Open Forum, a Civil Society Organisation in Akwa Ibom State, has urged Governor Umo Eno to revisit the Ikot-Akpaden water project in Mkpat Enin that has remained abandoned for over fourteen years. The call followed complaints from community elders during a radio programme about the dire lack of potable water in the area.

Citizen Mathew Kofi Okono, founder of Open Forum, noted that the water project was initiated under the Millennium Development Goals during Governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration in 2011 but was never fully completed or handed over to the community. Elders, led by Chief Sunday Akrasi Frank, recounted the hardships residents face due to the lack of access to clean water.

The civil society group appealed to the Akwa Ibom State Government to ensure the water scheme is completed, functional, and officially handed over to the village council. They emphasized that the solar-powered project, intended to serve the entire community, has remained inactive, prolonging residents’ suffering.

Additionally, the group highlighted environmental hazards in the community caused by oil operations from Sterling Global, including gas flaring and pollution of the only water source. Open Forum called on the Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to intervene, as Sterling Global has reportedly refused invitations to address these concerns.