Seven years after his election into the House of Representatives, Dr. Alex Egbona, who represents Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State, says his focus remains on delivering impactful projects and quality representation to his constituents.

Dr. Egbona, who currently serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Specialty Healthcare, has also secured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket to seek another term in the National Assembly.

In this interview with journalists, the lawmaker reflects on his journey in the House of Representatives, outlines key constituency projects and interventions he has facilitated over the years, and expresses concern over the performance of the local government system, urging councils to become more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. Justifying his quest to return to the Green Chamber, he tasked his challengers to show their records.

Excerpts:

You have been in the House of Reps for seven years now and this week marks your third year in the National Assembly as a second term member. How has the journey been?

I must appreciate you guys for finding time to sit with me at this time. Yes, this is my seventh year as member of the House. Yes, this week marks my third year after I was re-elected in 2023. If you have been following my activities in the last seven years, you would have observed the mixed grill that has characterised my journey into and in the House of Reps.

Note that I have not truly spent seven uninterrupted years on the seat. In 2019, I was distracted by court and rerun election matters respectively and these lasted for close to two years. let me also refresh your memory, that as at 2019, I was the only member of the APC who won an election in Cross River State. The legal battles came from all fronts: I was dragged to court by a fellow APC member who felt he was the proper candidate of the party. He lost and I won.

At that time, John Gaul, who, incidentally, is the current candidate of the APC, was my major challenger. I was in the APC while he was in the PDP, the ruling party in the state at the time. He had the support of the state government. At the tribunal, I lost and had to challenge the judgement in the court of appeal, where a rerun was ordered to be conducted in the two wards of Ekureku, where I come from.

I defeated him during the rerun. Mind you, while the case lasted at the tribunal and at the court of appeal, I was practically out of office. It was only after the rerun that I returned to my seat. During this period, I was not at my best as a legislator and my constituency suffered in some way, because I had lost focus as a result of the legal battle and the rerun election.

In 2023, a similar thing happened. I was also dragged before the election tribunal by my Labour Party opponent, John Ifere. Can I shock you? Today, John Ifere and I are under the same umbrella-the PDP- as we prepare for the 2027 election. He is contesting the senate seat for Cross River central, while I am seeking a fresh term to continue representing the people of Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency. And, on the flip side, John Gaul is now in the APC, the party I helped to build, as their candidate. That is how wonderful the game of politics can be, sometimes.

So, as I was saying, John Ifere took me to the tribunal after I defeated him and that was where that phase of legal battle ended. The time and resources lost in 2023 and the distraction that followed was not as serious as it was in 2019.

But in all, you will agree with me that I lost some grounds. But let me shock you again: despite the distractions during and after the first and second term elections, Abi/Yakurr people saw what they had not seen in terms of projects and empowerment programmes since the advent of this democracy in 1999.

Really? But there are people who have said that you have not done anything for them since you got into office. There are people who have accused you of poor representation.

Facts are sacred. I believe that is not a strange axiom for those of you in the media. The things I have done are everywhere. At the risk of sounding immodest, I can say that if you put together, everything my predecessors achieved in 20 years, you will discover that my seven years have been much more impactful. I can also beat my chest and tell you that my footprints are in all the council wards of Abi/Yakurr.

Don’t forget that within my first few weeks in the House of Reps, I had undertaken a tour of the entire federal constituency, where I interacted with the people directly and took note of what their immediate needs were. Those who needed access to portable water have got it. Those who wanted better learning environments for their children were given new classroom blocks, while classroom blocks that were in very bad shape were rehabilitated. Desks, chairs, exercise books etc were provided for the various schools. Those who had challenges with electricity received attention, as transformers were provided and the people linked to the public grid.

During this period under review, I have facilitated the employment of scores of constituents into various federal government agencies and parastatals, including the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, which establishment I played a very pivotal role.
The leather institute in Ekureku, a monotechnic, was attracted by me and many of our people are either employed or currently being trained in leather works under my scholarship. Many of our people are now in the police, the military, DSS and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, courtesy of me. I do not want to even talk of the solar powered street lights which I attracted to all parts of the constituency.

I have empowered scores across the constituency. many were trained in various vocations and were also assisted with funds to start their businesses. A lot of them were empowered with bikes and keke. Others were assisted to acquire skills in the areas of hair dressing, fashion design, photography and videography etc. Today, we have many of my constituents who are doing well in their fishing businesses, after they were trained through me and the necessary working tools and start up capital given to them.
In my constituency, there is no Primary Health Centre that is still in darkness.

