The senior lawyer made the remark when media practitioners from Eket Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, visited him at his country home in Eket.
Assam Assam, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and a close political ally of Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, has challenged the administration’s road development claims in Eket, saying “there’s no road at all in Eket urban area.”
The senior lawyer made the remark when media practitioners from Eket Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State visited him at his country home in Eket.
The delegation was led by Essien Ndueso, Mr Eno’s aide on Research and Documentation, according to the video of the meeting posted on Facebook on Sunday.
It is unclear when the video was recorded.
The remarks are significant coming from Mr Assam, who served as the director-general of Mr Eno’s 2023 governorship campaign and later defected with the governor to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He is also the APC political leader of the Eket Senatorial District.
Speaking during the visit, Mr Essien said the governor has performed well in Eket Federal Constituency, particularly in projects and political appointments.
He noted that more than seven media professionals from the constituency now serve as media aides to the governor.
Mr Essien urged political office holders to remain accessible and accountable to the public, calling for greater collaboration between public officials and media practitioners.
According to him, such engagement would allow political office holders to explain their activities to the public while also helping them understand and respond to the needs of their constituents.
He said some of those needs involved minor interventions in communities, which could be addressed more effectively through sustained engagement between political office holders and the media.
Responding to the delegation, Mr Assam said the state government needed to do more in Eket Urban, despite the road projects it has commissioned there.
“That I said the government must have visibility for doing a 12km road in Eket because there’s no road at all in the Eket Urban area,” he said.
“Forget about this one, they did from Atabong Bridge to Esuene Square. Even Grace Bill Road has not been done,” he added, dismissing one of the roads constructed in the area.
Mr Assam identified a “5.67km” road corridor, beginning from Atabong Bridge and passing through RCC before crossing Eket-Oron Road to Afaha Ukwa Road, Government Secondary School and Marina.
“That road is 5.67km. Everybody within and outside this community uses that road. I ask that the road be built so that it can provide access to …” he said.
The statement appears to contrast with the state government’s presentation of its infrastructure projects in Eket.
In June, Channels TV reported that Mr Eno commissioned 4.8 kilometres of roads in the Eket Local Government Area.
The commissioned projects included the 2.4-kilometre Ikot Akpa Ikpo–Urua Udo Inyang Road and another 2.4-kilometre internal road network in Mkpok Estate Phases I and II.
Channels TV also reported that Mr Eno said his administration was constructing about 38 kilometres of roads across Eket, with various stages of completion, and that another 12 kilometres were planned.
According to the report, the governor inspected the ongoing Afaha Atai road projects during his visit to the area.
Mr Assam, however, specifically located his criticism in Eket Urban, rather than the entire Eket Local Government Area.
His comments, therefore, raise questions about whether the government’s wider road construction figures adequately reflect the state of roads within the urban centre.
Despite his criticism, Mr Assam urged residents and political appointees to support the governor.
“I want you all to have it at the back of your mind that the government must be encouraged. Our brothers and sisters appointed to public service should also assist the governor. The burden of governance is huge. We should try to lessen his burden,” he said.
He also called for better utilisation of government-built schools and health centres, saying infrastructure would have little impact without properly trained teachers and adequate protection of public facilities.
The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, did not respond to calls seeking his reaction to Mr Assam’s comments.
The scale of the government’s road programme is also reflected in the 2026 budget.
A review of the budget by PREMIUM TIMES shows that N3.85 billion was allocated to various road projects in Eket.
