By Dapo Akinrefon

Seven years ago, Dr Alex Egbona, the member representing Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State in the House of Representatives, became member of the House of Representatives.

He is currently the chairman of the House committee on specialty healthcare, will be seven years old as member of the National Assembly.

He has already won the ticket of the PDP for a fresh term in the House. In this interview with some journalists, he speaks on his activities, especially the projects he has attracted to his constituency, even as he laments that the local government system should wake up and serve the people. Excerpts:

You have been in the House of Reps for seven years now and this week marks your third year in the National Assembly as a second term member. How has the journey been?

I must appreciate you guys for finding time to sit with me at this time. Yes, this is my seventh year as member of the House. Yes, this week marks my third year after I was re-elected in 2023. If you have been following my activities in the last seven years, you would have observed the mixed grill that has characterised my journey into and in the House of Reps.

Note that I have not truly spent seven uninterrupted years on the seat. In 2019, I was distracted by court and rerun election matters respectively and these lasted for close to two years. Let me also refresh your memory, that as at 2019, I was the only member of the APC who won an election in Cross River State. The legal battles came from all fronts: I was dragged to court by a fellow APC member who felt he was the proper candidate of the party. He lost and I won.

But in all, you will agree with me that I lost some grounds. But let me shock you again: despite the distractions during and after the first and second term elections, Abi/Yakurr people saw what they had not seen in terms of projects and empowerment programmes since the advent of this democracy in 1999.

But there are people who have said that you have not done anything for them since you got into office. There are people who have accused you of poor representation.

Facts are sacred. I believe that is not a strange axiom for those of you in the media. The things I have done are everywhere. At the risk of sounding immodest, I can say that if you put together, everything my predecessors achieved in 20 years, you will discover that my seven years have been much more impactful. I can also beat my chest and tell you that my footprints are in all the council wards of Abi/Yakurr.

Don’t forget that within my first few weeks in the House of Reps, I had undertaken a tour of the entire federal constituency, where I interacted with the people directly and took note of what their immediate needs were. Those who needed access to portable water have got it. Those who wanted better learning environments for their children were given new classroom blocks, while classroom blocks that were in very bad shape were rehabilitated.

Desks, chairs, exercise books etc were provided for the various schools. Those who had challenges with electricity received attention, as transformers were provided and the people linked to the public grid.

During this period under review, I have facilitated the employment of scores of constituents into various federal government agencies and parastatals, including the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, which establishment I played a very pivotal role.

The leather institute in Ekureku, a monotechnic, was attracted by me and many of our people are either employed or currently being trained in leather works under my scholarship. Many of our people are now in the police, the military, DSS and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, courtesy of me. I do not want to even talk of the solar powered street lights which I attracted to all parts of the constituency.

I have empowered scores across the constituency. many were trained in various vocations and were also assisted with funds to start their businesses.

A lot of them were empowered with bikes and keke. Others were assisted to acquire skills in the areas of hair dressing, fashion design, photography and videography etc. Today, we have many of my constituents who are doing well in their fishing businesses, after they were trained through me and the necessary working tools and start up capital given to them.

In my constituency, there is no Primary Health Centre that is still in darkness. There is none that has also not been equipped with functional facilities. I took advantage of my position as chairman of the House committee on specialty healthcare to attract health related projects to my constituency. Thousands of the people have been enrolled in the health insurance scheme, making it possible for them to have access to medical facilities and drugs in selected hospitals in Abuja, Calabar, Abi and Yakurr.

Health officials in all the health centres have been trained to enable them do their work perfectly. I undertook a comprehensive free medical outreach for my people in the two local governments. Surgical operations were undertaken for those who needed such services. There was no segregation. You did not need to know anybody to be given attention. We spent days in the selected health centres across the constituency for this programme.

Please go and find out whether, in the history of this constituency, any legislator has commissioned projects; I mean people-oriented projects that the people are still enjoying till today. I am also the first legislator to have organized town hall meetings, where I interacted with the people to render the account of my stewardship. I am the first to have operated a functional liaison office. Please go and verify.

