On the 21-storey building project, is the state getting positive response or interest from the IOCs to relocate on completion?

Definitely, shortly after the state anniversary of the state creation, the management team of ExxonMobil led by the Chairman and Vice Chairman were in Akwa Ibom State with some investors. One of the things they did after interfacing with government was to inspect facilities at the 21-storey building and obtain first-hand information preparatory to activating their decision to come here. Those are very good signs and we are also encouraged at the speed at which we are putting the building to completion. The IOCs have been saying that there are no good and decent accommodation. Today, with the 21-storey building, they don’t have that excuse. I can tell you for sure within the South-south part of the Nigeria there is no building more modern in terms of having Information Technology (IT) infrastructure than that building. It matches the best we can get anywhere, no IOC can claim they don’t have the best of what they need within that complex.

What is the thinking of government in developing  some of the signature projects of the state that looks abandoned like the Four Point By Sheraton Hotel, the Ibom Tropicana Complex, the Ibom Science Park among others?

Government has made it clear that it has no business managing entertainment and the science park. The attitude of this government has always been to find investors. We took over the Four Point by Sheraton Hotel when the state government then had no discussion with the owner of the brand name as at the time it was named the Four Point by Sheraton Hotel. The present government inherited that burden. There was legal threat then over illegal use of the brand. We had to go into lengthy renegotiation. Firstly, to acquire the right to use the brand name because the name Four Point by Sheraton was illegally written on the hotel. With contact and dialogue with the owner of the brand it cost the present government $7.2million to acquire the brand name and considering that there was no furnishing and even the design we had to change a lot of things. On the Ibom Tropicana, you may not know how challenging it is to keep the Ibom Hotel running and profitable. So it is not economic and profitable that the state government will invest in a third hotel and entertainment centre without having the market. What government is doing is to find investors to take over the business and run it. On the Ibom Science Park, what government has done is to call experts to look into the concept. Again government is not going to put funds there. Government is realying on investors. Right now, the Secretary to the State Government being an IT expert is talking to series of investors who have shown interest in reactivating the science park within the context of modern environment.

On erosion, it appears the state is handicapped to address erosion problems threatening the environment; and so far, what form of assistance has come from the federal government and donor agencies in tackling that problem in the state?

To the best of my knowledge and from records available, the federal government has not given a helping hand to check erosion menace in Akwa Ibom. If you remember the issue of Calabar-Itu road, first the state government tried in its small way to contain that gully erosion to keep the road intact. The thing has come back. We have zero assistance from the federal government in tackling the menace. Erosion, flood and other natural disasters are not things that only state governments should handle, it comes under the national pulse emergency. We expect the federal government to also help us especially being the goose that lays the golden egg, but we are not getting that. What we have done is to move ahead to see how we can look at the global agencies for help. World Bank has been very supportive. The Edet Akpan Avenue erosion control is World Bank assisted. We are talking to the World Bank to assess the IBB Way erosion issue. The IBB erosion issue is not an issue the state government can deal with because it runs into over N30 billion as at last estimate. World Bank has been here, seen the design and made consultation. World Bank is passionate about assisting and we will put down our counterpart funding. The good news is that World Bank has shown interest and is willing to partner the state to solve the problem.

Full story @: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/12/19/it-cost-akwa-ibom-7-2-million-to-acquire-a-hotel-brand/

Front page: Lalasticlala mynd44

Good JOB

All these Media Orchestrations and machinations will not stop someone from joining Orji Kalu in jail.

Science & Technology Park to be built by Private Partnership but with Government Money I foresee. We always find out the Truth. And truly someone will go to jail if the 8yrs Allocation of that State is not accounted for. He will account for Fed Allocation for 8yrs, + Security Votes+ IGR for these 8yrs.

If that big lips Governor does not speedily utilize the allocations including Security Votes for the purpose it is meant for, I can assure him of a great mattress and wonderful toilet in his jail cell.

The time for tomfoolery is over.

Is it bad or good? Though AK Ibom are not align with the center, politically

Vortex369:
All these Media Orchestrations and machinations will not stop someone from joining Orji Kalu in jail.

Science & Technology Park to be built by Private Partnership but with Government Money I foresee. We always find out the Truth. And truly someone will go to jail if the 8yrs Allocation of that State is not accounted for. He will account for Fed Allocation for 8yrs, + Security Votes+ IGR for these 8yrs.

If that big lips Governor does not speedily utilize the allocations including Security Votes for the purpose it is meant for, I can assure him of a great mattress and wonderful toilet in his jail cell.

The time for tomfoolery is over.

please anwser my question.... Pls

ok

Firstly, to acquire the right to use the brand name because the name Four Point by Sheraton was illegally written on the hotel. With contact and dialogue with the owner of the brand it cost the present government $7.2million to acquire the brand name.

Lol this so dumb. You're spending 7.2 million dollars to acquire the name after abandoning the Le Meridian name. What's the point, if ibom hotels is still getting modest patronage without name. These guys just like wasting tax payers money.

The the franchise fee of Sheraton hotels is 112 thousand dollars and 11% royalty so how did they arrive at 7.6 million dollars

Did mobile not buy a hotel recently?
So them leave this hotel go buy another one?

The IBB erosion issue is not an issue the state government can deal with because it runs into over N30 billion as at last estimate. World Bank has been here, seen the design and made consultation. World Bank is passionate about assisting and we will put down our counterpart funding. 

This government knows how make ecuses. You guys found millions of dollars for hotel without federal assistance but the erosion matter proving difficult. Counter part funding is 500 million naira as reported by premium times.

[quote author=Vortex369 post=85168416]All these Media Orchestrations and machinations will not stop someone from joining Orji Kalu in jail.

Science & Technology Park to be built by Private Partnership but with Government Money I foresee. We always find out the Truth. And truly someone will go to jail if the 8yrs Allocation of that State is not accounted for. He will account for Fed Allocation for 8yrs, + Security Votes+ IGR for these 8yrs.

If that big lips Governor does not speedily utilize the allocations including Security Votes for the purpose it is meant for, I can assure him of a great mattress and wonderful toilet in his jail cell.

The time for tomfoolery is over.


Bros, if you've any allegations against Udom, go to EFCC with your petition and stop litter cyber space with cry of " joining Orji Uzo Kalu in jail"