Can Obong Nsima Ekere really be trusted? This is the question on the lips of an
average Akwa Ibomite. How do you trust a man who had all the opportunities to
make a mark on his state but preferred to play politics with development? Even
people from the South Senatorial District where Ekere comes from cant even dare
compare him with Udom Emmanuel who they believe has demonstrated beyond any
iota of doubt the love he has for his people going by the quality of service he has been
providing for them in the last three years.

As the current managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission, Ekere is
yet to prove that he has enough capacity to rule a state. Reason for reaching this
conclusion is simple. Currently, he is said to handle a budget of N400bn annually at
NDDC. Yet, one cannot point to a concrete project that he has executed in Akwa
Ibom State. As far back as 2017, many people have criticized him for the manner he
has been mixing politics with work.

Even Senator Godswill Akpabio while on a visit to President Buhari on Monday, said
the Federal Government of Nigeria did not do any project in Akwa Ibom throughout
the time he was governor. And Emmanuel has also told whoever cares to listen that
the Federal Government has not constructed even ordinary a kilometer of road in
Akwa Ibom. Yet this is the number one oil producing state in Nigeria.

One would have thought that Ekere with all his closeness to the Federal Government
would have at least done something to redress this abnormal situation. But that
hasn’t been the case. Rather he has even made things worse. Even, he himself cannot
boast of any concrete project in the state. The little he could have done was marred
by politics.

It is assumed that everyone at certain levels should know that the permission of
government is required to work on any land in a state. Even if some people claim not
to know, that shouldn’t be expected from an expert in estate business like Ukere .
But instead of following due process in execution of projects, Ukere made it his duty
to pounce on states all in the name of citing projects without even seeking the
permission of state governments, the custodians of lands in every state.

Ukere should at least have known that governors are in charge of lands in states and
that NDDC should not be entering any state in the name of executing projects
without the permission from the governors.

If you love your people you should be doing things that will improve on their welfare
and not joining external forces to play politics with projects that ordinarily should be
executed to advance the lots of your people. But, unfortunately that has been the lot
of the people of Akwa Ibom even in the hands of their own brother. How can you
claim to love the people that you are building substandard roads for? A situation
where roads executed by NDDC begin to fail in less than a year is indeed a mockery
of the agency’s efforts. How do you convince people to trust such a person.

It should go without saying that a good leader will prioritise development first before
playing politics. If not for anything, at least in the interest of the good people of
Akwa Ibom, Ekere should have worked with the governor to impact the lives of the
people positively. But as it is, he seems to be a bad product to sell for the people of
Akwa Ibom.

In 2015 when Mr Udom Emmanuel was sworn in as the Governor of Akwa Ibom, he made
certain promises and has since then been making good on his promises. He promised to
transform the economy of Akwa Ibom state via industrialization and sustain public-private
sector initiative thereby opening up opportunities for growth and improved living standards.

Looking back these last three years, he has achieved what he promised especially in the
agricultural sector. Governor Udom Emmanuel has taken a bold step to secure the future of
Akwa Ibom State through agriculture in the event that oil ceases to yield as much revenue as it
does today. Fortunately, Akwa Ibom state is blessed with arable land and favourable climate
that supports all-year-round cultivation and extraction of agricultural and forest products such
as palm produce, rubber, cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and timber.

Through his policy in agriculture, his administration is creating food security, industrial hubs
and massive job opportunities for the people of Akwa Ibom. The state is being transformed from
one that is heavily dependent on federal allocations to one that generates revenue and earns
foreign exchange through agriculture.

Udom Emmanuel’s visionary administration from the onset, declared a state of emergency in
the agricultural sector, targeting food sufficiency, welfare of the people, export and economic
development of the state. With prevailing high cost of living, this couldn’t have come at a better
time even as pervasive poverty and hunger ravage the country. Although its rural communities
are largely agrarian, relying on subsistent agriculture, their enormous potentials are now being
harnessed for commercial and mechanised farming in cash crops like yam, coconut, plantain,
maize, rice, tomatoes, cucumber and rubber as well as animal production, poultry and fish
farming.

