Eta Mbora, who represents Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, says those who have chosen to call him names after he recently gifted two grass cutting machines to a constituent, should, going forward, restrain themselves from making statements without critically examining the circumstances under which gifts of that nature are given out.
Mbora maintained in an exclusive interview with www.calitown.com that, this particular constituent, who has a grass cutting business, approached him and made a clear demand that he wanted one grass cutting machine to help push his craft forward. “He cuts grass on a commercial level and when he complained to me that he specifically needed a machine because the one he has is bad, I gave him two, as a form of encouragement. This is what he uses to take care of himself and family. It was only expedient that I encourage him along a line he is competent in and I don’t regret empowering him through what he has comparative advantage in”, he stressed.
Continuing, the Member of Parliament, MP, added too that, ” the grass cutting machine was not the only thing I gave out. I hope you people saw the quality of vehicles that were given out to my constituents, these are modest gifts and we should also not forget the economic realities confronting all of us, but I had to make a sacrifice and I am happy that God gave me the grace to bless some of my constituents with the things they got.” More good things, he again maintained, will by the grace of God, come their way.
Reacting to allegations that he is a nonperforming MP, Mbora responded that “maybe what they actually mean is that I may not have been blowing my trumpet. The things I have done are all on the ground for all to see, for lack of space, I will be unable to list all of them here, but I am going to direct that my liaison office in Calabar makes available in print, the modest things I have done as a representative of my people.”
