Hon. Sir Christopher Ekunke Adie's Strategic Blueprint For Bekwarra Local Government Area

 

Hon. Sir Christopher Ekunke Adie's Strategic Blueprint For Bekwarra Local Government Area

MY VISION AND MANIFESTO 

FOR BEKWARRA PEOPLE.

Ekunke, Ebekwarra Ebang

BRIEF HISTORY 

Hon. Sir Christopher Ekunke Adie also known as Hon. Ekunke was born into the family of Elder Adie Agabi and Madam Agbo Adie both from Bekwarra Local Government Area (Akwinyiri Gakem) in Cross River State on 25th March, 1972. Hon. Ekunke is a devote Catholic, a knight of St. Johns International. He is happily wedded with children. 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 

St. Marks Primary School, Gakem  Bekwarra: 1981  1986

Trinity Commercial College, Ibiaragidi  Bekwarra: 1987  1992

Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko  Benue State (HND) 

Business Administration and Management 2011-2013

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 2016

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Hon. Ekunkes professional career began in 1994 when he got employed as supervisor in a reputed consortium Prospects International Company Limited in Port  Harcourt, River State where he worked from 1994 – 2000 and resigned voluntarity. Therefore he was employed to work as manager at Marvic Guest House, Bekwarra Local Government Area until 2007 when he resigned to answer to the gracious call of his people of Gakem to represent them in the Bekwarra Legislative Council. 

POLITICAL CAREER 

He began his political career when he contested, won elections, and represented Gakem political ward in the Bekwarra Local Government Legislative Assembly which he did meritoriously from 2007 to 2010. He has continued to receive more responsibilities from state and local government till date. 

MY VISION AND MANIFESTO FOR BEWARRA PEOPLE 

EDUCATION 

Education is the Systematic development and cultivation of the natural powers by frequent repetition, instruction and training in school. It is also the development and discipline of the mind. It begins with the Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.

The prestige of modern learning opportunities shall be made available and compulsory for all Bekwarra Children at the Primary School level. And this is the primary responsibility of the Local Government Council in Nigeria as enshrine in the constitution. It is therefore not a privilege but a right for our beloved children. I shall reorganize and reposition the primary education sector on a solid foundation

Renovation of Primary Schools all over Bekwarra. 

Provision of chairs and tables for teachers and pupils. We need smart schools for our children. Our parents do not need the risk and costs of carrying our children to Ogoja to spend Fortunes in private Nursery and Primary Schools. 

Sporting Facilities shall be provided. 

Teachers welfare. Our teachers will be motivated to give their very best to our children. 

Qualified and competent teachers shall be employed. 

Training and retraining of teachers. 

Secured teaching environment. Development of Civil Defence Corps to our primary schools to provide security. 

There shall be perant/teachers association to contribute to the running or the schools. 

SECONDARY EDUCATION 

This is the exclusive preserve of the State Government. However, we shall take a short at the creation of one model secondary school in Bekwarra by collaborating with State Government. Bekwarra Secondary School is ideal and central for Conversion. We intend to persuade well-meaning Bekwarra indigenes across the 36 States including FCT and Bekwarra in Disapora to support this noble and lofty ideal. The model secondary school will prepare our children for universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. With this in place our children can compete nationality and internationally. 

A REVOLVING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 

We shall provide a loan revolving scholarship scheme for our students in special areas like Medicine, Nursery, Engineering, ICT and Law. This is to encourage graduates to plough back into the system and for sustainability. 

BURSARY SCHEME 

Bursary shall be granted to students in tertiary institutions as a privilege in order to support their parents or guardians depending on the availability of Council resources. 

SKILL ACQUISITION/EMPOWERMENT 

We shall establish three centres in Abuochiche, Gakem and Ugboro for skill acquisition. These will include: 

Carpentry

Tailoring/fashion design. 

Welding 

Mechanics: Motor, Motor Bills, Keke Nape etc.

Electrical/Electronics 

Plumbing 

Furniture/wood work 

Tailing 

Mason (Bricklaying) 

Painting 

Phone and computer repairs 

These programmes will empower our youths create wealth and, bring about prosperity. It is also intended to export competent and well trained artisans to other parts of the country and beyond. 

AGRICULTURE 

Agriculture and Trading were the main stay of traditional Bekwarra economy. However with modernization, growth and expansion in education and polities our people gradually abandoned farming and trading. We intend to modernize farming practices through technology and innovation. 

Provision of tractors, ploughs and harvesters to lease to our farmers. 

Provision of high yielding disease resistant crop varieties like cassava, yams, mellon, tree crops, beans, groundnuts etc.

We shall introduce simple and cost effective irrigation system for dry season farming. 

Access roads and transportation for farmers. 

Acquisition of land by lease or outright purchase beyond Bekwarra for agric-business men and women in Yala, Obude, Boki, Ogoja etc Bekwarra does not have enough land for massive agro business and expansion. 

We shall encourage and support poultry  hens, ducks, pets, fishery, piggery. 

