GOV. UDOM EMMANUEL: PREPARING FOR A NEW SOCIO-ECONOMIC ORDER

By Mbakara Akaniyene

One of the major socio-economic consequences of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic is the drastic drop in the price of crude oil in the global market. For a mono-product national economy such as Nigeria’s, these dwindling fortunes of crude oil become much more devastating to budgets (recurrent and capital expenditures) of states. With the fast falling price of petroleum, currently at less than US$20/barrel, the 2020 budget, premised on US$53 per barrel, is not implementable. In truth, even   the pre-Covid-19 wages and recurrent expenditure will be difficult to sustain. Lives and livelihoods are about to be threatened if leaders do not take proactive economic steps with speed and zeal.

Fortunately, His Excellency the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, had already begun to live the future (the post-covid-19 realities of today) in his giant (gigantic) economic development strides in Akwa Ibom State. The Governor’s performance in  rapid  industrialization of the State, agribusiness-targeted agricultural revolution, problem-solving with innovation and entrepreneurship-centric overhaul of educational curricula and system, remodeling of hospitals and furnishing of same with state-of-the-art healthcare equipment, provisioning of  transportation infrastructure ( roads, aviation and seaport ) are a wake-up call for action and to duty. They are a call to rise to an economic aspect of our collective “faith of greatness”: Akwa Ibom State beyond and without oil.

Read Also: Akwa Ibom to get post-COVID 19 economic recovery committee

Since “Necessity is the mother of invention” the current economic challenges, occasioned by COVID-19, have thrown an inexorable necessity on us as a people. The Akwa Ibom State Governor has risen to this challenge with the setting up of a POST-COVID-19 ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE.

While a new world order is emerging with new behavioral standards, new lexicon and new economic realities, the big question is how will governments cope with the mangling effects of prolonged lockdown, economic mode dive and the emerging health hazards on the domestic and global economies. It will require proactive and creative thinking as well as decision making.

This is where Governor Emmanuel’s unparalleled economic vision and foresight sets him apart as critical thinker with a clear vision to steer the ship of leadership at a time like this.

Citizens and residents also have a duty to Help Themselves By Researching on Ways to reinvent themselves and brace up for the impending new world order.

The reality is that We Have To Change Our Way Of Life. Alter Our Culture and Be More health conscious . Its not going to be business as usual it will take some getting used to.