Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has said the recession will not limit the country.
The governor said Nigeria would overcome the challenges and the global depression.
Emmanuel addressed State House correspondents yesterday in Abuja after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.
He said: “Everything we do, I keep reassuring Nigerians. We want to be together in Nigeria. So, whatever we discussed, it is in the interest of our citizens. We make sure we put our heads together to solve our challenges as a developing nation.
“Let me assure Nigerians that there is no developing country that doesn’t go through what we go through. But how do we make effort to face the challenges? That’s why you see us putting heads together, trying to appraise and trying to find a solution that will be enduring.
“We are not limited by what we see all over the world. We are not limited by the recession and, based on what people see, we will go beyond that. We shall go beyond biases: ethnicity, religion, even gender. We shall rise in togetherness. That’s the message.”
On his visit to the Villa, Emmanuel said: “I think we will always come here because we were mandated by the governors’ forum to come and discuss certain issues with the Vice President. That’s why you saw two of us here. We were supposed to be three but the third governor could not make it.”
According to him, the meeting was fruitful because some issues were tackled.
On the anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, he said: “My state will be 29 on September 23. We chose to mark it and thank God. A child that was born 29 years ago is a father. As a state, development strides have been made in the last 29 years and where God has brought us. That is why we want to thank God and make the citizens know where we are going to.
On the economic challenges, the governor said: “There is recession. You must give hope to the citizens. I think we are on the right path and we are going somewhere. I know that where we are going will bring about prosperity, job creation and other good things. At the end of the day, we just want to improve on the living standard of every citizen. I believe and what we normally say once the passion is right is that nothing is impossible.
“Once the government is ongoing, there is always a project. We don’t celebrate projects; it is either you inaugurate or build a new one. But I am one governor who won’t make so much noise. We still have a long way to go.
“You can also say you have achieved so much while you stamped out hunger, unemployment. You cannot be happy when you see a young man who has finished school but has not been employed. So, we cannot roll out the drums to celebrate but only to thank God. We are going to the Promised Land and we will be there. But mind you, on the way to the Promised Land, you have to pass through the wilderness.”