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Tag: Akwa Ibom State Governor

  • Emmanuel signs N672b appropriation bill

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has signed the 2019 appropriation bill of N672.984 billion into law.

    The bill was presented by members of the House of Assembly, led by Deputy Speaker Mrs. Felicia Bassey and Chairman of the Appropriation and Finance Committee, Dr. Usoro Akpanusoh.

    The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and Commissioner for Finance Nsikan Linus Nkan ,witnessed the signing.

    Nkan, who addressed reporters afterwards, said the “Budget of Industrialisation for Poverty Alleviation” is intended to actualise the industralisation and job creation agenda of the present administration.

    The commissioner, who scored Governor Emmanuel high on the implementation of the 2018 budget, said the 2019 budget is expected to draw strength from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other consolidated allocations.

    Commissioner for Education Prof. Victor Inoka said the governor has approved the upgrade of the College of Education to a degree awarding institution.

    According to him, the College of Education is now affiliated to the University of Uyo, and some of the approved courses include Education Agriculture, Education English, Early Childhood and Primary Education, Education Chemistry, Education Biology, Education Physics, Education Mathematics, Technical Education, Integrated Science, Business Education and Social Studies all in Faculty of Education.

  • Emmanuel commends INEC for improved logistical arrangement

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, who, along with his wife, Martha, cast his vote at exactly 9.23 am, at Town Hall, Awa 1, (Polling Unit Code 03-24-001), Onna local government area, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for improvement in the accreditation process and expressed optimism that the experience would be replicated in other units across the state.

  • INEC supporting Emmanuel, says Akpabio

    •Senator confident of Buhari’s victory

    Senator Godswill Akpabio has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working with Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    According to him, while the commission is an independent body, some of its officials are not completely independent.

    Akpabio, who addressed reporters in Abuja, said Governor Emmanuel was working with some officials of the commission to compromise the elections, and has also deployed money to entice the people.

    He was, however, confident of President Muhammadu Buhari winning the presidential election, saying the greatest undoing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was his promise to sell the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which, according to him, amounts to making people of the Niger Delta tenants in their own land.

    He said: “You know that INEC is an Independent body, but some of its officials are not totally independent. We have noticed some unholy alliances with the government in power in some states. For example, in Akwa Ibom, we have seen the body language of the government, which clearly shows that it will not be able to conduct credible elections, giving the parties, particularly the APC, a level playing ground.

    “APC has no intention of taking Akwa Ibom. The only intention of APC is to reflect the will of the people which today remains 80-90 per cent APC. My people are quite determined to join the centre politics; some of them, who are politicians, have been defecting and those who are not politicians are declaring their support for the APC.

    “When people are with you, you will win election, but when they are not with you, you don’t win. These are not hired crowds. People say they have doubt about Akwa Ibom will become an APC state. I can tell you that Akwa Ibom is already an APC state, just waiting for election to happen.

    “I believe strongly that the APC has done well, particularly in the last two months of campaigns. We thank God that the President was able to show not just his fitness, but his capacity and capability to continue to run the affairs of the country till 2023…”

  • Emmanuel recruits 1,000 persons to defend votes

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will recruit 1,000 men to defend its votes.

    The governor said the measure is to frustrate plans by the opposition to rig the elections.

    Emmanuel, who spoke during yesterday’s rally at Onna Sports Stadium to mark the end of the campaigns round the 31 councils, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted sinister plots to weaken the PDP but failed.

    He hailed PDP youths who have embraced the peaceful disposition of his administration and worked to maintain peace throughout the electioneering, even in the face of provocation.

    Read also: Govt accuses PDP of planning to scuttle poll

    He said: “PDP is unstoppable. There is no way we would not win; we have gone round the whole Akwa Ibom. PDP is like a religion here.

    “They planned evil, God did not allow it to happen, God has disappointed, and will continue to disappoint them. We started in peace and ended in peace and success. Akwa Ibom is 100 per cent PDP and 100 per cent we shall win.”

     

  • On-shore/off-shore dichotomy: Osinbajo, Emmanuel meet in Aso Rock

    …Warns against inflammatory statements

     

    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel on Thursday met behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting followed the alleged inflammatory statements by some political leaders on the onshore/offshore dichotomy occasioned by the report of the Governor Nasir el-Rufai-led Committee to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on restructuring.

    Some of the recommendations of the report of the Kaduna State Governor committee on fiscal federalism and restructuring, centering on onshore/offshore dichotomy had not gone down well with some stakeholders from the oil rich region.

    Although the Federal Government claimed it had addressed grey areas relating to the sharing of Federation Account Allocation to littoral states as it concerns crude oil revenue.

    But Governor el-Rufai-led committee had recommended in the report presented to the party leadership, that “to promote the unity of the country and ensure that states are more financially empowered to deliver services to their residents, as well as ensure no one feels disadvantaged, the committee recommends that the Federal Government should expeditiously review derivation to reflect areas of consensus which are adoption of ‘state control of resources and pay FG,’ upward review of the current formula in favour of states and adoption of similar derivation formula in favour of solid minerals and power generation.”

    Reacting to the development while speaking with State House journalists, Governor Emmanuel said it was irresponsible for people who had no business with oil generation in the country to make sweeping statements that could jeopardise the polity.

    He said that he was bothered about inflammatory statements coming from people with little knowledge about oil and the economic implications.

    He said, “The Vice President is the Chairman of the National Economic Council so once you see a forward looking governor like us coming to have a discussion with him, you know it has something to do with the economy.

    “Whatsoever robs off in the state must also play part in the country especially a state that I run as the largest oil producer in this country today even though I mean as you all are aware, I don’t even have a dimple to show for it but at least we must do our best to make sure we contribute significantly to economy of this country, and probably also use this opportunity to tell those who do not understand few things not to make certain comments that would not allow this country to run the way it should run.

