Staunch supporter says poverty has made it difficult for Akwa Ibom residents to see the “uncommon transformation” in the state.
A resident of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital, Jumbo Usen, has alleged that poverty and hunger are ravaging the residents of the state amid claims of monumental achievement by the state government.
Mr. Usen, who claims to be one the supporters of the state governor, Godswill Akpabio, said, in an open memo to the governor, said that while he acknowledges the tireless effort of the governor to turn the state around, bureaucrats and powerful politicians around the governor have prevented him from seeing the sad faces and the groaning of the people.
He said that as a citizen living amongst other ordinary citizen, he understands that the people love the governor for the enormous energy he puts into running the state government, particularly his attempt to change the infrastructural map of the state.
Mr. Usen, however, said the twin problems of poverty and hunger have made it difficult for people to see the transformations.
“Sir, the people’s expectation is high, really so high, on your promise to tackle unemployment through establishment of cottage industries and other investments geared towards building human capacity in Akwa Ibom State. The situation seems even more complicated with the wind of poverty and hunger that is blowing across the state.
“The flyovers, our new Akwa Ibom International Airport, the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre, the new Governor’s Lodge and Banquet Hall, the modern road network, etc. built by your administration are no doubt beautiful and mind-blowing.
“But the truth, which we can never run away from, is that a family that is weighed down by poverty and hunger may be blind to the beauty and the glory of a new Akwa Ibom, which we your supporters are flaunting,” he said.
He recalled cases where he attempted to talk to the people about the successes of Mr. Akpabio’s administration, and was shouted down; as people demanded to be spared the “sermon”, or queried: “How many plates of food have your flyover or Tropicana put on the table for me and my family?”
He appealed to the governor to take concrete steps to create opportunities for the locals to explore the economic potentials in state, particularly by opening up the construction industry for the participation of some qualified indigenous construction companies that could be trusted with the building of some intra-city or rural roads.
“If local firms are involved in road-building, the huge financial resources that your administration has budgeted for numerous road projects will trickle down to the ordinary people through multiplier effects,” he noted, adding that the continued wholesale patronage of Julius Berger in Akwa Ibom represents an unprecedented and worst kind of capital flights in the history of any state in the country.
Mr. Usen said that as an avid supporter of Governor Akpabio, he feels obliged “to ensure that by the time you leave office in 2015 as the third civilian governor of our great state, the good people of Akwa Ibom shall graciously smile at you, clap for you, cheer you on and continue to remember you in their thoughts and prayers.”
He also suggested the restoration of agriculture, which is the main pillar of the state’s economy prior to the discovery of oil, by introducing the policy of ‘Operation Go Back To Farm,’ where the government could redirect people’s focus to farming.
“We in Akwa Ibom must be prepared to overcome the looming food crisis occasioned by last year nation-wide flood disaster which destroyed so many farmlands in Nigeria,” he said.
“Please free your people; pull down this wall of poverty and hunger in Akwa Ibom State,” Mr. Usen appealed to the governor.


http://premiumtimesng.com/regional/117688-poverty-killing-akwa-ibom-residents-supporter-tells-akpabio.html

i hope gej is aware of thr starvation the state is going through

Rich government,poor people.

The reason I raise my cap for Amaechi is that he enpowered Rivers people in the process of developing the State. I've long condemned the use of Julius Berger by Nigerian Government to the detriment of our indigenous firms and the inflation of JB contracts is legendary. They are used as tools for money laundering and capital flight. Imagine if Akwa-Ibom firms were given 40% of those jobs, how it will impact on the people.

If I may ask,when d former administration patronised indigenous firms,where did they leave d states of the road at?
I commend akpabio on the use of julius berger.but I wish to mention here that only 3 local government in akwa ibom are developed and there are uyo,ikot ekpene and essien udim which is akpabio's home town.its good for u all to know that akwa ibom has 31 LGA,meaning that other local government are in conditions that are indescribeable.job creation aswell in akwa ibom is worst than any other states.the long forgotten industries like d qua steel,peacock paint,plasto crown,sunshine batteries,etc are all suppose to be brought back to life to create more employment.akpabio,u can do better than what u are doing.akwa ibom,in d last 4.5years is d state with d highest allocation of revenue

Abagworo: The reason I raise my cap for Amaechi is that he enpowered Rivers people in the process of developing the State. I've long condemned the use of Julius Berger by Nigerian Government to the detriment of our indigenous firms and the inflation of JB contracts is legendary. They are used as tools for money laundering and capital flight. Imagine if Akwa-Ibom firms were given 40% of those jobs, how it will impact on the people.

