By Kelvin Obambon
The political landscape of the Obubra-Etung Federal Constituency has gained a new contender as Dr Obah Edom Tawo, a seasoned Information Technology professional and entrepreneur, officially declared his intention to vie for the Federal House of Representatives seat.
Running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr Tawo stated that his decision to enter the race was born out of a deep-seated concern for the welfare of his people and the visible lack of basic amenities across the constituency.
Speaking during a chat with a section of the media in Calabar on Wednesday, the ICT expert who hails from Bendeghe-Ekim in Etung local government area, did not mince words regarding the performance of the current representative.
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“The reason why I decided to get on this journey is because I’ve been seeing the situations around my constituency,” Tawo stated. “Myself being comfortable, and my people back home are not is what drives me to do what I’m doing. I think you and I can vehemently agree that people are kind of tired with the existing structure of things, the existing way of things, the hunger in the land, and the insecurity.”
He identified road networks and healthcare as the most critical challenges facing the rural communities in Obubra and Etung, noting that the poor state of roads has hindered farmers from accessing markets and prevented mothers from reaching medical clinics.
“Farmers have challenges with access to their farms. Mothers and their babies, if you have a challenge of trying to go to a medical clinic or even going to school, that’s a serious problem,” he lamented.
Tawo expressed shock that in the current era, constituents are still facing issues like cholera and a lack of clean drinking water. “It’s very unfortunate that access to clean water, which is a basic right of the people, is still a challenge. I have already built a water factory in my village to ease the pain of water availability, and I intend to replicate something similar on a larger scale across the federal constituency.”
The aspirant, who runs businesses both within and outside Nigeria, proposed a shift from subsistence farming to full-chain industrialization. He highlighted the untapped potential of cassava and cocoa – the “black gold” of Etung.
“Why don’t we own the whole supply chain? We have cocoa… people are just getting cocoa from the farms and selling it away. Then it goes to the Western world and they produce chocolates and coffee. Why can’t we properly industrialize the natural resources we have been blessed by God?”
According to him, this industrialization is the key to solving chronic unemployment and youth restiveness that fuel insecurity in the constituency.
When asked why he chose the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the more established parties, Tawo described the party as a haven for “the next generation of strategic political thinkers.”
On his legislative agenda, he promised to bridge the gap between representation and oversight. He plans to implement “constituency guardrails,” including a public project tracking page and quarterly town hall meetings to restore trust in the system.
“Trust is something that has to be earned,” he said. “I see the position I’m vying for not as an unconditional engagement, but a conditional contract. If I go to represent them and do not perform, the people have it in their power to decide my continuation.”
With his background in IT and business acumen, Tawo believes he offers a “refreshing and reassuring” alternative to the status quo, banking on the people’s desire for a shift from the unpalatable records of the incumbent.