Under Udom Emmanuel’s administration, 48,000 rice farmers have so far been registered under
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers scheme. So far, over 100 hectares of rice
farmland have been cultivated. As a result of its commercial value, coupled with the
comparative advantage Akwa Ibom State has in the production of cocoa. In addition, Udom
Emmanuel has so far, trained 450 youths in new methods of planting cocoa and other extension
services to its farmers in the state. The state went further to establish Special Cocoa
Maintenance Scheme (SCMS) for the training of farmers and youths on pruning/shade
management, under brushing, and tree care by fumigation, in order to ensure the improved
yields from 300 kg/hectare to 2, 000kg/hectare over a period of three years.

Furthermore, a programme organised for youths interested in the agricultural sector; Graduate
Unemployment Youth Scheme (GUYS), has had no fewer than 300 youths trained. Each of the
young graduates is to be empowered with one million naira to embark on any agricultural
enterprise of their choice.

Governor Udom’s investment in the Agricultural sector is a proof of his leadership acumen. It is
apparent that the state of Akwa Ibom as a whole has improved largely as a result of his
corporate governance. Also, his ability to attract private investors and some times, go into
Public Private Partnership (PPP) is an indication of a man who has what it takes to be in
leadership position.

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr Akan Okon revealed the state government had made significant progress at the Ibom International Airport and the Ibom deep seaport respectively in the past three years as a result of the importance Governor Udom Emmanuel attaches to such infrastructure.

Okon debunked the claim that the government was not doing anything in Uyo on the state of the Ibom deep seaport project. He disclosed that the ground breaking hopefully would be performed by November this year. He also stated that all other processes that lead to the construction had been completed and all that is left is to sign a negotiation with the preferred bidder. He said, “And with the level that we have reached now, by the end of November this year, God willing, there should be a ground breaking. The most important thing was getting a preferred bidder. We have done that. The bidder’s conference was held in May this year in Uyo.

The Deep seaport project would benefit Akwa Ibom in various ways. For one, the establishment of the seaport would provide job opportunities for the indigenes of Akwa Ibom. Okon said, “anywhere in the world that you have a seaport, it is capable of changing the narrative of the society because of the employment opportunity it creates. That is why upon assumption of office, Governor Emmanuel set up a technical committee to ensure that the Ibom Deep seaport project is realized.”

Speaking on other infrastructural developments birthed by Governor Udom’s administration, Okon expressed that quite a number of sectors have been improved as a result of the importance Udom places on Infrastructures. He said, “in respect of other things that we have done, you know that our Airport has been run on generator since inception. But I am happy to tell you that this government has successfully completed a power substation to power the Airport. We believe this is going to ensure that the Airport is run efficiently. Notwithstanding that the resources that is available to us is not the way it used to be, but the government attaches importance to such infrastructure.”

Putting aside the infrastructural developments such as massive construction and rehabilitation of roads, including rehabilitation of hospitals, a major area that has distinguished Governor Udom Emmanuel from other governors acrsoss the country is his ability to pay regular salaries and monthly pensions despite paucity of funds occasioned by the recession.

This explains the cordial relationship between government and workers in the state unlike several other states where workers continue to threaten work-to-rule due to non- payment of backlog of salaries, and even pensions. Recently, the Head of Civil Service, Mrs Ekere Obong Akpan was confident that workers and indeed, Akwa Ibom people, will return this good deed by a massive vote for Emmanuel come 2019. She said, “There are so many instances to count. If a leader assumes office and then notices that some people were left out for over 10 years without being paid their gratuities and without prompting, clears the entire outstanding, I think that leader has the interest of the workers at heart. And if that same leader within the period of recession, instead of downsizing, he continues to employ, I think he has the interest of the people and the workers at heart”.

