By Etebong Akpan
Two years into his tenure as the Member representing Etinan State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Uduak Ekpo-Ufot has steadily built a record that blends legislative engagement with tangible community development. From the chamber in Uyo to the rural villages of Etinan, his approach to governance has been defined by a commitment to measurable outcomes, strategic advocacy, and an open-door connection to the people who entrusted him with their mandate.
The latest milestone in this record is the successful disbursement of bursary stipends to over 700 students of Etinan origin enrolled in various tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Beginning on Thursday, August 7, 2025, the payment exercise has been taking place at the Etinan State Constituency Office, Assembly Complex, Uyo, under a transparent and orderly system designed to ensure that only eligible students receive the support. Beneficiaries were required to present a certificate of origin, proof of active membership in their NAELGOS chapter, current course registration slip, valid school identification card, and a printout of their National Identification Number. The process will continue every Thursday in August, with a Batch B phase planned for September to accommodate students who could not meet the initial deadlines.
For Hon. Ekpo-Ufot, this bursary scheme is not an isolated gesture but part of a deliberate and sustained effort to invest in the constituency’s future. “Education is the backbone of our future,” he has often remarked, and the evidence of his priorities over the past two years supports this claim. By directly supporting students at a time when the cost of higher education continues to rise, he is not only easing the immediate financial burden on families but also signalling to the younger generation that their aspirations matter in the grander picture of Etinan’s development.
Since being sworn in on June 9, 2023, Ekpo-Ufot has used his position in the House to shape legislation that reflects both global trends and local realities. As Chairman of the House Committee on Science & Technology and Vice Chairman on Inter-Governmental, Political & Special Matters, he has pushed for reforms that bridge the gap between policy and practical impact. Among his sponsored bills are the Akwa Ibom State Start-Up Bill, aimed at creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs and innovators, and the Bureau for ICT, Innovation & Emerging Technologies Bill, which seeks to position the state as a hub for technology-driven solutions. He has also co-sponsored five other bills, touching on agricultural loans, economic stabilization frameworks, and security trust funding mechanisms designed to strengthen both state-wide resilience and local protections.
His legislative work has been reinforced by a readiness to raise urgent matters affecting his constituency on the Assembly floor. In these two years, Ekpo-Ufot has moved motions of urgent public importance to address pressing issues such as the collapsed Ikot Mfon–Ndiya bridge, whose state of disrepair has hindered movement and economic activity between key communities. He has spoken out against the persistent problem of electricity vandalism, pushing for stronger laws and community-driven deterrence measures. When violence broke out in Ndon Eyo, he was at the forefront of calling for a coordinated response and for justice for the victims.
But for the people of Etinan, the measure of his leadership is not confined to the bills he supports or the motions he moves; it is equally reflected in the daily realities of their communities. Ekpo-Ufot has approached constituency service with a philosophy that blends empowerment, infrastructure, and security in a way that creates a multiplier effect for development. Soon after taking office, he initiated a programme to recruit ward-based representatives who serve as direct liaisons between their communities and his constituency office. Each of these aides was given start-up capital of ₦500,000 to launch small businesses, an intervention designed to foster self-reliance while ensuring that the lawmaker’s outreach extends to every part of the constituency. The plan, structured over a four-year cycle, will see 48 indigenes benefit from this empowerment model.
The results of this initiative have begun to materialise in the form of new or expanded small enterprises. In Etinan town, one beneficiary has established a laundry service that now employs other youths, creating a ripple effect in local job creation. In Afaha Akpan Ekpo, another recipient has expanded a piggery business, increasing production capacity and tapping into regional markets. These are small-scale stories, but they are the kind of changes that accumulate into a broader shift in a community’s economic profile.
Infrastructure and utility services have also been a focus. Recognising that reliable electricity is a foundation for both domestic comfort and business growth, Ekpo-Ufot oversaw a comprehensive audit of all transformers in Etinan LGA. The survey revealed that over 100 units required some level of repair, prompting the lawmaker to spearhead a ₦43 million rehabilitation plan. While securing the full funding is an ongoing process, early successes have already restored power to several previously disconnected communities. Complementing this is a security arrangement involving the formation of vigilante groups in strategic villages to protect electrical infrastructure. These local teams have not only deterred vandalism but have also facilitated the arrest of culprits, sending a clear signal that the community will not tolerate sabotage of shared resources.
Security interventions have extended beyond electricity protection. In areas prone to communal clashes or criminal activity, Ekpo-Ufot has worked with traditional rulers, youth groups, and law enforcement agencies to develop preventive strategies and rapid response mechanisms. His quarterly needs-assessment meetings with village heads serve as both a listening exercise and a planning tool, allowing him to prioritise projects and interventions based on first-hand community input rather than distant assumptions.
The bursary scheme, therefore, fits neatly into this pattern of targeted, consultative, and sustained action. It is not a seasonal handout but part of a larger vision that sees education as both a right and a tool for empowerment. By investing directly in students, the lawmaker is building human capital that will, in time, yield dividends for the constituency in terms of professional skills, civic engagement, and economic innovation.
Over the past two years, the combination of legislative advocacy and constituency intervention has given Ekpo-Ufot’s tenure a distinct profile. In the Assembly, his work has positioned Etinan as a constituency with a voice in shaping the state’s technological and economic future. On the ground, his programmes have addressed immediate needs while planting seeds for sustainable growth. The bursary exercise is just one example, but it is emblematic of his approach: deliberate in planning, transparent in execution, and grounded in the belief that leadership must be measured by results.
As his second anniversary in office passes, constituents are taking stock — and many see in his record a clear trajectory of progress. Roads may take time to repair, and policies may require patience to bear fruit, but the cumulative effect of his efforts is visible. From bridges and transformers to small businesses and bursary recipients, the evidence of work done is scattered across the villages and wards of Etinan. For the students who walked away from the constituency office in August with bursary stipends in hand, that evidence is personal. For the communities with restored electricity, it is practical. And for those who have found livelihoods through his empowerment schemes, it is transformational.
Hon. Uduak Ekpo-Ufot’s scorecard at two years is thus more than a list of bills, motions, and projects. It is the outline of a governance philosophy that treats policy and people as inseparable, insisting that good laws must be matched by visible benefits in the lives of those they are meant to serve. If the next two years build on the foundation of the first, Etinan may well find itself with a representative whose legacy is not only spoken of in political circles but felt in the everyday realities of its people.
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