ETIM EFFIONG
The Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, on Thursday, said the state would in future become a reference point for developmental projects in Nigeria and Africa.
Emmanuel who said the developmental projects in the state were testimonies to what the current leadership has achieved and what the next governor would do, attributed Nigeria’s problems to that of incompetence.
The governor said this during the flag off of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), campaigns for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District and the symbolic handing over of flags to all its candidates in the 2023 elections.
He assured the people that the party’s governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno, has the capacity to take Akwa Ibom to greater heights.
“Believe me, he is a man of capacity. I keep saying it and I will repeat it until everybody hears me that, if you cannot run a kiosk, you cannot run a multinational. If you have not created a dividend somewhere, you cannot create dividend of democracy; that is why we are having the problems we are having in Nigeria today.
“But here in Akwa Ibom, we are blessed. Our next governor, the man of capacity is willing. Pastor Umo Eno is able, he is also reliable. How I wished that Nigeria has given chance, with the enormous human capacity we have in Akwa Ibom, so that Akwa Ibom would give them the President of Nigeria to turn around the economy of this country in less than no time.
“So, watch and see, that this state is going to be a reference state for the whole of Africa. It is going to be the flagship in the whole of Africa. The economic foundation that we have laid, he is going to build solidly on it, and Akwa Ibom will be forward ever, backward never,” he stated.
While speaking, PDP’s governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno, pledged to make Akwa Ibom proud by sustaining the peace in the state and building on the legacies of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Eno promised to consolidate on the developmental projects of Governor Emmanuel by focusing on rural, technology and agricultural development, as well as creating business hubs for the people.
“The next administration will pay attention on rural development, rural development in all facets, the health of our people in the rural area. Your Excellency, you have done a lot in our general hospitals, that is, at the secondary level and we want to trickle it down to the rural level and build cottage hospitals to ensure primary health care.
“The women will benefit from what I call, FEYReP reloaded, and all of the things your Excellency has done, we are going to step it up, agriculture will dot the landscape of Akwa Ibom, we are going to empower our women and youths into agriculture.
“Our oil palm industry has been reactivated by your Excellency, our governor, we are going to ensure we give our people viable seeds so that they can replace the old palm trees and within two and half years, they can harvest their palm fruits and sell to government to process in our our oil refinery.
“Akwa Ibom will be a tourist destination. You have given us Ibom Air, we have about 21 tourism sites in the state and I look forward that Ibom air will bring tourists from accross the land and come to Akwa Ibom.
“We are standing on the foundation that you have laid and we promise you that we will make Akwa Ibom proud. We will always ensure that we will not take for granted the peace you have given us in this state.
“We will not go back to the days in this state when people were killed in their homes, where people were murdered in churches; you have paid the price to bring peace to the state, we shall go forward in peace and prosperity,” he stated.
On his part, State Chairman of the PDP, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey expressed delight that the appointment of Governor Emmanuel as Chairman of the PDP Campaign council did not affect the party at the state level.
“I thank God that your acceptance as Chairman of the PDP Campaign council has not crippled the party. Thank you for supporting the state and our great party.
The people that have come out today have come to make a clear statement that Uyo is PDP,” he stated.