However, she was quick to admit that the state government only owes gratuities from where it had stopped, even though it is not peculiar to the state, noting that many states of the federation are faced with similar challenges of payment of workers or gratuities to retirees. “For a state like ours that has not joined the contributory pension scheme, it’s still a problem. For those that have joined, they have backlogs of those who retired before now,” she said.
Furthermore, Mrs Ekere added that the government never owes its workers perpetually. She explained that any delay in payment of funds may be due to various under laying factors. She said “Government does not owe any person in perpetuity. Salaries are paid including SUBEB – primary school teachers and local government staff. If a worker comes out to say he/she is owed salary, I would ask the worker just as I asked the young man I referred to earlier. There must be something wrong if a worker is not paid. He has probably not been cleared. Until we clear you, we can’t pay you”.

Mrs Ekere further explained that workers who were due for promotion but were not promoted were promoted when Governor Emmanuel came into office. “I remember when I came on board; arrears of people to be promoted included 2012, 2013 and 2014 and such persons were duly promoted.

“When this administration came on board, they were over 10,000 of them, they were promoted, and I have record to show that we have been paying these people that we promoted.” She said.

Mrs Ekere also revealed that the state was at an advanced stage of ensuring workers own houses, adding that a circular to that effect would be out soon with different ministries being allotted specific numbers they should receive applications from. According to the HOS, the current administration was determined to ensure civil servants own houses which they would be expected to be paying monthly for the next 15 or 20 years as the case may be. She stressed, “This is a state where workers and retirees are taken care of. We are working with the salary consultants. If you retire today, by 12 midnight, your name will be inactive in the integrated payroll and become active in the pension payroll”.

Also, Ekere commended the current administration saying, “This administration has tried within its power to do a lot of things. We have had over 20,000 persons promoted within this period. This is beside junior staff in all our MDAs. This is beside promotions in the judiciary and the extra-ministerial departments and tertiary institutions. You know what that will mean if we were to add all of these together. They all have been promoted. I can give you the details of the arrears that have been paid including people that were employed into the service in 2014 and 2015 and were not paid. All of them have been paid. The last batch is coming up in October payment. This is a state that is still paying leave grants.”

“The arrears we are talking about for the newly employed people we had, 2,249 of them, have now been paid close to N1 billion. Most of them have not informed their people that they have received their salaries. If they are owed one year, they are paid all in one day including the current month. I speak from records that we have,” she stated.

Ekere admitted that she had been aware of the challenges that workers faced since the creation of the state. She believed that Ibom workers would prefer Governor Emmanuel in 2019 given his track record of how he had made their lives better.

Following the celebration of 31st anniversary of Akwa Ibom state, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state have commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for his outstanding work as regards the development of Ibom these past three years.

In his brief congratulatory remark at the interdenominational thanksgiving service held at the Uyo Township Stadium, Saraki pointed out that the enthusiasm he observed from the large crowd that graced the state anniversary was a reflection of good leadership and the fact that the people believe in their governor. He said, “They have realised that they have a leader that they believe in. Others can bring people here but they (the people) cannot be this excited. I congratulate you because you are great men, women and youths.”

During Governor Tambuwal’s good will message, he expressed his confidence in Emmanuel Udom’s return to office given the impressive development stride and leadership disposition exhibited by Governor Udom. He also urged the people of Akwa Ibom to ensure that they get their Permanent Voter Card, PVCs in order to vote a competent leader come 2019.

Addressing the crowd, Governor Emmanuel used the occasion to enumerate the various laudable developmental projects executed by his administration, urged the people to resist all attempts to mortgage their destiny and the future of the state. He said, “If we miss this moment, if we allow the raw desire of an individual to supersede the collective interest of our people, we will forever remain bound by the shackles of domination and slavery. May God never allow affliction to happen a second time.”

When Mr Udom Emmanuel was sworn in as the Governor of Akwa Ibom in 2015, he made certain promises. Specifically, he believes the state is blessed with abundant natural resources, fertile and good climate that can make it possible for it to produce sufficient food to feed its teeming population and provide a sustainable raw materials base for her burgeoning industries. In three years the administration has developed 11,000 hectares of coconut plantation; 2,100 hectares of cassava plantation in 15 LGAs,; registered 48,000 rice farmers for the CBN anchor borrowers scheme and trained 450 youths on cocoa maintenance.

