Serve the People, Not Yourselves, Lawmaker Tells Office Holders

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The member representing Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra federal constituency in the National Assembly, Hon Peter Akpanke, has stated that elected and appointed political office holders should make the people the centre of their services instead of themselves.

Akpanke, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who stated this yesterday, said at all times, even before elections, the people must of necessity remain the fulcrum of political office seekers and holders.

Speaking at a special thanksgiving on his electoral victory at St. John’s Catholic Church in Obanliku, Cross River State, Akpanke, who is the deputy chairman of the House Committee on FCT Area Council and Ancillary Matters, said his election to the National Assembly derived from his desire to improve the living standard of his constituents and Cross River State.

Akpanke, who commented on the state of socio-economic infrastructure in his constituency, said it is mandatory for the government to work for the benefit of the people whose mandate they enjoy.

“It’s a terrible thing what our people are made to suffer from the people whom they voted into office to represent their interest and to better their lives.

“You all can see the situation of our roads, especially that of Obanliku roads. It is as if we don’t even have a governor, especially the immediate-past one, who incidentally hails from this senatorial district.

“While I will continue to draw the government’s attention to the needs of my people, I will however not relent to carry out necessary action that will lead to the improvement in the livelihood of my people,” Akpanke said.

Appealing to the political class to always consider the interest of the people they are mandated to serve, the lawmaker said: “It is in this regard that I appeal to political actors to always seek and put forward, the interests of the generality of Nigerians, and jettison personal interest as reason for seeking political offices.

“We owe them a duty to provide good governance and not the other way round.”

Speaking at the event, the state Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Venatius Ikem, urged Akpanke to continue his philanthropic gesture by working hard to see to the needs of his constituents.

Ikem said the primary duty of a lawmaker is to see to the enthronement of laws that would impact positively on the lives of his constituents, and by extension, the country, adding that the lawmaker must also attract meaningful projects to his constituency.

Referring directly to Akpanke, the PDP chairman said: “I have no doubt that you will do all that is necessary to better the lives of the people of Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra federal constituency.”

Those who attended the event included some members of the House of Representatives, some members of the state House of Assembly, some members of the Labour Party (LP),  AIG Suzan Horsefall, some members of the APC in the state, and a host of other guest.