A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted few days after it hatched, that was the introduction to my earlier write up in this column titled “Gov. Udom Emmanuel hitting the ground running”. As at 22nd July when that article was published, little did I know that in less than hundred days, the pragmatic governor will overwhelm his critics with unequivocal and unprecedented achievements covering the entire landscape of Akwa Ibom State.
In the aforementioned write up, I mentioned the ground breaking ceremony of an automobile plant in Itam, the rehabilitation and resuscitation of peacock paint in Etinan the erosion check at Enen Atai -Itam, among other achievements, and as the immediate past governor of the State, Senator Godswill Akpabio would say, that is not the story for today! Still on ground breaking and industrialization, DAAR communication, the media grant group, owners of Africa Independent Television, (AIT) and Ray Power Radio will soon start operations at Abak, this is an after math of a ground breaking ceremony performed by Governor Udom Emmanuel. When they start operations, the beauty that is Akwa Ibom will be beamed to the whole world.
Shoprite, the retail grant from South Africa will soon start operations at the Ibom Tropicana entertainment centre. A friend once asked me the economic importance of the coming of Shoprite to Akwa Ibom, and I told him, among others, the variety of goods that Akwa Ibom People travel to Lagos to buy will be easily purchased at Uyo with a very friendly prize.
Still on ground breaking, a Led manufacturing plant has been located at Ikot Ebom Itam, the ground breaking ceremony was performed by the governor a couple of weeks ago. Quality Ceramics Company at the same Ikot Ebom Itam will soon be resuscitated. When these two industries are functional, will we still have idle and jobless youths in this community?
On the site of the Automobile Assembly Plant at Ikot Ukap, Itam, bulldozers are busy clearly the bush, some youths are penciled down for training in Israel on Automobile engineering.
Road construction is another area the Action governor is restless about, in less than 100 days, when the government in the centre is still battling with credibility due to its lopsided appointment that tilts to the Moslems of the North West, and lack of a policy statement due to absence of an executive council, Akwa Ibom State Governor have flagged off several roads to be constructed in the State. To mention just but few, Ndon Eyo – Etinana road, 3.5 kilometre Ikot Udom road in Ibiono Ibom with 15 meters bridge 5km Ikot Usop – Ikot Edeghe – Ikot Ekpuk road with 30m bridge in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area; 1km Awa – Iman – Onna road; dualization of Etinan – Onna road with two bridges; construction and remodeling of roads in Eket Metropolis dualization of Ikot Oku Ikono – Etinan road with fly over at Ikot Oku Ikono Junction. Construction of Ikot Ebekpo – Ikot Ebidang – Onna Road and Urbanization of Oron with drainage control system. These are gigantic projects and the governor posits that he will not tolerate recalcitrant contractors who will collect money and abandon the project. This is no mean feat when these roads are completed, the entire Akwa Ibom State would have been interlinked for development to get to the rural areas.
Another area of significant landmark by Governor Udom Emmanuel is Youth Empowerment. Recognizing that youths are both the present and future of the state, the governor makes youth empowerment as one of the cardinal point of his administration. As at today, 1,000 youths from the state are on training for oracle Database administration.
Another set of 100 youths are on a special pilgrimage to Israel for training on mechanical farming. 329 youths are on training for film production, 200 youths are on training for operations of the power sector. Other facets of youth empowerment are on the pipe line, and will be unfold by the day.
Generally, the governor believes in empowerment of the people to be self sufficient. White collar jobs cannot go round, the government encourages people to be self reliant, to this end, the governor has issued interest free loan of over N2b to thousand of Akwa Ibom people to help them in their small and medium scale enterprises.
The governor has approved the payment of compensation to over 2000 flood victims in the state to help them recoup part of their loses to flood this rainy season. All primary school teachers who are owned arrears of salaries have be paid on the instruction of the state government and gratuity have been paid to the state pensioners.
It is an understatement to say that power have improved in the state since the advent of this administration, small scale business are springing up, existing ones are enjoying higher proceeds from their investments. People from all other the country and beyond are trooping into the state for investment and relaxation.
I won’t conclude this piece without mentioning refurbishment and remodeling of some institutions. St. Luke Hospital, Anua in Uyo metropolis is wearing a new look, construction work, remodeling, and refurbishing is ongoing, this is in tandem with the governors promise to maintain the existing institutions while establishing new ones. There is an erosion control project going on in the school of Nursing Anua.
The governor is not relenting in his effort to make life worthwhile to the indigenes of the state. The erosion site at Enen Atai, Itam have be kept in check, traffic is flowing freely as opposed to when motorist had to pass though Mkpeti, to Mbak, when Enen Atai potion of the road was unpassable.
The coming of Deacon Udom Emmanuel as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State is a blessing to all. His critics should open their eyes and see what God has used him to do in less than a hundred days and join hands in support of this unequivocal, unprecedented achiever.
Governor Emmanuel has proved critics wrong! He is not a stooge of the past administration as branded by the opposition, he is his own man if he can achieve all these in less than a hundred days, what do we expect in four years, or rather eight? Imagine a state with at least a cottage industry in each of the 31 Local Government Areas! Youths restiveness will be a thing of the past unemployment will be a story told from afar, the good people of Akwa Ibom State has every reason to say to God be the Glory.
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