An Oil-Producing State, Yet Villagers Still Build Roads with Sticks—How Did We Get Here?
By Passman Akpos
Villagers Build Their Own Road in Akwa Ibom as Frustration Over Government Neglect GrowsResidents of Ebo Itu Mbonuso community in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have embarked on the self-construction of the Itu Mbonuso Road after years of waiting for government intervention.
The food-producing community has resorted to using traditional “stick technology”—an age-old local engineering method once employed by their forefathers to make difficult terrain passable before the advent of modern road construction.
According to a post by Prince Igu Idika, ANIPR, the community members have taken it upon themselves to restore access to their road using locally available materials, cutlasses, shovels, and communal labour.
The project, currently at the stick-piling stage, has attracted praise from many observers who describe it as a powerful demonstration of community spirit, self-reliance, and determination.
“This is what community looks like. This is what happens when hope in ‘they will come and do it’ finally graduates into ‘let us do it ourselves,'” the statement read.
The writer further suggested that when the road is completed, political leaders should be invited to commission the project despite not contributing to its construction, arguing that such a gesture would draw attention to the community’s struggle and the need for greater government responsiveness.
The development has also reignited public debate over infrastructure delivery in Akwa Ibom State, with some residents expressing disappointment over the condition of rural roads despite the state’s significant revenue from oil production.
Some commentators alleged that public funds have not translated into adequate infrastructure in many communities and called on Governor Umo Eno’s administration to address the concerns. They also criticised political leaders, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, over what they described as inadequate attention to the welfare of rural communities. These are allegations and opinions made by critics, and no evidence has been presented in this report to substantiate claims of corruption or misuse of public funds.
Residents say the Itu Mbonuso Road project has become a symbol of what communities can achieve through unity and collective action, while also serving as a reminder of the pressing need for government investment in rural infrastructure.