Exactly what Oshiomhole said when He asked Julius Berger to cost the dualization of roads in Benin and they gave Him a bill that would be enough to reconstruct several roads and He sent them packing! Today, most of those roads have been done at far cheaper prices and most locals were engaged by the companies that did them. The roads too are of high quality comparable to that of JB.

Governance is about common sense which unfortunately is not common amongst self made politicians of not value. That is why you need technocrats to govern. I have always wondered that despite the much voiced uncommon transformation, the people from Akwa-Ibom are still trooping out of their state and going to work as house boys and house girls in Abuja, Benin, Lagos, you name it!

Itoroetti :
[/b]If I may ask,when d former adminstration patronised indigenous firms,where did they leave d states of the road at?[b]
I commend akpabio on the use on julius berger.but I wish to state that d only 3 local government in akwa ibom are developed and there are uyo,ikot ekpene and essien udim which is akpabio's home town.its good for u all to know that akwa ibom has 31 states,meaning that other local government are in conditions that are indescribeable.job creation aswell in akwa ibom is worst than any other states.the long forgotten industries like d qua steel,peacock paint,plasto crown,sunshine batteries,etc are all suppose to be brought back to life to create more employment.akpabio,u can do better than what u are doing.akwa ibom,in d last 4.5years is d state with d highest allocation of revenue

You are 100% correct and that is why I suggested 40% local content. Come to Rivers State, Ikwerre people that used to be known as land sellers are now businessmen and into various sectors. They are now one of the major buyers and developers of their land and walk with pride. Youth restiveness has dropped and "bush entry" is now a mere formality.

When I see such write up I just shake my head in disbelief because it shows some people are either still dinosaurs or they are just outright brainless. Poverty ko poverty ni, what is the fool talking about. Establish cottage industries? To be run by who, who takes home the profit? How many do we have to travel this road for us to learn? Govt is a very bad business man so don't expect such industries to grow in any form. How many govt run companies in Nigeria are working? Name them is it the refineries, fertiliser plants, nepa, nitel, alscon, peacock paints, quality ceramics, qua steel, my brother the list is just ENDLESS! What akwa ibom needs which the govt has abundantly provided are infrastructure and the enabling environment for Private businesses to thrive. There are millions of businesses that have sprang up in the state since Akpabio came on board. Businesses are run by ideas so mr usen should go and use his thinking cap and stop being a lazy fool. Even in US and the UK, govt does not build cottage industries. Mr Usen talked about contracts not being given to indigenes. Its sad he is still suffering from memory loss. During Attah's time contracts were given to locals, what did they do? They all absconded with all the money to abuja and lagos, married new wives, sent their kids abroad without doing even 1% of the contract. Mr Usen should bury his lazy head in shame because here came a man that in 6 yrs have changed the fortune of akwa ibom state. Today Akwa ibom has the best road network apart from lagos and abuja. He has constructed the kind of infrastructure attah only dreamed of. Business in akwa ibom is booming like hell. Land today in akwa ibom is hot cake and indication of high demand and some lazy fool is talking about poverty and hunger.Development in akwa ibom is statewide contrary to what some ppl are trying to mislead the public that its all about uyo, ikot ekpene and essien udim. By the way development had left uyo and has engulfed all the nearby LGAs long ago. Itu, Ibiono Ibom, abak, ibesikpo, uruan, nsit ubium, okobo (where the airport is located) have all part of uyo metropolis today. Roads have massively been constructed in other towns like eket, oron, ikot abasi, the seaport is happening in mbo. The whole state has been transformed so big fools like mr usen who have raped the state dry in past administrations without establishing a sustainable business venture should look for better things to do than writing frivolous "memos" and seeking relevance. As for the OP who posted this I know your intentions and end game and I will not engaged you this time around or fall for it. Have a nice day!