Mkpat Enin Local Government Council in Akwa Ibom State has received N10.08 billion in allocations over 19 months. Yet, there are serious concerns about the poor state of its legislative building and other public facilities. People are worried about how the council is managing funds and if they are being transparent.
Recently, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs inspected the council. They found the legislative block in bad shape. The building had poor surroundings, sanitation issues, and signs of lack of proper maintenance. Lawmakers were not happy with what they saw.
These findings bring up questions about how the council has handled public resources since it started. This is especially important because Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, claims local governments receive their monthly allocations directly without interference from the state government.
Data from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shows that Mkpat Enin received N10.08 billion from October 2024, when Governor Eno inaugurated local government chairpersons, to April 2026, the most recent month with published data. This amount means they got an average of N530.54 million each month. This does not include money from local markets like Urua Akpo Udo Market and Ukam Market, which is one of the largest in Akwa Ibom.
Mkpat Enin is the fourth highest revenue-earning local government in the state, following Uyo, Essien Udim, and Ibiono Ibom. According to TheMail Newspaper, members of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs were not pleased with the state of the Legislative Council complex during a recent visit.
They described the structure as weather-beaten, with an aging roof and overgrown plants. They felt this was not right for a local government that is supposed to receive funds directly under the local government financial autonomy scheme. The committee asked the council chairman, Emmanuel Inyang, why the legislative chamber is still in such poor condition.
Inyang responded that he had told the leader of the legislative council to submit a proposal for repairs in January, but that proposal had not been submitted yet. The committee did not find this answer satisfactory.
When the Leader of the Mkpat Enin Legislative Council, Nyakno Ekpo, was called to explain, he reportedly did not provide any reason for the delay. The committee also expressed worries about the relationship between the council's executive and legislative arms. They cautioned that unnecessary friction could hurt governance and service delivery.
Mr Ekpo revealed that only nine out of 15 councillors had received furniture allowances from the chairman. This raised more questions from lawmakers about fairness and transparency. Residents who spoke anonymously also complained about the lack of working public toilets in the council secretariat.
A reporter visiting the secretariat noted overgrown vegetation, stagnant water, and poor maintenance of the area. The state of the council facilities raises concerns about following Akwa Ibom State's fiscal transparency law. This law, passed in 2022, requires all local government councils to have functional online platforms to publish important financial documents.
Section 47(2) of this law says public institutions must share proposed and approved budgets, budget implementation reports, and audited financial statements. But PREMIUM TIMES found that Mkpat Enin Local Government does not have a working website for these documents.
Checking websites of other councils and the state’s budget portal also did not yield any approved budgets or financial reports for any of the state’s 31 local government councils. This lack of information makes it hard to see if the funds were budgeted or used for renovating the legislative complex or other facilities.
It also means an independent assessment of how the council used the N10.08 billion is not possible. A civil society group had previously urged local governments in Akwa Ibom State to publish their budgets as required by the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
This is not the first time Mkpat Enin Local Government has faced scrutiny over its resource management. In January 2022, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly suspended the then Chairman, Aniekpon Ekpo, due to allegations of misusing public funds and misconduct.
This suspension was based on a report from the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, which recommended action against him. Though those allegations were from a previous administration, the ongoing concerns about accountability show the need for transparency and access to budget and spending records, especially since local governments are meant to receive funds directly.
On July 2, PREMIUM TIMES sent a media inquiry to Mr Inyang via WhatsApp. The inquiry asked for details on how the N10.08 billion was used between October 2024 and April 2026. They also requested copies of the council’s budgets for 2024, 2025, and 2026, along with other financial reports.
Mr Inyang was also asked why the council has not followed the fiscal transparency rules and why public facilities remain in bad shape despite having financial resources. As of the time of this report, Mr Inyang had not responded to the inquiry or returned calls from our reporter.
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