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.
Tag: Mr. Udom Emmanuel
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Passionate governor with sport-full medals
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel is one of the few passionate Governors who have shown tangible commitment to youth development through sports. On assumption of office over two years ago, many thought the coming of this financial guru will mark a death kneal to the magnificent Godswill Akpabio International Stadium and also kill the vision of sports activities in the State because of his background. Today, the Governor has fulfilled part of his inaugural promises, which was, “To leverage and build on the Uncommon Transformation of the Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio’s administration.”
Governor Emmanuel’s passion for sports development is second to no other State Governor in the country. As soon as Mr. Emmanuel dotted his leadership seat at the Hilltop Mansion, his first port of call was the State football team where he diagnosed, analyzed, and proffered a therapy for the sickening state team. Today, serial victories recorded by Akwa United Football Club are testimonials to the Governor’s magic in the sports subsector.
Within the Governor’s two years in office, Akwa United FC have become two times winner of AITEO cup, and fully participating in the on going continental competition. Through Governor Emmanuel’s support, Team Akwa Ibom finished 2nd on the medals table at the 2017 National Sports FESTIVAL; and Ibom Angels emerged first runner-up in the 2017 Nigeria Female FA Cup. That was the first time a female team from the state qualified for the finals of a major national competition.
Governor Udom Emmanuel is currently undertaking construction of ten sports centres in the ten federal constituencies of the state. One of the centres as currently implemented would be an international stadium. The first of the ten stadia at West Itam Secondary School, Itu LGA was commissioned in May 2016 during the Governor’s first year in office. The second centre at Ikot Mbong, Onna LGA has reached advanced level of completion. Eight others are at different levels of construction.
Worthy of note is that under Governor Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom State hosted all home qualifier matches played by the Super Eagles in the build up to Russia 2018 World Cup. The support the people and government of Akwa Ibom gave the national team during those matches were significant motivators to the successes recorded by National team.
Last year, the Governor said “Akwa Ibom won’t wait for anyone; we want to make sure that this state produces future champions and I only want people to give us 7 years, we will be ready.
“Come to think of it, if champions are not hatched in the Nest of Champions- The Godswill Obot Akpabio Stadium where else can they possibly be hatched? This administration sees sports development as a valuable gift to our children and youth. We know that when we expose them to the best sporting facilities at an early age, we have given them wings to soar and the sky can only be the limit. Such thinking gave vent to the establishment of sporting centres in each of the ten Federal constituencies of the State by my administration”.
Another exciting programme in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s sports rebirth is the State Youth Sports Festival (AKSYSF). The programme which started in 2017 afforded pupils and students from the 31 Local Government Areas opportunities to participate in sporting activities of their choosing. The 2018 edition of AKSYSF which ended on Saturday, 10 March 2018, attracted 15,000 athletes, all from primary and secondary schools in the State. Twenty-three (23) sports, athletics, badminton, baseball/softball, basketball, boxing, chess, cricket, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu and traditional boxing (Mbok), scrabble, squash rackets, special sports, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling, were up for competition. Paralympics was a special feature during the festival.
In his remarks at the opening of the second edition of the festival, Governor Emmanuel said his administration “will not rest until [it] gives the world another Serena Williams. Let us not rest until stars in the mould of Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Lebron James and Usain Bolt are discovered here in Akwa Ibom. That is not impossible. They are all here, and it is our challenge to fish them out. If we do our part as we are doing, I have the faith and belief that going forward; no Nigerian National team will be complete without an Akwa Ibom child.”
That emboldening statement re-echoed the commitment of the Governor to take the attention of Akwa Ibom youth away from politics to greater self development in sports.
Governor Udom Emmanuel’s commitment to sports development has attracted the attention of sports stakeholders and lovers in Nigeria to Akwa Ibom State. That attention earned the Governor a unanimous vote as the Sports Governor of the Year at the 2017 Nigerian Sports Award held in Lagos State.
More so, Akwa Ibom State has received the 3 Diamond National Sports Summit Awards 2017 by the Federal Ministry of Sports. The state won that award for having the Most Comprehensive Sport Development Programme in Nigeria 2017; being the state with the Best Sports Infrastructure in Nigeria 2017 and the Most Patriotic Sports Supporters in Nigeria.
Spokesperson for the state, and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, said government investment in sports is aimed to redirect sports tourism in Africa to Akwa Ibom State.
“Government is spending so much money on Sports because he wants to alleviate poverty, create jobs and wealth for youths in the state and beyond.”
Governor Udom Emmanuel’s passion for sports development is right, hence giving Akwa Ibom State a place in the world’s most sought sports destinations is possible.
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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.
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A’Ibom 2015: Uncertainty over Udom Emmanuel
The candidacy of Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship flag bearer in Akwa Ibom State next year is in jeopardy.
An Abuja High Court on Friday granted the ex-parte application by Mr. Ime Ekanem, one of the 22 aspirants who indicated their interest in contesting the December 8 primaries in the state, restraining the PDP from submitting any name as outcome of the primaries to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The court, as others in the Federal Capital Territory, has since proceeded on vacation after fixing hearing in the substantive suit for January 5, 2015 by which time the parties should have submitted the names of their candidates to INEC.
Defendants in the suit are the PDP, its national chairman and the national secretary.
Justice Y. Halilu also ordered the substituted service of the motion on notice, originating summons and other processes in the suit on the PDP chair and secretary through the office of the party’s national legal adviser.
He, however, turned down the applicant’s third request for the abridgement of the time for hearing on account of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Of the 23 aspirants who indicated interest in the ticket, 22 of them including Ekanem kicked against what they perceived as fundamental irregularities at the start of the exercise and submitted a protest letter through the Chairman of the State Electoral Panel.
Efforts by the protesting aspirants to seek redress from the party’s Appeal Panel also failed.
They alleged non accreditation of delegates and their agents at the venue of the primaries as well as the non display of delegates list in violation of the party’s rules governing the primaries.