Nigeria, Nov. 25 -- For many residents, Uyo, the capital of oil-rich Akwa Ibom State, was once a symbol of order: clean streets, running fountains, coordinated landscaping and smooth roads that made driving enjoyable. Today, the city tells a different story - one of broken roads, dead fountains, flooding, and decaying, abandoned public infrastructure.

And when the Akwa Ibom State government responded to the PREMIUM TIMES report on deteriorating infrastructure, the reaction sparked a fiercer outrage from the public.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, a few days ago, the government dismissed reports about decaying infrastructure as "misleading," "mischievous," and designed to push a "pre-determined ...