From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
An aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Obubra-Etung Federal Constituency in Cross Rivers State, Obah Tawo, spoke to Daily Sun, outlining his plans to win a seat at the National Assembly.
What exactly did you see on the ground in Obubra-Etung Federal Constituency that convinced you to aspire to represent the area in the National Assembly?
The reason I decided to embark on this journey is that I have been observing the situation in my constituency and I found that a lot is lacking. It is the prospect of what can be done that gave me the conviction that I can be of greater service to my people, because these are the things they need in order to live better.
Your people grow cocoa for the world but live in poverty, underdevelopment, and crisis, and even face waterborne diseases like cholera. How will you change that?
The key challenges that people are facing relate to proper road networks, plain and simple. Farmers struggle to access their farms, mothers and their babies face difficulties getting to medical clinics or schools, and businesses suffer from poor connectivity. The road network is a major obstacle. If you want to industrialise any society or any place, you need to ensure that there is access and connectivity. Road access is, therefore, challenge number one.
The second challenge is healthcare. I am not talking about the city; I am talking about the communities within Etung and Obubra, how many people have access to good medical facilities? Even accessing those facilities is hampered by poor road networks. Ensuring that people can actively access medical supplies and medical help is, therefore, a key priority for me.
The third challenge is this: Obubra and Etung are blessed with natural agricultural resources. Why are we not doing more instead of remaining tied to the middlemen who come from elsewhere, buy the product cheaply, and go on to make much larger profits? Why don’t we own the whole supply chain? Why don’t we have proper production factories? All we hear about is cocoa , people simply harvest it from farms and sell it off. It then goes to the Western world, where they produce various flavours, chocolates, and other products.
There is an abundance of cocoa within Etung, a God-given, nature-given resource that, if properly managed, could benefit everyone along the full chain. But we are only participating in one side of the cocoa business. There is a whole supply chain to be exploited. I made enquiries in Ghana and Ivory Coast they also have cocoa, but they are maximising the wealth that can be produced from it. We can do the same if the right environment is created.
As for Obubra, it is very unfortunate that cholera remains a challenge and that access to clean water, a basic right of the people is still a problem in 2026. I built a water project in Bendeghe-Ekiem and can replicate this across the constituency when elected, to help address the lack of access to clean water, as I will be in a better position to do so.
We need to properly industrialise the natural resources we have, as this will help solve the unemployment crisis. When youth are engaged, that reduces restlessness, insecurity, and other related issues. Those are the real challenges that I believe, as a representative of the people, we can fix within the constituency.
How will your time in Abuja as a lawmaker bring clinics, roads, schools, and factories to Obubra-Etung Constituency?
Taking this to the Federal House, where legislation happens, there has to be a great deal of collaboration. There are committees, the NDDC, the ITF, and several others, that I would need to strategically align with in order to bring opportunities that may currently be going to other communities back home. Within my first few days, we will begin setting up guardrails, specifically, a constituency public page where people can see exactly what projects are happening, what they have been awarded, and who the contractor is, so that constituents can properly identify whether, for example, a health facility awarded to a particular contractor has actually been built. We will also have oversight committees set up to monitor federal-level projects within the constituency, validate progress, and ensure completion before funds are disbursed.
What skills and expertise are you bringing to the table that qualify you for the task ahead?
I have built businesses from conception through to sustainability and independence. In my local community, I have also implemented a water factory to address a key challenge in the Bendeghe-Ekiem area. I am a business person who practically understands what it takes to build something and see it grow and succeed.
I bring business acumen, but I also bring conscience and presence. By “presence,” I mean that because I have a business in my village, I am acutely aware of the challenges that people back home are facing. Interacting with them and receiving feedback from my staff keeps me grounded in their realities. I know they are facing challenges, and I know I can address those challenges. Having already created opportunities for youth in my own small way, imagine what I could do with a larger platform, greater resources, and federal-level structure.
You will most likely face a ten-year incumbent with money, power, and structure. Why should the Obubra-Etung people fire him and hire you in 2027?
The incumbents have money and power, but they also have something very real. They have a record and that record is a bad one. Based on that record, it is quite easy to identify that something is wrong. And the power truly lies not with incumbents or those in office, the power lies with the people.
I am working hard to ensure that people understand they have the power to decide how their leadership should function. I am also very receptive to advice and criticism from all quarters, including the press, because that is how we grow as a community.