We shall encourage to form farmers cooperative societies where training, knowledge and loan will be made available to them. 

TRADING 

We shall encourage, develop and create organized markets, lock-up shops, warehouses and silos to support farmers and traders. The UGIDI Market will be well developed with modern market facilities. Bekwarra indigenes are enterprising by native, especially our women. The traders shall be encouraged to form traders cooperative societies so that they can have access to grants and loans in order to expand their trading activities.   

TRANSPORTATION

We shall provide the enable environment for the private sector to manage the transport sector. We shall buy buses, Keke and Okada (motor bikes) and lease them out to private individuals with the right knowledge in transportation. 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

UPGRADE ABUOCHICHE (Head Quarter of the Local Government) TO URBAN STATUS

In our desire to give the headquarters of the local government a befitting status:

We shall design a developmental plan that will include: opening up of streets and green fields.

We shall make land available within the radius of the local government headquarters for Residential/Industrial developments to be acquired seamlessly by indigenes, friends, neighbours, stranger elements, and etc., who desire to do so.

A masterplan has already been developed by the administration of Hon. Tony Akobi.

We shall review, update and implement a masterplan in full.

CONSTRUCT & RECONSTRUCT ROADS, BRIDGES AND CULVERTS 

We shall focus on the reconstruction of major roads, bridges and culverts to links all the ten wards to the Local Government Headquarters. Other existing roads shall be maintained in order to ensure free movement of goods and services throughout the year. 

HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT 

We shall improve and expand our healthcare facilities and services in all the ten wards with emphasis on quality and affordability. 

We shall revisit the terms of lease of the Abuochiche General Hospital and restrategise for optimal services. 

We shall build staff quarters for Doctors and Nurses with water and light. We shall liaise with the NYSC Management to post their Doctors, Pharmacists and Nurses to Bekwarva Local Government to render their services. 

We shall provide health awareness services to our people from time to time. 

We shall establish a central drug store to be managed by a Pharmacist. The drugs shall be distributed to all our health centres. This will be commercially driven but affordable. 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME 

We shall introduce Healthcare insurance system for Bekwarra people by coping and remodeling National Health Insurance Scheme to suite us. Council staff, teachers nurses, artisan and the general Bekwarra public shall be encouraged to register in the health insurance. 

The welfare of Health workers will be protected so that they can render maximum services to our people. 

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BEKWARRA COMMUNITY MICRO-FINANCE BANK 

The socio-economic growth, development, expansion and sustainability of the Bekwarra people shall revolve around the Micro-Finance Bank. Under my leadership and watch, the council will provide the enabling environment and initial capital for the takeoff of the bank. The bank shall be owned and driven by Bekwarra people who are interested in investment. Shares will be made available and open to Bekwarra people. 

We also intend to encourage and persuade Bekwarra in diaspora to come and invest in the bank. 

We shall identity, persuade and mobilize Bekwarra sons and daughter who have the financial capacity to come and invest in the bank. 

Solid Financial Management Structures shall be put in place. The bank will be registered with the Nigerian deposit insurance scheme. 

BEKWARRA VIGILANTE SECURITY NETWORK 

PROVISION OF SECURITY 

To protect lives and property, security will be given top priority. Each community will have a vigilante group to work closely with the Police, DSS and Civil Defences. Village Chiefs and their leaders would be involved. We shall provide the necessary facilities and incentives to sustain the structures. The vigilante group shall be trained jointly by the state security agencies mentioned above. The Bekwarra Vigilate Security Network shall be formally registered to give it a legal backing 

ELECTRIFICATION OF BEKWARRA 

We shall introduce Green Energy for Rural Electrification into Bekwarra. We shall work closely with our leaders at the State and House of representative to achieve this lofty objective for Bekwarra people. 

ICT DEVELOPMENT 

Modern government, economy, education, agriculture, finance and budgeting are driven by ICT. We intend to put the necessary ICT Structures in place to drive the entire processes of government in order to ensure accountability and transparency in governance. 

EARTH BRICKS, CEMENTS BLOCKS AND INTERLOCKS FACTORIES 

We shall reactivate the earth-bricks and introduce the cement blocks and interlocks Factories. These will create jobs and increase the IGR of the Council 

GROUNDNUTS AND VEGETABLE OIL FACTORIES 

I will lobby and persuade the state government to complete the factories. This will also create employment and stimulate commercial activities in Bakwarra. 

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 

We shall provide the enable environment for the private sector to come in and invest in the hospitality industry;decent Hotels, Gardens and Parks shall be encouraged and developed. 

WATER SCHEME/PRODUCTION 

We shall provide 30 boreholes each year in the 10 wards of Bekwarra. A total of 120 Bores shall be provided in Four years.

We will provide the enabling conditions for the production of bottle and sachet water. In order to maintain and sustain the borehole, they will partially commercialize at a much reduced cost. The bottle and sachet water production will be jointly driven by the council. 

Yes, we can do all of these with the support of our people.