Popular comedian and content creator, Isaac Joseph, widely known as Comedian Koboko, has joined residents of Efut Efio Ene community in Calabar to speak on the deplorable condition of the community’s access road and bridge, warning politicians not to expect votes from the area if nothing is done urgently.
Koboko, who visited the community and shared videos of the situation on his social media page, expressed shock over what residents described as decades of neglect despite the community’s close proximity to central Calabar.
According to residents, Efut Efio Ene has remained without a functional access road for more than 30 years, leaving thousands of people isolated from the rest of the city. The community is geographically located between University of Cross River State and University of Calabar, yet residents say basic infrastructure remains completely absent.
Speaking in the video, Koboko insisted that government officials should not bother coming to campaign in the community unless the road situation is addressed.
“They should not come here for election if they cannot fix this road,” the comedian reportedly said while inspecting the area alongside residents.
Angry residents maintained that politicians only remember the community during election periods, alleging that they have been abandoned by successive administrations and political office holders despite repeated appeals over the years.
The major access route into the community reportedly resembles an abandoned bush track, while an incomplete and seemingly abandoned bridge project sits dangerously over a deep valley that residents say has become a serious threat to lives and property.
Community members also alleged that even government officials and political appointees who originate from the area have failed to attract meaningful development to the community.
According to them, the last major government effort on the road was made during the administration of former Governor Donald Duke, after which the community was allegedly forgotten.
Residents called out several elected representatives, including Joseph Bassey, members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, and the local government chairman, accusing them of only visiting the community every four years during elections.
They warned that the community’s three polling units would not be available for political activities if the road and other critical problems remain unresolved.
Koboko also appealed directly to Governor Bassey Otu, urging him to make the rehabilitation of the Efut Efio Ene access road one of the state’s top priorities.
According to him, the governor should not allow a community located so close to Calabar city to continue suffering such extreme neglect.
“If he is truly the people’s governor, he cannot have political representatives in power while the people continue to suffer like this,” Koboko reportedly stated.
Residents listed several other pressing challenges facing the community, including lack of clean drinking water, absence of electricity, poor educational facilities, and persistent flooding.
They alleged that the only available water source in the area is brownish and unhealthy for human consumption.
The community also recounted a recent tragic incident where heavy rainfall reportedly caused the valley area to overflow, leading to the death of an entire family in their sleep after floodwaters invaded their home.
According to locals, many residents now live in constant fear whenever it rains due to the dangerous state of the environment and the absence of proper drainage and infrastructure.
Some youths in the area also alleged that the only consistent government presence they experience comes from security operatives who frequently visit the community to harass and profile young people over alleged criminal activities.
Residents insist that for decades, the community, said to contain over 1,000 houses, has remained cut off from meaningful government presence and development despite being situated within Calabar South.
As frustration continues to grow, many residents say they are prepared to resist political campaigns and election activities in the area until urgent intervention is carried out on the road, bridge, and other basic social amenities.
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