By Robinson Ere Erebi
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In line with his commitment to fulfilling electoral promises and overseeing development in the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei today commissioned two landmark projects: a standard public toilet in the Igeibiri community and a fully renovated block of classrooms in the Enewari community.
The Chief of Staff and Constituency Liaison Officer to the Honorable Member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Mr. Pere Alfred, led a team of stakeholders and media representatives to commission the projects on behalf of Hon. Ambaiowei.
The team first visited Igeibiri community, where a modern public toilet facility—fully equipped with a solar-powered borehole ensuring a constant supply of water—has been constructed by Hon. Ambaiowei.
While commissioning the modern public toilet facility, Mr. Alfred remarked that the lawmaker had received a letter endorsed by the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, and the CDC Secretary of Igeibiri Community on September 24, 2024, stating that the Igeibiri community needs a toilet facility.
He emphasized that the letter highlighted a need for a floating toilet, but the honorable member, who is committed to discouraging open defecation, insisted, “No, it cannot be a floating toilet at the waterfront. It must be a well-constructed land toilet that we need to site in the Igeibiri community.”
The Constituency Liaison Officer explained that based on this resolve, Hon. Ambaiowei mobilized contractors to inspect the site in the Igeibiri community on September 28, 2024, and employed local contractors who are indigenes of the community to construct the facility. “This is the facility we constructed with modern water supply and other installations,” he stated.
“Today, we want to officially commission this project so that the good people of the Igeibiri community can use it to the glory of God and to discourage open defecation.”
“Now, it’s obvious that the rate of cholera outbreak is alarming, and one of the causes is open defecation. We believe that you’ll make good use of this facility. It’s your property. We’ve come to build it for you. Take care of it and maintain it, so that the hazards associated with open defecation can be averted,” he continued.
The ribbon was cut to officially commission the project and set the facility for use in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In his response to the commissioning of this constituency project in Igeibiri, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman and Acting Paramount Ruler of Igeibiri community, Chief Julius Feateidei Okon, expressed his appreciation and joy for what the Congressman has done in his community.
He said, “By the grace of God, today is a remarkable day for my leadership and the community. Many leaders have come and gone, but Hon. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei represents a different kind of leadership.
“I never knew Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei before; I had never come across him. The first day that I called him, he answered me. He asked me to send him a message about my request. I did, and he responded promptly. I’ve never seen leadership like this—I’ve never seen a leader serving in Southern Ijaw. Many leaders have come and gone, but I’ve not seen one like this.”
“I wrote a letter, and he answered. He later brought this wonderful facility to the community. By the grace of God, the community appreciates him. We are very happy.”
“My heart is overwhelmed with joy and happiness. The whole community is very happy. If this were a campaign, it would be a hundred percent success—not 95, not 99, but 100%. We assure the House of Representatives member today that his seat will contain him until 2027. After 2027, we trust he will continue to represent us, as far as Igeibiri is concerned.”
Some stakeholders in the Igeibiri community also spoke to the media shortly after the commissioning ceremony.
One of them, Prince Angalabiri, who presented a gift of palmoil to the lawmaker, stated, “Rodney Ambaiowei should keep doing what he’s started, and continue this good work. God should grant him wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to continue to lead the affairs of Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in Jesus’ name.”
“And for me, I see this as a very good project because I am the first beneficiary. If you look here, this is my oil mill, and this toilet project ensures we will not defecate openly. It’s very wrong. We are very happy for this kind of project he has brought to us. He should keep doing good work because he has been positively impacting several communities; he’s a good man. That means what the elder told me this morning—he’s a good son—holds true. He’s a good son of Southern Ijaw.”
“So, therefore, this palm oil I present is not the Delta type or Ogbia palm oil; this is Southern Ijaw palm oil that I deal in,” he concluded.
On his part, Asupa Ikpitibo commented, “It has been 24 years since anyone in the political sector has made an effort to build even a toilet or initiate anything to make us happy—until Engr. Rodney Ambaiowei came and made us happy. I am very excited and happy. Personally, I am an APC man, but I will vote for him for a second tenure.”
