For Mbo Local Government Area, the next State House of Assembly election is not just another political cycle. It is a defining moment. It is an opportunity to break decisively from a long and damaging tradition: the use of elective office as a tool for political and economic rehabilitation of individuals, rather than as an instrument for collective development. For too long, Mbo has sent people to Uyo not because they possessed vision, strategy, or leverage, but because they needed personal...

The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 represents one of the most consequential reforms in Nigeria’s extractive sector. Among its most innovative features is the establishment of Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), enshrined under Chapter 3, with Section 239 clearly articulating their objectives. These Trusts were conceived as structured, accountable vehicles to address decades of underdevelopment, environmental degradation, and economic exclusion suffered by host...

Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), as mandated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in Nigeria, play a pivotal role in planning, implementing, and overseeing development initiatives funded by oil and gas companies in host communities. These Trusts are intended to drive localised socio-economic development and ensure broader community participation. However, a persistent challenge has been the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles within HCDTs despite a strong pipeline of...

Nigeria’s 2025 oil licensing round has reopened an old reality for oil‑bearing and oil‑adjacent communities across the Niger Delta: those who organise early are recognised; those who delay are absorbed, sidelined, or ignored. For Mbo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, this moment is particularly consequential. Offshore blocks offered in the current licensing round sit directly seaward of Mbo’s coastline, placing Mbo communities firmly within the zone of potential impact...

The reopening of the Mbo Skill Acquisition Center marks one of the most significant development milestones in the history of the local government. At a time when unemployment is rising, industries are shrinking, and the youth are increasingly vulnerable to social vices, the Chairman’s decision to revive and operationalize the center demonstrates both foresight and commitment to sustainable development. However, as with every transformative project, the long-term success of the center...

The implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was heralded as the dawn of a new era — a moment when oil-bearing communities would finally have a direct say in their development, where transparency would replace secrecy, and accountability would guide every project and expenditure. But barely a few years into its implementation, cracks are beginning to appear. What was supposed to be a people-driven reform is, in some quarters, gradually taking on the opaque and disconnected...

In almost every corner of Nigeria, from bustling cities to remote rural communities, one finds a familiar structure rising from the ground: the ubiquitous three-classroom block. At both the federal and state levels, legislators have made this tiny building their favorite constituency project. Wherever you go, whether in the South-South, the North, or the Southwest, you will encounter schools dotted with these modest structures, lined up awkwardly in all directions—north, south, east,...

The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was heralded as a landmark piece of legislation, designed to transform Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, protect the environment, and secure benefits for host communities through the establishment of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs). On paper, it appears to be a long-overdue reform aimed at correcting historical injustices and ensuring that oil-producing communities reap tangible rewards from the resources beneath their soil. But as with many...

In a period when many citizens doubt whether leaders still place people above politics, the Chairman of Mbo Local Government Area has offered a refreshing example. His recent decision to pay bursaries to Mbo students in higher institutions is not only commendable, but the manner in which it has been handled sets a standard worth celebrating. For years, bursary awards in different parts of Nigeria have been marred by secrecy, favoritism, or outright neglect. Students often wait endlessly...

Nigeria has been here before. In 1993, one man’s decision — General Ibrahim Babangida’s annulment of the June 12 presidential election — overturned the will of the people and set this country back decades. That single act shattered trust in governance, emboldened impunity, and entrenched the belief that power could be wielded without accountability. Three decades later, we still live with the consequences. It happened because Nigeria has long relied on strong men, not...

In a robust display of community-focused leadership, the Emoimee Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) Mbo convened a stakeholders' meeting yesterday that reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare and sustainable development of Mbo communities. With a packed agenda and an engaged audience, the meeting highlighted the successes of the Trust, its ongoing challenges, and a renewed vision for the future. From education and business empowerment to healthcare and maritime support, Emoimee HCDT is...

Date: August 1, 2025 The Chairman,Emoimee Host Community Development Trust (HCDT),Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Dear Ma, This letter is written with a sense of deep urgency and profound disappointment. We are compelled to formally express our outrage at the continuing delay in releasing the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) funds due to Mbo Local Government Area—a delay that now borders on intentional sabotage. It is utterly unacceptable that, nearly seven months after contracts were...