I do not even want to talk about the assistance I give to hundreds of people on a daily and weekly basis-for burials, school fees, food, house rent etc. Those who have not been enrolled in the health insurance still reach out to me for assistance to pay their medical bills.

Now, let me say this, that I have not neglected my core responsibilities as a lawmaker-lawmaking, oversight and representation. I have sponsored bills and moved motions on the floor of the House. A bill that I sponsored for the establishment of a federal medical centre at Itigidi has since been passed and awaiting the assent of Mr President. Time will fail me to read out all the bills and motions. But they are all captured in my report card. Copies will be given to you.

So, anybody who says they cannot see what I have done is either living in the moon for the past seven years, or is blind, or is just being petty. My works speak for me everywhere.

But let me use this opportunity to say this: the duty of the legislator is not to embark on projects. Legislators do not control votes. We don’t have executive powers over funds. We don’t have security votes. Governors control funds for their states. Local government chairmen control funds for their LGAs. But people expect legislators to do all the projects. This is a wrong mindset.

I come from Abi LGA. Look at what is happening in the local government system. In Abi for example, a whooping N5.57billion was received from the federation account in 2025. This year, between January and March, Abi LGA has received in excess of N1.5 billion. This is outside the IGR. What has been done with the money? Yet, everybody is looking at my direction, to provide water, electricity, build schools, do roads etc. What is the LG doing? Regardless though, I am doing and will continue to do my best for my people.

You said you were the one that built the APC in your state and you were even the only one that won an election under the APC. So, why did you leave for the PDP? And which faction of the PDP do you belong?

Let me answer from the second leg of your question. There are no two factions of the PDP. INEC is the electoral umpire. What you should ask is, where does INEC stand? Or, was INEC present during the primary election where we emerged as the party’s candidates? The answer is yes. I think you should exercise a bit of patience to see those whose names will be published by the commission.

Now, why did I leave the APC? Many people have asked this question and the answer I have always given is that the events that led to my exit from the APC must have been allowed by God, otherwise I would have remained in the APC. It was a painful decision but I had to take that decision, especially when my people gave me the go ahead to quit. I belonged to a party that used to be one indivisible family but just about when we were preparing for the 2027 elections, I began to notice strange occurrence in the party. I noticed fragmentation in the party and I could not bear it. So, I had to quit.

So, you are more comfortable in the PDP than you were in the APC?

I have not seen toxicity in the current PDP. But I have seen a family that is welcoming. I have seen a political family that has the interest of my people at heart. Politics is all about the people. And a political party is that vehicle that takes you and your people to El Dorado. So, right now, my people are comfortable with the PDP because, like I said, there is no toxicity and there is peace.

If you win in 2027, what new things would you be do for Abi/Yakurr?

I will like to rephrase that question, partly. Let’s say it like this: when you win… I say so because I am certain that Abi/Yakurr people know that I have served them well, with all my heart, for the past seven years and so they will willingly give me their mandate for a fresh term. Like I have said in various fora, this will be my last term in the House of Reps. After 2031, I will vacate the seat for my Yakurr brothers or sisters to take over. By the time I return in 2027 therefore, I will, as usual, consult widely with the royal fathers, the women, the youths, political leaders and everybody in the constituency.

I do not walk or work alone. I am one person who deliberately carries my constituents along in all that I do. So, they will make inputs at every point in time and what they need is what I would send to the national budget. But you can be sure that more people will gain employment through me, more people will have access to more good things of life. They will enjoy a higher level of representation and access to the government and offerings by the government.

And what if you do not win?

That question is just like saying ‘what if there is no sunlight when day breaks.’ I am so certain that I will win. It will not be by my might or by my power. I will win because I have served the people well for the past seven years. I will win because God is involved in this project. I will win because my people cannot cope with stinginess and an impactful representation. They would not want to be sent to Egypt after they have tasted life in paradise for the past seven years.