In addition, the state has distributed 500,000 improved cocoa seedlings to farmers at a highly subsidised rate across the 28 cocoa producing local government areas in the state. Now the state hatchery known as the Akwa Prime Hatchery hatches 10,000 day old cheeks per week. This is aside the free distribution of improved corn seedlings to farmers.

The state has championed the construction of vegetableGreen houses and cattle ranch, cultivated over 1,200 hectares of rice and constructed 33 micro cassava processing mills. He didn’t stop there. The state is training 300 youths under the graduate Unemplloyment Youth Scheme. Each of the graduate is given N1m to embark on any agricultural enterprise. Knowing the importance of the use of modern technology and equipment in the 21st centurt farming , the state constructed a Tractor Hiring Enterprise Centre. It has also refurbished the Cassava Processing factories at Ikot Okudom in Eket LGA, Nung Udoe; Ibeskpo/Asutan LGA and Ikot Ekang in Abak LGA and leased two private operators for the production of high quality garri, odourless fufu and cassava flour. It has so far procured 600,000 bags of fertiliser for farmers in the state and distributed 500 citrus seedlings, 600 hybrids plantain suckers and 1,000 pineapple suckers for farmers.

He established a large hybrid rubber nursery at Ebighi Anwa, Okobo LGA in partnership with the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria for distribution to rubber farmers at highly subsidised rates.

He also encouraged the establishment odf demonstration plots on various agricultural technologies for transfer of improved technologies to farmers through Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programme. He has builded at least three model villages for production, processing and packaging of Vitamin A products even as the state partnes with the World Bamboo Organisation for bamboo development in the state. He has procured and distributed 30,000hybrid plantain suckers to 348 farmers, installed maize preservation and shelling machin e in Nung Ndoe; another pioneer multiplication sites developed in Nsit Atai ; and constructed 35 boreholes as part of infrastructural benefits of FADAMA at Sawah Rice Production, Nnung Obong; agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprice.

Diverse crops are cultivated here. From cassava plantation in Ibeskpo, cucumber vegetable, the Vegetble Green House, tomatoes, and has since then been making good on his promises. He promised to transform the economy of Akwa Ibom state via industrialization and sustain public-private sector initiative thereby opening up opportunities for growth and improved living standards. Let’s face it. Nigeria is rich and blessed. Aside the good weather and arable farmland, the country is equally rich in human resources. Should Nigeria be categorised among nations that cannot feed themselves?

Looking back these last three years, he has achieved what he promised especially in the agricultural sector. Governor Udom Emmanuel has taken a bold step to secure the future of Akwa Ibom State through agriculture in the event that oil ceases to yield as much revenue as it does today. Fortunately, Akwa Ibom state is blessed with arable land and favourable climate that supports all-year-round cultivation and extraction of agricultural and forest products such as palm produce, rubber, cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and timber.

Through his policy in agriculture, his administration is creating food security, industrial hubs and massive job opportunities for the people of Akwa Ibom. The state is being transformed from one that is heavily dependent on federal allocations to one that generates revenue and earns foreign exchange through agriculture.

Udom Emmanuel’s visionary administration from the onset, declared a state of emergency in the agricultural sector, targeting food sufficiency, welfare of the people, export and economic development of the state. With prevailing high cost of living, this couldn’t have come at a better time even as pervasive poverty and hunger ravage the country. Although its rural communities are largely agrarian, relying on subsistent agriculture, their enormous potentials are now being harnessed for commercial and mechanised farming in cash crops like yam, coconut, plantain, maize, rice, tomatoes, cucumber and rubber as well as animal production, poultry and fish farming.

Under Udom Emmanuel’s administration, 48,000 rice farmers have so far been registered under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers scheme. So far, over 100 hectares of rice farmland have been cultivated. As a result of its commercial value, coupled with the comparative advantage Akwa Ibom State has in the production of cocoa. In addition, Udom Emmanuel has so far, trained 450 youths in new methods of planting cocoa and other extension services to its farmers in the state. The state went further to establish Special Cocoa Maintenance Scheme (SCMS) for the training of farmers and youths on pruning/shade management, under brushing, and tree care by fumigation, in order to ensure the improved yields from 300 kg/hectare to 2, 000kg/hectare over a period of three years.

