We’ll ensure investments in A’Ibom become productive, says Udom Emmanuel

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, says his administration is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that investments that belong to the state, are not left to waste.

Speaking while inaugurating the Tropicana Shopping Mall at the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Complex, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, he promised to complete the 14-storey Ibom Hilton Hotel to complement the 4-star hotel in Ikot Ekpene, and all ongoing projects before leaving office in 2023.

“I want to believe if not for the setback of COVID in 2020, by now our 4-star hotel in Ikot Ekpene would have been up and running. If you check, it is about 99% completed,” he said.

“The only thing remaining is for the management team to move in. We are reworking the agreement on that hotel and we will put everything in place to address all the challenges.”

The governor, who disclosed that his administration is currently in talks with investors on completing the proposed Ibom Tropicana hotel, said: “Our vision, mission and dream is to make sure that before we leave office in 2023 we would have turned that uncompleted building into a hotel to complement what we are doing in Ikot Ekpene because we are making Akwa Ibom State a tourist destination.

“We are hoping within a short moment Marriot should move in and that place commissioned. I know that place will employ over a thousand of Akwa Ibom people not to talk of indirect labour.”

The governor said once the international market in Eket is commissioned, it will complement the state government’s investments in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“You can see that we are on a throttle, ready to achieve on our completion agenda so that we can create jobs stimulate the economy of Akwa Ibom State and we don’t want to remove our foot from that throttle… We are not here to manage change, we are here to create change,” he said.

He thanked the host community for their cooperation with the investors and the investors for giving a lot of space for indigenous retail trade.

This, he said, will develop local businessmen and support his administration’s drive to create change.