never do that, the person should go to ministry that those projects were domiciled to check whether they have released one kobo for the projects.
“I am not a contractor, I know it is in the budget for my federal constituency, I will go out to ensure that it is released. “If the money is not released, the percentage implementation is not there, so people should be careful when they come to incite our brothers and sisters in the state,” she said.
She also said the federal government was yet to release to release funds to implement the 2017 budget effectively.
“If the federal government had released funds of 2017 budget effectively, a lot of constituency projects would have been implemented in the state,” she said.
Ekpoatai blamed the economy downturn for the situation and advised the Federal Government to come out with policies that would improve the well-being of the people. She expressed optimism that the economy would improve in 2018.
Ekpoatai appealed to the citizens to emulate the teachings of Christ through giving, sharing and loving, saying that such were the panacea for a better society.
She celebrated Christmas with less privileged widows and women through donation of food items, wrappers and cash gifts to 200 persons from her federal constituency.