Furthermore, a programme organised for youths interested in the agricultural sector; Graduate Unemployment Youth Scheme (GUYS), has had no fewer than 300 youths trained. Each of the young graduates is to be empowered with one million naira to embark on any agricultural enterprise of their choice.

Governor Udom’s investment in the Agricultural sector is a proof of his leadership acumen. It is apparent that the state of Akwa Ibom as a whole has improved largely as a result of his corporate governance. Also, his ability to attract private investors and some times, go into Public Private Partnership (PPP) is an indication of a man who has what it takes to be in leadership position.

‘The Jonah that prevented the boat to move has now left the boat’ – Dr Ekarika on Akpabio’s defection

In regards to Akpabio’s defection, Dr. Udoma Ekarika had a few things to say concerning Akpabio’s defection to APC and the impact it was going to have on Akwa Ibom in the long run.

Dr. Udoma Ekarika who defected to the PDP once Akpabio joined the APC was an influential commissioner in the Obong Victor Attah administration and according to him, aided in the appointment of Godswill Akpabio as commissioner in that government.
According to Ekarika, Akwa Ibom’s progress as a state had always been hindered as a result of Akpabio. He also believed that with Akpabio gone from the picture, the state will finally move forward as a whole. While speaking on Akpabio’s defection, he said “For Akwa Ibom as a state, it means that the Jonah that was in the boat that made the boat not to move has left the boat and the boat will now move very freely. I can also say that somebody who was the cog of the wheel and stopped the development and progress of Akwa Ibom State has voluntarily left the wheel and the wheel will now move freely”.

In addition, Ekarika added that while in office, Akpabio did not serve any useful purpose to the people of Akwa Ibom state. He was of the opinion that Akpabio was only propagating his personal interests from the beginning to the end of his defection. Ekarika also added that there were certain negative occurrences that only occurred while Akpabio was in power such as politically motivated assassination, kidnappings and rape cases. According to him, these crimes did not occur before Akpabio came into power and has ceased to occur since he left the office of the governor. He went further to add that despite the tag ‘uncommon transformation’ given to Akpabio’s term in government, the people and the state only continued to get poorer.

Furthermore, Ekarika was of the opinion that funds were mismanaged during Akpabio’s term in office. He raved that while Obong Attah was in the office of the governor, he was allocated 250 million naira. Obong Attah utilised this money to pay salaries, cater for the state, conceived signature projects and others despite the lean resources presented to him. When Akpabio came into power, he lied that he met an empty treasury with the debt burden of over 45 billion naira. However, 11.6 billion naira was allocated for that and the money was spent by Akpabio, Ekarika said. He also added that when the then Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonji-Iweala challenged Akpabio as regards funds mismanagement but Akpabio did not respond to the allegation.

Speaking on Akpabio’s defection, Dr Udoma Ekarika said “Akpabio gave his reason for defecting saying that he wanted to connect the Akwa Ibom and the South-South to the government in the center? Who is he in the first place? When we talk of South-South who is Akpabio? Where does he come and who does he know in this country? He was making noise”.

Finally, speaking on the insinuations that Akpabio was hounded by the EFFC, Ekarika said that there is always a day of reckoning for anyone who has ever been in public office. He added that even he as a former commissioner was called for questioning but that the most important thing is to give account. He said “All I know is that if he had been mismanaging the resources of Akwa Ibom state, the day of reckoning is coming. Akpabio collected more than three trillions for eight years. Does Akwa Ibom look like a state that has collected three trillions?”