    “I hear people making all kind of comments at times somebody who doesn’t even understand, who has never seen crude oil before will come and tell you about onshore/offshore all those things is dead and has been buried, so let those people not just make inflammatory statements that will cause problems.

    “But by and large it has been a good meeting we discuss the entire economy of the nation I am also looking forward to a whole lot of happenings within this period because I can see our economy should move much faster, yesterday the oil price was well over $73 a barrel, this is a good sign of an economy that should get into a boom very soon.”

    He was optimistic that the nation’s economic recovery would move faster following Tuesday’s positive jump in price of crude oil at the international market.

    The governor said the country should capitalize on the new oil price to step up economic recovery and move the country beyond present level of development.

    He said, “Our economy should move much faster; yesterday the oil price was well over 73 dollars per barrel; this is a good sign of an economy that should get into improving very soon.

    “The Vice President is the chairman of NEC and once you see a forward-looking governor like ours coming to have a discussion with him, know that it is 100 per cent about the economy.

    “Whatsoever rubs off in the state must also play part in the country, especially a state that I run as the largest oil producer in the country today even though  as you all are aware I do not have a deep to show for it.

    “But at least we must do our best to make sure we contribute significantly to the economy of this country,’’ he said.

    On flood in Akwa Ibom state, the governor stated that the administration had tackled that but noted that erosion was a major concern because of the damage caused by the ravine.

    He said the state was playing politics of development which isolated it from the kinds of politics seen in the rest of Africa.

    He said, “We are more particular about development; look at the quality of leaders we have been bringing out since 2003 till today; look at the profile of the leaders and it is a clear direction that we are out for development.

    “We are not out for some of the propaganda that some other states play and we are not out for deceit; we are out for the truth and the truth stands out; I think we have done well,” he stated.

    Read Also: Ekweremadu briefs Osinbajo on Senate invasion

  • God has answered prayers on Buhari, says Udom

    God has answered prayers on Buhari, says Udom

    …Says Buhari, governors not supernatural

     

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom on Friday declared that God has already answered the prayers of Nigerians over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He was one of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors that met with the President in London on Wednesday.

    The President has been in the United Kingdom since May 7th to meet up with follow up consultation with his doctors.

    His absence had fueled speculations in the past few weeks.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Emmanuel Udom said “Let me thank God for the life of the president and thank God for Nigerians too. And also appreciate Nigerians who have prayed sincerely and earnestly for Mr. President and I think God has actual answered the prayers of Nigerians.

    “From what you could see from the photographs you could see that God has actually answered our prayers, so some of us were quite excited to see Mr. President welcomed us, discussed with us and he was also happy to see us.

    “So what you are seeing both on TV and newspapers are genuine and correct. God has actually healed our president and we thank God for that.”

    On when the doctors will discharge the President, “I’m sorry I’m not the doctor I’m just a governor.

    When asked to guess from what he observed during the visit, he said “I’m not a medical doctor. Let me say something here, even when you have a biological father you love your father, you take interest in his well-being. I mean as a father to the nation, in my personal opinion, I don’t think that is the issue now.

    “The issue is that we should thank God that God has answered our prayers, that is where I am coming from. And let me also say, some of us behave as if the president, the governors are superhuman, we are normal human beings, we also have challenges.

    “So let us not think that because we are governors or president we are superhuman. No. We are not God we mere mortals like any of us here. So that should also make us play down on the way we look at certain issues,” he added.

    On what the delegation discussed with the President, he said that what was discussed was in the best interest of the country.

    He said “I don’t think when you hold meeting even with your wife and children you will come and make that public. The president is father of the nation and we represent the sub unit of this nation and so is not everything that we discussed that we should just come and say.

    “It was a closed door meeting but be ready assured whatever the president will discuss with the governors will be in the best interest of all the citizens of this country,” he stated.

     

  • Gov berates Nigerians who send children abroad for education

    Gov berates Nigerians who send children abroad for education

    The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has expressed concern over the unpatriotic attitude of some Nigerians who send their children abroad for education saying that the majority of great men and women today were products of public schools in Nigeria.

    Emmanuel, who stated this on Thursday in Uyo, the state capital while briefing newsmen, noted that most of the teachers in overseas countries are not better than their Nigerian counterpart whom he noted are making waves all over the world.

    According to him, no amount of investment will be too much in the education of children and youths which he identifies as key drivers of any economy.

    With sound education the Governor said, young people could contribute to the development of their communities and help in addressing unemployment in the society.

    He emphasized the need for parents and teachers to instill discipline, fear of God and moral values in their children so that they can grow with it and become useful to society.

    Governor Emmanuel promised that his government will continue to provide a good environment for quality teaching and learning through the basic infrastructure in schools and prompt attention to the welfare of teachers in Akwa Ibom State.

    On the perennial flood ravaging some roads in the state, the Governor said that his administration is working in partnership with the World Bank to check the menace and that the Organization has received the design of the Babangida Avenue flood control project with a view to providing funding for the project.

    He explained that the Babangida Avenue flooding has persisted due to the topography of the area.

    This, he said, has made it difficult to channel the water to the nearest drainage around the State Secretariat.

    However, he assured that the Nsikak Eduok Avenue road flooding would be evacuated as soon as the underground drainage channeling project is completed.

    In the Health sector, the Governor said he painstakingly went round the state-owned medical institutions and that the sector would be revamp as the state government is awaiting delivery of medical equipment ordered from the United States of America to enable the hospitals provide better services for the people.

    He announced that the state government has entered into an agreement with a Singapore based firm to rehabilitate the General Hospital at Ikot Okoro under a Private Public Partnership Arrangement.