The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Udom Emmanuel

  • ‘Lawmakers made my job easy’

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has attributed his achievements during his first tenure to the cooperation of the House of Assembly.

    Emmanuel, who praised the Assembly for working hard to restore peace in the state, said the legislature has been a dependable partner in development.

    The governor was addressing a Valedictory Thanksgiving Service of the sixth Assembly at the Assembly Chapel in Uyo yesterday. He said the support and inputs he enjoyed from the legislature made his job easier and development faster.

    Represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, the governor urged the incoming lawmakers to follow the footsteps of the sixth assembly and partner the government to continue to move the state to greater heights.

    He said: “The achievements we recorded as a government would not have been possible if we did not have a legislature that stood by us to make our job much easier. I also urge the incoming members to follow the footsteps of the sixth assembly and collaborate with government so that Akwa Ibom State can continue to be taken to higher heights”.

    Read Also: Court upholds sack of five APC lawmakers

    The Speaker, Onofiok Luke, listed finishing his tenure as a Christian; his marriage intact and not losing any member to death as his major reasons for approaching God with thanksgiving.

    Luke, who outlined some of the adversaries which worked against his becoming Speaker and success in office, thanked God that those severe cases of tribulation did not push him to seek other gods.

    He described his colleagues as vessels of honour and thanked God for using “such brave men and women” to achieve his dreams for the state as Speaker.

    “I thank God because I finished as a Christian, because trials and tribulations of the world did not push me to seek other gods. I thank God because I finished this office with my marriage intact, that the challenges of public office did not tear us apart…”

    It’s not easy to give yourself out to serve a people.

    “I thank God that we finished with all 26 members alive, I thank Akwa Ibom people for the confidence reposed in us, and the body of Christ for their prayers,” he added.

     

  • May 29: Emmanuel to inaugurate roads

    Akwa Ibom State governor Udom Emmanuel will inaugurate over 49 roads as part of activities to mark the 2019 Democracy Day.

    Commissioner for Works Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, who addressed reporters yesterday, listed the roads as Nsit Atai, Obot Akara Into Edino road, Mkpok Okat road, Ikot Usop, Awa Edem and 4.6km road around the Akwa Ibom State University, Obio Akpa Campus in Oruk Anam council.

    Others are 6.41 km road in Atan Offot, Udunguko road, Ikot Ebiekpe road among others slated for inauguration to mark the 2019 democracy day.

    Read also: As Udom Emmanuel launches Ibom Airline

    Inyangeyen hinted that the projects cut across the three senatorial districts, especially those councils neglected by the previous administration.

    The commissioner hinted that some of the projects delayed by contractors have been terminated and the project re-awarded to another contractor for effective delivery.

    According to him, the affected roads include the Ibom Airport Uya Oron road, which has been abandoned by Aquatic Construction Company Ltd, Ikot Ekara Ibesit Okpokoro road abandoned by Hammakop Nigeria Limited, among others.

  • Easter: Emmanuel sues for peace with political opponents

    Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, has appealed to his opponents to set aside their political differences in the spirit of Easter and join hands with him to uplift the state.

    Emmanuel, who made the plea during his Easter broadcast to the state yesterday, urged those who contested the governorship election against him to accept the result as the will of God and Akwa Ibom people.

    He said the wellbeing and future of the people should supercede any partisan interest, adding that the Easter season epitomises love and sacrifice which politicians must display in the interest of the state.

    He said: ”I am again inviting my brothers and sisters on the opposite side of the political divide to join hands with me to build a prosperous, safe and secure state where our people will continue to rise and claim the faith of their greatness.

    ”This should be no time for mutual recriminations.  Let us show that politics can and must be more ennobling than how certain people may make it appear.

    ”Let us begin to build a new vista of understanding of what political contest is all about: that a winner must emerge and the loser must not be treated with contempt or derision.

    ”I remain dedicated to promoting and projecting this beautiful virtue: politics that is played without bitterness as the Second Republic politician, the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim had preached.

    ”Today, I urge you again to celebrate all that is good and ennobling in us. We are a great people of a great heritage, and we must stand ready to work together to ensure and sustain a great future for ourselves and our children.”

    The governor thanked the people of the state for giving him another opportunity to serve, promising to improve on all sectors in his second term.

     

  • Easter: Emmanuel urges opponents to put aside political differences

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state has appealed to his opponents to set aside political bitterness and differences in the spirit of the Easter celebration and join hands with him to uplift the state.

    Emmanuel, who made the plea during his Easter broadcast to the state Friday, urged those who contested against him to accept the outcome of the last elections as the will of God and Akwa Ibom people.

    According to him, the well-being and future of the people should supersede any partisan political interest, adding that the Easter season epitomizes love and sacrifice which politicians must display for the interest of the state.

    He said: ”I am again inviting my brothers and sisters on the opposite side of the political divide to join hands with me to build a prosperous, safe and secure State where our people will continue to rise and claim the faith of their greatness.

    ”This should be no time for mutual recriminations.  Let us show that politics can and must be more ennobling than how certain people may make it appear.