A good way to measure the effectiveness of a leader in the discharge of his duties is to evaluate his/her time in office. Looking back at how Akwa Ibom has fared in the last three years, it is safe to say that the Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel has performed excellently well. Among the many improvements that Akwa Ibom has experienced in the last three years, is the improvement in the wealth and job creation sector. There are various cases of wealth creation through enterprise support and development championed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Looking at the case of one Ekemini Usoroh, a graduate of Physics from the University of Uyo, it is apparent that if not for the contributions made by the governor to secure the business of entrepreneurs, he would have been one of the many unemployed youth in the country today. Ekemini set up a small-scale nylon production factory in Ikono Local Government Area Akwa Ibom state. Initially, he was making profit from the business but over time, various constricting factors conspired against him and he was having a difficult time producing. His business would have gone under if not for the interference of the government. He entered a government organised programme called ‘Umbrella Business Quest’. This programme was set up by the People’s Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom state where Governor Udom Emmanuel holds the reins as the leader of the party.

Ekemini emerged the overall winner of the programme after pitching his business idea of nylon production. He earned himself a cash price as business capital or supply fund of N250, 000. Ekemini was ecstatic about his win but little did he know that more was coming. On the day the cash prizes were to be presented, Governor Udom Emmanuel had stopped over at the People’s Democratic Party Secretariat in Akwa Ibom State for a stakeholders’ meet. After listening to the rundown of the kind of enterprise that each winner was going to invest the cash Prize in, Governor Emmanuel decided to announce an increase in the categories of the Prizes. Eventually, Ekemini got one million, five hundred thousand naira (N1, 500,000) in addition to the statutory N250, 000 cash prize he won. This made his business N1, 750,000 richer. Today, Ekemini Usoroh is back to full scale nylon production business and is currently an employer of labour.

Another case under study is the case of one Mrs Grace Bassey. Mrs Grace Bassey, a popular food vendor in the city of Uyo, popularly known as ‘Eka Udo’ also benefitted from the ‘Umbrella Business Quest’ organised by Governor Udom Emmanuel. Mrs Bassey was selected for the honour category of the Business Icon Award and was eventually awarded with N1, 500, 000 to support her business. Eka Udo started her food vending business hawking food before making enough money to open her outlet. Sadly, Eka Udo had lost her sight about two years prior to the contest. Governor Emmanuel then directed the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for health, Dr Dominic Ukpong to initiate the process of conducting immediate medical examination on the now visually impaired food vendor, Eka Udo to find out if her eye defect could be addressed medically, so that government could foot the bills for the operation.

These cases brought forward shows how Governor Udom Emmanuel decided to reach out to improve the enterprises owned by Akwa Ibom indigenes. The governor is leading the journey of wealth creation in Akwa Ibom through a two-pronged approach of creating jobs through industrialization and enterprise development by supporting SMEs; Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
As regards enterprise development by supporting SME’s, Governor Udom, in deliberate effort to stimulate business growth in an economy that was under recession had approved the release of two billion naira, as interest-free loans to Akwa Ibom traders to boost trade and commerce within the state.

Governor Udom said ‘Interest rate in the country is high, but we are making our scheme interest free to empower the entrepreneurs to grow their businesses for more outputs optimisation. This is because if we charge these entrepreneurs interest rate on the loan, as they are into small scale businesses, the interest rate would automatically wipe out their profits, making it difficult for their businesses to thrive. Also, we decided to give the market women first, because if you empower 1,000 women, you have indirectly empowered a large population in the state.’

The other face of the two-pronged approach of creating jobs is through industrialization. In this regard, Governor Emmanuel has through a Public Private Partnership model, spread the landscape of Akwa Ibom with industries like Syringe Manufacturing Company, the Fertilizer blending factory in Abak, the Metering Solutions Company, the Toothpick and Pencil factories, even as the Coconut Refinery located in Mkpat Enin, and others soon to be commissioned. Apart from the direct jobs created by the existing factories and the new jobs which will be created by the ones soon to be commissioned, these factories have unlocked newer economic opportunities for residents in the communities where these factories are located.

For instance, there is a marked increase in accommodation in all the communities where these factories are located. Cottage businesses have and will continue to spring up to support the rising demands occasioned by the influx of people to these communities.
As expected, in trying to attain these heights as regards wealth creation and economic empowerment, there have been discouraging setbacks.

However, the persistent determination, vision and courage of Governor Udom Emmanuel to make Akwa Ibom a state that its indigenes are proud of has kept him moving. If re-elected come 2019, there are no doubts that the roads ahead hold brighter possibilities.