There is none that has also not been equipped with functional facilities. I took advantage of my position as chairman of the House committee on specialty healthcare to attract health related projects to my constituency. Thousands of the people have been enrolled in the health insurance scheme, making it possible for the them to have access to medical facilities and drugs in selected hospitals in Abuja, Calabar, Abi and Yakurr.

Should I still go ahead? Health officials in all the health centres have been trained to enable them do their work perfectly. I undertook a comprehensive free medical outreach for my people in the two local governments. Surgical operations were undertaken for those who needed such services.

There was no segregation. You did not need to know anybody to be given attention. We spent days in the selected health centres across the constituency for this programme.
Please go and find out whether, in the history of this constituency, any legislator has commissioned projects; I mean people-oriented projects that the people are still enjoying till today. I am also the first legislator to have organized town hall meetings, where I interacted with the people to render the account of my stewardship. I am the first to have operated a functional liaison office. Please go and verify.
I do not even want to talk about the assistance I give to hundreds of people on a daily and weekly basis-for burials, school fees, food, house rent etc. Those who have not been enrolled in the health insurance still reach out to me for assistance to pay their medical bills.

Now, let me say this, that I have not neglected my core responsibilities as a lawmaker-lawmaking, oversight and representation. I have sponsored bills and moved motions on the floor of the House. A bill that I sponsored for the establishment of a federal medical centre at Itigidi has since been passed and awaiting the assent of Mr President. Time will fail me to read out all the bills and motions. But they are all captured in my report card. Copies will be given to you.

So, anybody who says they cannot see what I have done is either living in the moon for the past seven years, or is blind, or is just being petty. My works speak for me everywhere.

But let me use this opportunity to say this: the duty of the legislator is not to embark on projects. Legislators do not control votes. We don’t have executive powers over funds. We don’t have security votes. Governors control funds for their states. Local government chairmen control funds for their LGAs. But people expect legislators to do all the projects. This is a wrong mindset.

I come from Abi LGA. Look at what is happening in the local government system. In Abi for example, a whooping N5.57billion was received from the federation account in 2025. This year, between January and March, Abi LGA has received in excess of N1.5 billion. This is outside the IGR. What has been done with the money? Yet, everybody is looking at my direction, to provide water, electricity, build schools, do roads etc. What is the LG doing? Regardless though, I am doing and will continue to do my best for my people.

You said you were the one that built the APC in your state and you were even the only one that won an election under the APC. So, why did you leave for the PDP? And which faction of the PDP do you belong?

Let me answer from the second leg of your question. There are no two factions of the PDP. INEC is the electoral umpire. What you should ask is, where does INEC stand?

Or, was INEC present during the primary election where we emerged as the party’s candidates? The answer is yes. I think you should exercise a bit of patience to see those whose names will be published by the commission.

Now, why did I leave the APC? Many people have asked this question and the answer I have always given is that the events that led to my exit from the APC must have been allowed by God, otherwise I would have remained in the APC. It was a painful decision but I had to take that decision, especially when my people gave me the go ahead to quit. I belonged to a party that used to be one indivisible family but just about when we were preparing for the 2027 elections, I began to notice strange occurrence in the party. I noticed fragmentation in the party and I could not bear it. So, I had to quit.

So, you are more comfortable in the PDP than you were in the APC?

I have not seen toxicity in the current PDP. But I have seen a family that is welcoming. I have seen a political family that has the interest of my people at heart. Politics is all about the people. And a political party is that vehicle that takes you and your people to El Dorado. So, right now, my people are comfortable with the PDP because, like I said, there is no toxicity and there is peace.

If you win in 2027, what new things would you be do for Abi/Yakurr?

I will like to rephrase that question, partly. Let’s say it like this: when you win… I say so because I am certain that Abi/Yakurr people know that I have served them well, with all my heart, for the past seven years and so they will willingly give me their mandate for a fresh term. Like I have said in various fora, this will be my last term in the House of Reps. After 2031, I will vacate the seat for my Yakurr brothers or sisters to take over. By the time I return in 2027 therefore, I will, as usual, consult widely with the royal fathers, the women, the youths, political leaders and everybody in the constituency.
I do not walk or work alone. I am one person who deliberately carries my constituents along in all that I do. So, they will make inputs at every point in time and what they need is what I would send to the national budget. But you can be sure that more people will gain employment through me, more people will have access to more good things of life. They will enjoy a higher level of representation and access to the government and offerings by the government.