    ”Let us begin to build a new vista of understanding of what political contest is all about: that a winner must emerge and the loser must not be treated with contempt or derision.

    ” I remain dedicated to promoting and projecting this beautiful virtue – politics that is played without bitterness as the Second Republic politician Late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim had preached.

    ”Today, I urge you again to celebrate all that is good and ennobling in us. We are great people, of great heritage, and we must stand ready to work together to ensure and sustain a great future for ourselves and our children”.

    He governor thanked the people of the state for giving him another opportunity to serve, promising to improve on all sectors in his second term.

    ”In our Second Term which we are gearing to commence on May 29, this year, we will work twice as hard to sustain and expand the layers of good governance, touching lives, challenging our people to further rise to the faith of our greatness and show as I have always emphasized, that government can indeed be a force for good and not one for ill.

    ”We will, as enunciated in our 2019 Manifesto, dedicate ourselves to the Completion Agenda predicated still on massive industrialization push, infrastructural expansion, more investments put into ensuring our children are prepared through quality education that will get them ready for the 21 Century, our health care delivery will continue to expand, agriculture and tourism will receive the necessary boost, we will work to provide power for all,  build human capacity, expand our job opportunities and wealth creation mechanisms.

    ”We will continue to engender in our youths an entrepreneurial or ownership mind-set and ensure that our women are encouraged through soft loans to expand their businesses of trading and other small and medium scale businesses.

    ”In short, we will work to build a State whose economy will be the envy of all. I urge you as always to continue to pray for us and support our determined efforts to use our resources to build a solid economy for our people,” he said.

  • Emmanuel will do better in second term, ex-militants assure

    Ex-militants in Akwa Ibom state under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have expressed confidence that Governor Udom Emmanuel will perform better than his first term in office.

    In a statement on Sunday in Uyo, leaders of the ex- agitators, General Nick Sintei, Prince James Ukpong and Sunny Okon Nathan congratulated the governor over his reelection.

    They lauded the governor’s achievements so far particularly in attracting viable industries to the state.

    “On behalf of the entire genuine ex-militants in Akwa Ibom state, we the leaders Gen. Nico Sintei, Prince James Ukpong , and Sunny Okon Nathan congratulate His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel on his landslide victory at the March, 9 2019 election.

    “Your victory was not only expected but deserving given your recorded achievement since assumption of office in 2015 particularly your relentless effort towards the industrialisation of the state.

    “We have no doubt that you will even perform more and impact more on the lives of the people in your second term in office.

    Read also: 2019 Polls and the Akwa Ibom Charade

    “We the ex-agitators will remain law abiding citizens and will continue to support positive policies and programmes of government.”

    They however expressed concerns that many groups parading themselves as ex-militants are springing up all over the state and urged government and security agencies in the state to look into the issue.

    They stressed that they have found out that the names of those parading groups are not in the list of militants that embraced the amnesty programme.

    “We are aware that their names are not captured in the original list of militants that dropped arms during the Presidential Amnesty Programme in October 2009, therefore they are impersonators.

    “We have also found out that they are not also part of the state amnesty programme put in place by this government.

    “We therefore use this medium to appeal to government and security agencies to investigate their activities and fish them out.

    “This will help to avert miscreants to cause mayhem under the guise of ex-militants,” they stressed.

  • 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.

  • Group urges Emmanuel to focus on all-round development of A/Ibom

    One of the observer groups during the last general elections, H.E.L.P Initiative, has urged Governor Udom Emmanuel to focus more on the economic and infrastructural development of Akwa Ibom state during his second term in office.

    The country director of H.E.L.P Initiative, Mr. Ubong Colonel-Udoh also felicitated with Governor Emmanuel and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the victory at the governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

    In a statement issued in Uyo on Monday, Colonel-Udoh described Emmanuel’s reelection as ”a Pan-Akwa Ibom mandate with which the governor must use in consolidating his governance and leverage on impacting the needed development indices on the State.”

    The former aspirant for the Uyo Council and elder of the party in Uyo Ward 4, Mr. Ubong Colonel-Udoh has praised the electorate for voting candidates of the Party and ensuring their victory in the elections.

    According to him, “the declared verdict is a reflection of the will of the majority of Akwa Ibom electorates for Governor Emmanuel to continue in office.”

    Read Also: Udom Emmanuel in clear lead in Akwa Ibom

    The party chieftain has urged the governor, “to use the renewed mandate to foster unity in the state, work on cogent policies that would enhance growth, expedite economic and physical development, and create job opportunities for the unemployed across the diverse sections of the State.

    ”I urge both winners and losers in the concluded polls to hid the open call of Governor Emmanuel and join hands with him to build of a better, stable, peaceful and prosperous Akwa Ibom State for all.”

    On the standards achieved by the electoral body, INEC, he said the process which brought about the electoral success is indeed credible having met international standards and acceptable best practices; adding that “the election largely rated as free and fair has earned the wide commendation of INEC as an unbiased umpire for its smooth conduct.”

