The Muri Munene of the Efut nation and Paramount Ruler of Calabar South LGA in Cross River, His Royal Highness Professor Itam Hogan Itam, over the weekend, performed the ground-breaking ceremony to signal the commencement of work to provide water for the Watt Market community by the Ben Akak Foundation.
Muri Munene Itam Hogan Itam while performing the ceremony at the site where the borehole will be located, observed that the Ben Akak Foundation, in collaboration with and support of the Efut community, was gifting water to the Watt Market community. While tasking the Watt Market community to own the gift by protecting it and adequately administer it.
His Royal Highness Itam Hogan Itam said, ‘Today marks a milestone in both the life of the Ben Akak Foundation and Calabar South local government. We are jointly going to give you water because water is life. Please we will hand over the water to you the president of the Market Association. You own it… The market owns it. What does that mean? It means you will protect it, you will administer it. You will make sure that it works, you will make sure there is no vandalisation. Everybody in this market must have access to the use of the water. We are not selling it to you, it is a gift, therefore you must extend the benefits of the gifts to all your members.
‘This is not a political gift, it has nothing to do with party politics. Just get it that, it is out of the benevolence of the Ben Akak Foundation and the support of the Calabar South local government and Efut community that you’re benefitting from this. You will devise a way to administer it and look for a way to service the machine when it begins to break down’, he said. 
Elder Ededet Andem the president of Watt Market Association expressed profound gratitude for the gesture the Ben Akak Foundation. He informed that the whole of Watt Market has only one borehole facility. A lingering trend which is very worrisome. His words, ‘We are very, very glad to have this project which is about to be carried out by the Ben Akak Foundation. We have only one borehole in the whole of Watt Market, this is a laudable initiative which will reduce the negative effects of our plight.’
In separate interviews with traders at the market, our correspondent gleaned that the traders were happy and anticipated the eventual completion of the project.
Present at the occasion were all the members of the Muri Ancestral Council of Calabar South and youth leaders (Ndabo) and women.