And what if you do not win?

That question is just like saying ‘what if there is no sunlight when day breaks.’ I am so certain that I will win. It will not be by my might or by my power. I will win because I have served the people well for the past seven years. I will win because God is involved in this project. I will win because my people cannot cope with stinginess and an impactful representation. They would not want to be sent to Egypt after they have tasted life in paradise for the past seven years.
Please do your job as reporters-go and ask what my main challenger did when he was speaker in the state house of assembly. He was in the House for eight years. For four years, he was speaker. Please go to his village and ask. Start from there. Tell them to show you what he did as a legislator that was in the government and had access to the governor for a whole four years in his capacity as speaker. I mean the fourth most influential person in the state, after the governor, the deputy governor and the chief judge; and in fact, the head of the third arm of government at the time. I have told you a few of the things I have done in seven years. Please tell him to show you what he did when he was in power. That is where the referendum will start from. The 2027 election in Abi/Yakurr will be a referendum on performance. Two of us have been in the legislature. I have used my seven years to touch lives and attract federal government projects to all parts of the federal constituency, including Adadama. Please meet my opponent and tell him to show you his score card. That is how you will know who is genuinely interested in service to the people.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said construction work on the 3.75-kilometre Okrika-Borikiri Road and bridge project in Rivers State will gather momentum following the payment of compensation to affected property owners at the Borikiri axis of the project.

Speaking during an inspection of the project site in Okrika, the NDDC Assistant Director, Utilities, Infrastructure Development and Waterways (UIDW), Martins Isichei, disclosed that compensation issues that had stalled progress on the Borikiri alignment had been resolved.

According to him, the Commission has settled compensation claims for property owners affected by the project corridor and is awaiting the evacuation of residents before commencing demolition of structures within the right of way.

“The NDDC has paid compensation to property owners along the Borikiri alignment, and we are expecting the evacuation of residents there before we commence demolition of structures in the right of way,” he said.

Isichei noted that work on the Okrika section of the project had recorded significant progress despite challenges encountered on the waterways.

He explained that shortly after work resumed, a vessel collided with an existing pile, forcing engineers to redesign part of the bridge structure.
“When we resumed work on the site, a vessel collided with an existing pile. We had to re-profile the bridge and develop a new design to circumvent the damaged pile,” he said.

The NDDC official expressed optimism that the project would ease traffic congestion along the refinery road corridor and significantly reduce travel time between Okrika and Port Harcourt upon completion.

He explained that the project comprises three major bridge structures: the 180-metre Kolabi Bridge at Etche Waterfront, the 1,120-metre Abotoru Bridge, and the 490-metre Okpoka Bridge.

While acknowledging that progress on the Borikiri alignment had lagged because of compensation-related issues, Isichei said construction activities would commence there shortly.

Also speaking, the Project Consultant, Azu Chukwuma, said the scope of the project was reviewed following its revival to align with present realities and engineering requirements.

He noted that efforts were underway to accelerate construction, particularly the launching of bridge beams, despite the high cost of marine logistics associated with the project.

“Our intention is to determine how quickly we can proceed with launching the first sets of beams. The work is mainly on the river, and much of the marine logistics involved is costly. I am in touch with the appropriate officials of the NDDC to determine the best way forward,” Chukwuma stated.

He commended host communities for their cooperation, noting that the absence of major disputes had contributed to the project’s steady progress.

A representative of the construction company, Maroun Kassouf, said fabrication of bridge beams had advanced considerably and that installation would begin soon.

“The project is progressing well. Once people evacuate at the Borikiri end, we will demolish the structures there and move to that site immediately. That end would be much easier, as the river is shallower than the Okrika end,” he said.

The Vice Chairman of the Okrika Community Development Committee, Minengibi Ferdinand, lauded the NDDC for undertaking the project, describing it as a critical infrastructure that would improve connectivity and stimulate economic growth.

He said the road and bridge network would provide an alternative route to Okrika, ease pressure on the East-West Road and open up communities for greater socio-economic development.

