By Chioma Onuegbu – Uyo

A former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district, Dr Chris Ekpenyong in the February 2019 election has urged the federal government to address the challenges of infrastructure and poverty in the country in the year 2020.

Ekpenyong who spoke yesterday in Uyo expressed concern over the increasing rate of poverty and poor means of transportation in the country particularly in the South-South and South East.

His words, “We need quality roads, we need rail lines in 2020. The Calabar-Itu Road, Ikot Ekpene-Aba road is impassable. There should be means of transportation, that encourages easy transportation of goods and services.

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“Everybody in Nigeria is complaining about hardship, but we must work harder, in conjunction with this government which mantra is to take Nigeria to the next level to ensure that poverty is eliminated in this country. As a government, you must be able to feed your people.

“And why must the federal government have the monopoly of power distribution in this country. Power distribution should be taken to the states. You cannot ginger industrial growth without power”

Senator Ekpenyong who commended the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) suggested that the exercise be extended to the entire administrative mechanism of Nigeria.

He stressed that conducting a forensic audit of the entire administrative mechanism will help Nigerians clearly understand how they are faring.

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“By next year, 2020, Nigeria will be celebrating 60years of independence, there should be the sincerity of purpose in fighting corruption in 2020. We must define our education system.

“So, now that we are going for the year 2020, let there be a turnaround. We are saying we want to go to the next level, let us have an enduring economic plan”, he advised.

Senator Christopher Ekpenyong who truncated Senator Godswill Akpabio’s ambition of returning to the Senate for the second term, however, will on January 25, 2020, go to the re-run election in Essien Udim local government Council following the ruling of the Appeal Court, Calabar that nullified his election.

Meanwhile, Akpabio had a few weeks ago declared his decision to withdraw from the race and to concentrate on his duties as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Vanguard News Nigeria.