Against all odds, Udom returns to hilltop mansion 

BY AKAN EKPO

Governor Udom Emmanuel will be sworn-in officially on Wednesday 29th May 2019, for another term of four years, as the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State.  Wednesday’s event is very important to the more than four million people in the State because this time around Udom Emmanuel, will be taking oath of allegiance and oath of office as a governor chosen by the people; and no one person but Akwa Ibom people will take credit for his re-election. 

Governor Udom Emmanuel had said he will continue to focus on industrialisation of State and will develop other new key areas of investments which were not extensively captured in his first term’s five points agenda.

“Our commitment to industrialisation is irrevocable…through industrialisation, we shall rewrite the Akwa Ibom economic story”, he wrote in his “completion agenda, 2019 – 2023.”

A few of the big-ticket projects which Governor Emmanuel expressly said he will up-take in his second term include a refinery, gas plant, fertilizer manufacturing plant and a steel production plant.

“In my ‘completion agenda’, my major target on industrialisation and investment will be to establish at least one petroleum refinery, thermal plant, petrochemical plant, liquefied natural gas plant, fertilizer manufacturing plant and a steel plant.”

The governor said he will work vigorously to complete the Ibom deep seaport before the end of his tenure in 2023.

He said his administration through the technical committee on the deep seaport has made tremendous success and was at the stage of negotiation of terms with the preferred bidder, Bollore-Power China consortium.

“In the next four years of my administration, the port will commence full operation”, Emmanuel said.

New areas which will be at the centre of focus under the completion agenda include, aviation development, rural and riverine area development, small and medium scall enterprises, human capital development, agriculture, security and infrastructure.

The governor stated in his manifesto that with these agenda, he will “successfully reduce dependence on statutory allocation as the main source of revenue to the State, but will equally improve IGR, enhance the already existing enabling environment to encourage more private investments and further create more employment opportunities.”

The Akwa Ibom state government has already shown immense commitment to aviation development in the last five  months.

It acquired three aircraft and started a state-owned carrier called IbomAir. IbomAir which will be flying Uyo-Abuja, Uyo-Lagos, commenced demonstration flight with the all the aircraft on its fleet on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.  Seven more aircraft will be added to the IbomAir fleet according to the Ibom airline company limited.

More so, the governor had listed specific areas of development in the state aviation sector on his completion agenda to include, the completion of the MRO, building of main terminal at the Victor Attah international airport, establishment of search and rescue centre and flight training school.

Governor Emmanuel’s completion agenda have a room for every sector and section of the State.

However, it is instructive to note that despite government’s huge efforts at meeting basic infrastructural needs over the years, development in rural, riverine and border communities in the State remains disproportionate to the ones in the city centres.

Plaguing these areas which unfortunately produce the food that feeds the town are; lack of access to water, power supply, motorable roads, healthcare, sanitation and security in border communities.

The governor said in his second term he will move these communities up the ladder of development to improve their standard of living through access to better-life projects and programmes.

“My dream  is to see that before leaving office in 2023, all the rural and riverine areas of the State are well developed to meet up with other developed parts of the state to improve the standard of living.”

Specific programmes earmarked for the rural and riverine area development in Governor Emmanuel’s completion agenda include, ‘good water for all’ under the Akwa Ibom Rural Development Master Plan, rural electrification through investment in small distribution and power generation facilities, training for cooperatives, and support for community vigilante groups.

To boost Aquaculture, the new administration intends to start what it calls “tilapia aquaculture project”, develop marine fisheries and fish farm projects as well as the establishment of seafood processing facilities for export market.

The Udom Emmanuel administration under its first term attracted 15 industries to the state. These include, syringe manufacturing factory, pencil production factory, toothpick production factory, digital metering solutions manufacturing factory, fertilizer blending plant, plastic manufacturing factory, rice mill, petroleum tank farm, and flour mill factory.

Others include palm kernel crushing plant in  Ibesikpo Asutan and Ukanafun, resuscitation of peacock paint, starch manufacturing factory and palm oil processing plant.

To lay the foundation for the next phase of industrialisation, the government says it intends to tackle power supply needs of now and the future.

The governor said his completion agenda have “concrete plans to bring about 24 hours power supply in all parts of the state.” Some of the plans include, starting the  575MW Qua Iboe Power Plant; construction of 132/33KV, 2×60MVA substation at Oron and 33/11KV, 2×15MVA injection substation at new stadium road Uyo; and the establishment of Thermal -Electricity Generator and Waste -to- Electricity, Resources and Development Laboratory.

In the housing sector, the administration will pay attention to completing the international worship centre and 21-storey business tower, construction of phase three of the State secretariat to accommodate MDAs currently housed outside the two secretariats, completion of tropicana hotels and conference centre.

Governor Emmanuel said he was also aware of citizens’ need for decent housing, and propose to undertake the construction of low and very low density houses and estates for the low and middle income earners and a unity luxury estate for the high-income group.

The governor’s projections in the area of road construction is “to achieve a complete network of roads in the State before 2023.”

In four years of the first term, the Udom Emmanuel administration has initiated and completed a good number of roads.

“Evidently, roads covering over 1,000km have been constructed and rehabilitated by my administration,” the governor said.

More milestone will be covered in sports infrastructure as the Udom Emmanuel marches into its second term. Already, the governor had disclosed in his manifesto that the government will complete on-going reconstruction of Eket township stadium, remodel and renovate Uyo township stadium, construct a standard indoor sports hall in Uyo, construct the nine more sports centres.

There is also plan to expand the Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival to accommodate more sports and start an Akwa Ibom State football league.

The Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival and the annual schools sports competition which were Governor Emmanuel’s brainchild in the area of sports in his first term was a huge success in talent identification, grooming and export.

Governor Udom Emmanuel has the big burden of proving his leadership and development ingenuity to the people of Akwa Ibom State once more.

Governor Emmanuel will be expected to keep faith with the people who defied stiffling opposition, threats, intimidation from his estranged political godfather and former governor, Godswill Akpabio to vote for him.

His re-election on March 9, was a product of sacrifice, resilience and choice by well over 519,000 people. The broad appeal which drew this much voters to Governor Emmanuel was the peace and unity the State enjoys under his administration.

Accordingly, above everything else, the people expect to enjoy more enduring peace, unity and development in the next four years.