“And I assure you that for the Igeibiri community, we’ll deliver 35 to 75 percent of our votes to ensure Rodney carries the day in 2027.”
At Enewari community, the team was warmly welcomed at the waterfront with cheerful songs from the Principal, staff, and students of Community Secondary School Enewari, where a six-classroom block and staff rooms that were a previously dilapidated six-classrooms school building have been fully renovated and equipped with new classroom furniture and stationery by the honorable member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei, as part of his constituency projects in Ward 12.
In his welcome address, the Principal of Community Secondary School Enewari, Mr. Rufus Francis Kalaoga, expressed gratitude for the good work that Hon. Rodney Ambaiowei has done for the school, notably that he has renovated the school building and provided tables and chairs for students.
“We thank him. He has given all the students books to write in their respective classes. May God Almighty grant him a long life and the opportunity to serve us for many more years—not just this tenure. Let the Almighty God enable him to serve a second term because we expect even more good things from him in Jesus’ name,” he prayed.
While commissioning the newly renovated school building on behalf of the honorable member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the 10th National Assembly, Mr. Pere Alfred expressed delight at being in Enewari for this project.
“This is a representative government, and the good people of Enewari chose to elect one of their own in the person of Rodney Ambaiowei. Today, he has come to fulfill the mandate you bestowed upon him by renovating this facility and providing writing materials, including 20, 40, 60, and 80-leaf ‘not for sale’ notebooks, which we presented to the principal on November 29, 2024.”
“We also provided students’ desks, teachers’ tables, and chairs for the glory and benefit of the students and teachers. As the principal mentioned, may more years come, so that more dividends shall be delivered to the good people of Enewari, to the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” he stated.
Responding on behalf of the community, a critical stakeholder and Director-General of the Center for Youth Development, Hon. Robert Igali, remarked, “I feel very elated, not forgetting that the community stood by the honorable member during the re-run election, which affected our community. The community did well to ensure that the votes cast were in his favor and aligned with our party, the PDP.”
“Knowing that the people supported him, one of the critical demands was to renovate Community Secondary School Enewari, and without wasting time, this project was completed within a little over a month. This highlights the regard the member of Parliament has for this community and for education.”
“If we want to combat poverty, we must address its root causes. Without a conducive learning environment, we compromise the quality of education, and that’s what he has done. We want to thank him; this is my Alma Mater, and I’m grateful to have graduated in the class of 1996. We are very grateful as a community and as students.
You can see the students are very happy because it has provided a conducive learning environment for productive engagement. If we don’t take care of these young people, there can be no future. Without quality education, there’s no future. This community is intellectually driven; education is our priority, and that is why we are excelling in all areas.
We want to thank the member of parliament, believing wholeheartedly that when he returns for our votes during campaign season, the community will give him our full support.”
On what prompted these commendable projects and the choice of this community, Mr. Pere Alfred concluded that it fulfills the lawmaker’s campaign promises.
“As previously mentioned, during the re-run election, the community wholeheartedly delivered votes, leading to his election to the hallowed chambers. This visit was a promise he made as soon as he was sworn in; he returned without delay because this was one of the demands—to renovate the secondary school building, which was in deplorable condition. He did not only renovate it; he also provided all necessary materials to maintain the facility. Within a month, the renovation was completed, and today we are commissioning it.”
Regarding the commissioning of two projects in one day, Mr. Pere Alfred remarked that it was indeed incredible and demonstrated the dedication of the elected representative, Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei.
“My spirit is overwhelmed. The tremendous support and warm welcome from the men, women, youth, chiefs, and students of Igeibiri and Enewari attest to the connection the man has with his constituents. He is doing exactly what they voted him to do, and he has not hidden anything from the people who elected him.
The connection between the man and the people is what the National Assembly is meant to foster, and he continues to connect with the people during the remaining years of his first term. By God’s grace, if he receives a second term, he will continue to do even more to serve them,” he enthused.
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