“This is a laudable project that will ease traffic on the East-West Road and provide an alternate route to Okrika. We are hopeful that once it is completed, it will attract socio-economic development to our community,” Ferdinand said.

Stakeholders from across the Niger Delta have renewed calls for environmental justice, climate accountability and a transition from decades of oil dependence, as the LincGreen Climate Change Initiative convened its third annual “Look Beyond Oil” conference to mark World Environment Day 2026 in Port Harcourt.

The conference, held at Autograph Event Place along Abacha Road, GRA, Port Harcourt, drew a diverse audience of traditional rulers, environmental activists, students, researchers, community leaders and young advocates who gathered to examine the ecological realities confronting the Niger Delta and chart pathways towards a sustainable future.

Uniquely designed in the format of the traditional Niger Delta “Tales by Moonlight,” the event recreated the age-old practice of gathering after dark to share stories that preserve histories, convey warnings and reveal truths. Organisers said the approach was intended to create a space for honest conversations about the environmental challenges facing the region.

In his opening address, Executive Director of LincGreen Climate Change Initiative, Tobechukwu Diolu, said the organisation was born out of the devastating floods that ravaged communities across Rivers State in 2022, exposing the fragile environmental condition of the Niger Delta after decades of oil-related degradation.

According to him, LincGreen’s engagements across the region have revealed the scale of the environmental crisis confronting local communities.

“LincGreen has visited 75 communities across the Niger Delta between 2024 and 2025. We have witnessed the multidimensional impacts of climate change, including the loss of homes, massive displacement of people and widespread environmental damage,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of affected oil-producing communities, the Paramount Ruler of Ogale Kingdom in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRH King Godwin Bebe Okpabi, lamented the environmental consequences of decades of oil extraction.

He disclosed that Ogale community alone hosts about 20 oil wells but has received little environmental remediation despite years of exploitation.

“The oil was taken, but the land was not restored,” he said, while also criticising what he described as a deliberate divide-and-rule strategy that has weakened the collective bargaining power of Niger Delta communities.

Veteran environmental and community rights activist, Elder Celestine Akpobari, challenged young people to become more strategic in their advocacy efforts.

“If you want to destroy a man, destroy the environment,” he said, urging participants to transform information gathered through activism into practical campaigns capable of driving genuine change rather than merely documenting the region’s suffering.

Also speaking, Dr Isaac Osuoka, Director of Social Action International, described oil exploitation in the Niger Delta as a system of extraction that has impoverished communities while enriching others.

“For us, oil represents colonisation, plunder and robbery of our people and land. It is the responsibility of the youth to recognise the need for change and to work for change,” he said.

Representing Rooted Rising Initiative, Chidera Onwuzurike stressed that climate change is no longer an abstract concept but a lived reality affecting communities daily.

She noted that her organisation focuses on the media dimensions of climate advocacy and is committed to ensuring that stories from the Niger Delta are told authentically and by those directly affected by environmental challenges.

On the role of technology, Executive Coordinator of MAJI, Onyekachi Emmanuel, highlighted the importance of data in environmental protection and climate advocacy.

He urged young people to embrace technological tools that can enhance public awareness, strengthen evidence-based campaigns and improve environmental accountability.

Similarly, investigative journalist Dappa Prinye Peter encouraged emerging advocates to develop precision in their communication efforts by focusing on clearly defined issues and building consistent platforms capable of sustaining public engagement.

Contributing to discussions on youth participation and nation-building, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Obari Gomba, advised young Nigerians against abandoning the country in search of opportunities abroad.
He urged them instead to remain and contribute meaningfully to national development.

A Research Fellow at the Institute of Geosciences and Environmental Management, Rivers State University, Dr Ibinabo Ogolo, called on academics from the region to take a more active role in documenting the environmental crisis and holding institutions accountable.

“For more than 60 years, Niger Delta land, water and air have suffered oil pollution, gas flaring and climate impacts. As scholars from this region, we carry a unique responsibility. We possess the data, lived experience and intellectual tools to rigorously expose this crisis. We have not done enough,” she said.

Ogolo further challenged researchers to critically evaluate interventions by agencies such as the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), while generating evidence capable of influencing policy and strengthening accountability.

“The Niger Delta is ground zero for climate justice. If we do not document and analyse our story, others will write it for us or ignore it entirely,” she added.

