Former House of Representatives member, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has challenged the classification of Esit Eket Local Government Area as an underperforming council in Akwa Ibom State, demanding a transparent reassessment of its projects, expenditure and development programmes.
Eyiboh, in an open letter to the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, said the assessment by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs raised questions about the methodology, evidence and criteria used to determine the performance of the 31 local government areas inspected between June 26 and July 17, 2026.
He argued that the credibility of legislative oversight depended not only on the authority to investigate but also on the integrity of the evidence and fairness of the conclusions reached.
“The credibility of legislative oversight depends not merely on the authority to investigate, but equally on the integrity of the evidence, fairness of the process and soundness of the conclusions reached,” Eyiboh stated.
The former lawmaker, who described himself as a stakeholder in Esit Eket’s development, acknowledged the importance of legislative scrutiny but maintained that the council’s classification deserved another look in view of projects and social intervention programmes reportedly undertaken by its current administration.
He questioned whether the committee, chaired by Rt. Hon. Mfon Idung, applied clearly defined performance indicators, examined financial records and independently verified projects before reaching its conclusions.
According to him, the report, as publicly presented, did not sufficiently explain the benchmarks used, the financial period reviewed or how approved budgets, statutory allocations, expenditure records, procurement documents and the physical condition of projects were reconciled.
“An inspection may cover all local government areas and fall squarely within the legislature’s mandate, yet still raise legitimate questions about its methodology, evidential foundation and fairness,” he said.
Eyiboh also argued that local government performance should not be measured solely by the appearance of administrative buildings or the number of visible construction projects, but should include education, healthcare, agriculture, livelihood support, digital inclusion, disability assistance and community security.
He listed 15 categories of projects and interventions which, he said, should be subjected to factual verification as part of a comprehensive reassessment of Esit Eket’s performance.
Among the infrastructure projects cited were the construction of Urua Ayu Market, renovation of Uquo Market, construction of three compassionate homes across Zones A, B and C, landscaping of the council premises covering approximately 6,700 square metres, and renovation of the council hall.
He also cited the reported provision of 35 desktop computers for the council’s information and communication technology centre, arguing that such investments should be assessed in terms of procurement records, operational status and actual public benefit.
On social welfare and economic empowerment, Eyiboh said the administration reportedly provided 10 motorcycles to commercial operators whose motorcycles had become unserviceable, four tricycles to farmers for transporting produce and 10 wheelchairs to persons living with disabilities.
The former lawmaker further cited educational assistance of about ₦65 million for approximately 3,000 pupils and the distribution of 10,000 exercise books and 150 cartons of chalk to all 16 primary schools in the local government area.
He said four law students and the best graduating student of Heritage Polytechnic reportedly received ₦500,000 each during the council administration’s anniversary, amounting to ₦2.5 million.
The letter also highlighted a six-month skills acquisition programme for six young people at a reported training cost of ₦1 million per participant, alongside ₦500,000 empowerment support for each participant. Eyiboh put the combined expenditure on training and grants at ₦9 million.
Other interventions he listed included a holiday technology programme involving 130 students, with laptops awarded to five outstanding participants; more than ₦12 million reportedly spent on the medical treatment of an individual still receiving care; and health insurance registration for 100 indigenes.
He also drew attention to the reported expenditure of approximately ₦8 million monthly on committees established for security, peacebuilding, environmental management, media and other administrative responsibilities, with a combined membership exceeding 167 persons.
Eyiboh, however, cautioned that the list should not be treated as conclusive proof of satisfactory performance, insisting that each project and programme must be tested against relevant documentation, implementation records and measurable outcomes.
“I do not present their existence as conclusive proof that every expenditure was proper or that every programme achieved its intended objectives,” he said, adding that the interventions constituted material information that should be verified before a definitive judgment was made.
He maintained that where records established that projects were executed and benefits delivered, the findings should reflect such evidence, while any deficiencies, cost discrepancies or implementation failures should equally be documented.
The former lawmaker also questioned the consistency of the assessment criteria, alleging that a council whose major achievement was landscaping its secretariat had been classified as performing, while Esit Eket, which he said undertook landscaping alongside several other interventions, was rated unsatisfactory.
He argued that landscaping should neither be dismissed as irrelevant nor accepted as sufficient evidence of overall performance without examining other areas of responsibility.
The letter further noted that the committee’s report acknowledged the direct flow of statutory allocations to local government councils following the implementation of financial autonomy and stated that no interference by the state governor in council funds was observed.
Eyiboh said the development made rigorous scrutiny of local government finances more important, stressing that financial autonomy did not remove the obligation to account for public funds.
“Financial autonomy is not a licence for waste, nor does it exempt local government officials from accountability,” he stated.
He urged the Assembly to distinguish between administrative weaknesses, delays in project implementation, poor-quality construction, financial irregularities and proven misuse of public funds, arguing that each category required specific evidence and an appropriate response.
According to him, a council’s overall performance should be determined by examining the resources received, expenditure incurred, projects approved and executed, work completed or ongoing, and the benefits delivered to residents.
Eyiboh called for a reassessment process that would allow relevant documentary evidence, physical project conditions and community-level information to be considered before final conclusions were reached.
He said the objective was not to shield the Esit Eket administration from scrutiny but to ensure that the legislative process remained credible, transparent and evidence-driven.
“An oversight process should be rigorous enough to expose failure, fair enough to recognise progress and transparent enough to command public confidence and trust,” he said.
The letter was signed by Eyiboh, a former member and spokesperson of the House of Representatives, who urged the Speaker to ensure that the assessment of Esit Eket was subjected to a process capable of withstanding public scrutiny.