As the 2019 elections are fast approaching, the support base of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has continued to grow as more groups and organisations have thrown their weight behind his second term bid.

Recently, the Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly backed the governor for a second term in office.

In addition, Akwa Ibom Professionals based in Abuja and Lagos, led by their President, Mr. Udeme Uffot, an advertising practitioner, have declared their support for the governor at the Government House, Uyo.

In his address to the delegation, Governor Emmanuel echoed his commitment to the Akwa Ibom project, saying his administration had tackled challenges in all sectors of the state’s economy, ranging from education, to health care, to agriculture, to infrastructure and industrialisation.

He said ,“Industrialisation should not be left in the hands of the government alone. Rather, groups and individuals should take advantage of the enabling environment created by this administration to invest in small and medium-scale enterprises to bring about development, create employment and sustain the economy.”

Uffot added that they decided to pay homage to the governor as a way of identifying with one of their own, adding that the group was happy with the programmes executed by his administration and described the projects as excellent means of giving back to the people.

Since the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the Akwa Ibom State governor, he has put in place different infrastructure to help the indigenes of the state.

He has also created wealth for his people and initiated various impactful programmes to empower the people. Among many of his achievements is the impact he made as regards education.

It is a common saying that the youth of today are the future leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, it is important that these youth be equipped to maximise their full potential. One of the major ways to invest in the lives of the youth is through education.

Governor Emmanuel’s administration introduced free and compulsory basic education in public schools. This initiative enables the poor to send their children to school. He went ahead to identify seven community secondary schools that were not viable and converted them to model colleges. The governor then embarked on training and retraining of teachers in those schools to ensure qualitative education.

A three-day workshop on leadership and behavioural ethics was held in the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom State for public schools. Counsellors and prefects of the schools present were taught organisational skills, good academic values and task coordination, among other various vital skills.

In addition, he renovated 208 school blocks in the 31 local government areas of the state. He also went further to distribute free text books and other educational materials to students.

He also initiated strategic interventions in tertiary institutions by constructing roads on campuses and purchasing major equipment.
The attention Governor Emmanuel places on the educational sector shows that he is education-friendly. His improvement on the quality of education in both content and discipline has earned youths an enviable future and has also secured for the state an advantaged listing in Nigeria’s educational endeavour.

Confirming the impactful programmes initiated by the governor, the President, Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly, Arch. Bishop Cletus Bassey, said: “The emergence of Governor Udom Emmanuel in the political arena has changed the trend, as he had held political position with the fear of God, leading to the peace and progress enjoyed in Akwa Ibom.”

1. Udom Emmanuel believes in continuity. He completed roads initiated by his predecessors, Ikot Ekara-Ikot Ebritam Road inclusive.
2. At the last count, he has constructed over 160km of roads, 12 bridges in the state.
3. He is a governor with human face. It is on record that he compensated home owners whether they had certificates of ownership or not.
4. He has attracted over 50 foreign investors to Akwa Ibom State
5. He is championing industrial revolution in the state for example, Electric Meter manufacturing Plant and Clay Processing Plant in Onna.
6.   He paid 10 years arrears pensions and gratuities to primary school teachers and local government employees
7. Doesn’t joke with payment of subventions for running of primary and secondary schools in the state
8.  Embarked on emergency intervention on gully erosion at Enen Atai along Calabar – Itu Highway, Independence Hall, Abak, School of Nursing among others
9. Special interest in women & child health care as witnessed through intervention at St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo; construction of Dr. Ann Ward Gynaecology Block; and  rehabilitation of Children and Male Wards
10. Establishment of Sports Academies in the 10 Federal Constituencies in the state
11. Provision of 15 hectres of land along Eastern Obolo - Mkpat Enin axis for coconut plantation and refinery
12. Mapping out of   85 hectares of land in Eket for refining 100,000 barrels of petroleum per day.
13. Working towards establishment of an automobile assembly plant in Itu
14. Rehabilitation of Peacock Paints in Etinan
15. Reconstruction and conversion of 10th Anniversary Hotel complex for use as government offices.