Also speaking, Prof. Malisi Onyeka Festus of the University of Port Harcourt encouraged young people to sustain their involvement in environmental advocacy through continuous learning, motivation, skill acquisition and community engagement.

Participants at the conference agreed that while climate change remains a global challenge, the Niger Delta occupies a unique position where environmental degradation, oil pollution and climate vulnerability intersect. They called for stronger grassroots mobilisation, increased investment in climate education and greater accountability from governments, regulatory agencies and oil companies operating in the region.

The Atlantic Bell reports that as the event concluded, a common message resonated across generations: the future of the Niger Delta depends not only on looking beyond oil, but on empowering communities to shape a more just and sustainable environmental future.

For the first time in its history, the International Communication Association (ICA), one of the world’s leading academic organisations in communication studies, has brought its flagship annual conference to Africa, with scholars interrogating the growing challenges of inequality, artificial intelligence (AI), misinformation and digital power in a rapidly changing global communication landscape.

The 76th ICA Annual Conference, themed “Communication and Inequalities in Context,” is taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, from June 4 to 8, 2026, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with about 3,000 communication scholars, journalism researchers, academics and practitioners from around the world.

Organisers describe the event as a landmark moment for global communication scholarship and a significant recognition of Africa’s growing role in shaping conversations around media, technology and society.

Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Herman Wasserman, said the decision to host the conference in South Africa was both symbolic and timely.

“This is the first time that this event will be held on African soil,” Wasserman said in an interview with the African Journalism Education Network (AJENda), noting that while Cape Town had previously hosted a smaller ICA regional conference, the 2026 gathering marks the organisation’s largest global meeting ever held on the continent.

Wasserman, who is also a fellow and board member of the ICA, said the conference theme resonates strongly with South Africa’s realities as one of the world’s most unequal societies.

According to him, discussions at the conference will focus on how communication systems mirror and reinforce inequalities linked to race, class, gender, geography and political power, while also examining pathways toward greater inclusion and equity.

“The theme reflects urgent concerns about unequal access to information, unequal participation in digital systems and the uneven distribution of communicative power across societies,” he said.

The conference comes at a time when emerging technologies, particularly AI, are transforming journalism, governance and public discourse across the world. Participants are expected to explore the implications of AI-generated content, digital surveillance, platform monopolies and misinformation on democratic participation and social cohesion.

Wasserman noted that scholars attending the conference would examine how vulnerable communities are affected by technological disruptions and information inequalities, especially in developing regions.

Beyond inequality, the programme will feature extensive discussions on journalism transformation, media sustainability, digital communication, climate communication, health communication and social justice.

Research presentations will also focus on the growing use of AI in newsrooms, how African media organisations are adapting to technological innovation, and the representation of AI within African media ecosystems.

Another major area of interest will be the rise of disinformation networks and transnational online influence operations, issues that have become increasingly central to contemporary communication research.

Meanwhile, the Chapters initiative(Nigeria being one of the six pilot across the world) with ICA Nigeria being the 1st Chapter in Africa, founded in 2022 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is expected to have a strong showing at the conference. Dr. Ekaette George, the pioneer Chair of the ICA in Nigeria is leading the delegation to Cape Town, South Africa.

The ICA Nigeria Chapter Chair, Prof. Desmond Okocha, alongside a dedicated team, will lead conference attendees to experience the conference virtually and live from the Port Harcourt Hub, Faculty of Humanities, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

With members in more than 80 countries and a global network of over 5,000 scholars, the ICA is regarded as one of the most influential organisations in the field of communication studies.

The annual conference serves as a platform for presenting new research findings, fostering international collaboration and shaping future directions in communication scholarship.

Organisers said the 2026 conference will adopt a hybrid format, allowing remote participation in selected sessions to broaden access and engagement.

More than 400 in-person sessions are scheduled, alongside plenaries, interdivisional panels, mentorship programmes, poster presentations, awards and networking events.

The conference is expected to extend into a wider two-week academic engagement through a series of pre-conference and post-conference events, reinforcing its status as one of the largest gatherings of communication scholars globally.

The Atlantic Bell reports that as debates over inequality, information disorder and technological disruption continue to intensify worldwide, the historic hosting of the ICA conference in Africa is viewed as an opportunity to bring perspectives from the Global South into the centre of global communication discourse.