    While felicitating with the House member-elect Mr. Anietie Eka on his electoral success to represent Uyo State Constituency, Colonel-Udoh also applauded the pragmatism of the chairman of Uyo Capital City Development Authority [UCCDA] and Champion of Uyo Politics, Prince Enobong Uwah over what he described as “his dexterity in taking the party to a deserving and clean-sweep victory in the elections.”

  • Run an inclusive government – Ibibio group tells Emmanuel

    A socio-cultural organization in Akwa Ibom State, the Ukai of Ibibio nation has admonished Governor Udom Emmanuel against adopting a ‘winner takes it all’ brand of government.

    The group, therefore, urged Emmanuel, who has been reelected for a second term in office, to be magnanimous in victory by co-opting his opponents in other political parties in his government.

    Leader of the organization, Mr. Udeme Ukai who made the suggestion in a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, said a government of unity will help guarantee the growth and development of Akwa Ibom state.

    Ukai said the move would also stave off post -election tension, acrimony and foster peace in the polity as a panacea for all-round development for the state and Ibibio nation in particular.

    “Now that the election is over, we call on Governor Udom Emmanuel to please lead the State as the governor of Akwa Ibom State and not the governor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the group’s leader said.

    The group also admonished Emmanuel not to sectionalize his industralisation and other developmental projects, but to spread it across the three senatorial districts in the state for the purpose of peace and inclusion.

    “To achieve the much talked about unity in Akwa state, we also lent our voices on his Excellency to spread his industralisation and other developmental projects across the three senatorial districts, moreover, the three ethnic groups in the state”.

    Read Also: ‘Emmanuel, Akpabio, Ekere should embrace peace’

    Ukai of Ibiobio Nation thanked her patriarch, Ntisong Ibiobio III, Obong(Dr) Essien Ekidem for working hard to ensure that the zoning formula of governorship seat, among the three ethnic groups (Ibiobio, Annang and Oron ) in the state  is observed.

    “We thank Ntisong Ibiobio III, Obong (Dr) Essien Ekidem, our patriarch in the Ibiobio race, for working tirelessly with other ethnic groups to sustain the political tempo of unity between the Ibiobio, Annang and Oron through an agreed zoning of the gubernatorial seat of the state”.

    He commended the governor elect for constructing their headquarter as well as showing respect to the stool of Ntisong and Oku Ibiobio.

    “We thank the Governor for the construction of a magnificent building structure in Asan for the Ibiobios. We also commend him for the show of respect to the stool of the Ntisong and Oku Ibiobio. ”

    The group also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Udom Emmanuel or their re-election into office as well as all the Federal and State lawmakers elect.

     

  • Accept Emmanuel’s victory, CNP candidate tells fellow contestants

    The governorship candidate of Change Nigeria Party (CNP) in Akwa Ibom,  Dr. Engr. Anietie Ukpong, has urged fellow contestants to accept Governor Udom Emmanuel’s victory in last Saturday’s governorship election.

    Ukpong, who felicitated with Emmanuel over his reelection, urged candidates of other parties to also congratulate the governor over his well- deserved victory at the polls.

    Speaking with journalists in Uyo on Wednesday, the CNP candidate said he knew the governor would be re-elected because his campaign was anchored on the #onlyGod mantra.

    He said Akwa Ibom people and other residents, who filed behind the governor, contributed to his victory.

    Ukpong appealed to his fellow contestants to team up with Governor Emmanuel to contribute to the development of  the state.

    According to him, such cooperation will ultimately bring solutions to the chronic lack of economic opportunities, chronic darkness, overcrowded street hawking, decrepit infrastructure, lack of electricity, and lack of state wide health insurance.

    ”I challenge the governor to be very aggressive in the development of Akwa Ibom State especially the heavily marginalized communities of Ini, Itu, Oron, and Eket Local Government areas.

    ”I wish that the re-elected governor pushes for a legacy industrialisation effort through the construction of a behemoth industry, a petrochemical/refinery industry in Akwa Ibom State.

    ”With these in place, I believe it will cement the legacy of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and also Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Legacy in Akwa Ibom state,” he said.

    Ukpong also appealed to the Governor to task those in the Diaspora to contribute their vast experiences and expertise to the development of the state.

    ”The governor needs to engage and use his experiences gathered from his travels to western and Eastern countries such as the United States of America and China, to effect a transformational development of Akwa Ibom State,” he said.

  • PDP clears Akpabio’s senatorial district

    It was another orgy of defeat for the senator representing Akwa Ibom Northeast senatorial district, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all the 10 council areas in the zone.

    Akpabio, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) August last year, was believed to be the magic wand to deliver Akwa Ibom to the ruling party at the centre.

    But the former governor failed to secure a return to the Senate as he lost with a wide margin to Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP in the February 23 national assembly elections.

    Results of 9 out of 10 local government areas in Akwa Ibom Northeast senatorial announced so far indicate that the PDP has taken the zone.

    The result for Essien Udim, which is Akpabio’s local government area, is yet to be announced as at the time of filing this report.

    The delay in submission of results from Akpabio’s local government area, our correspondent learnt, was due to reported cases of violence, harassment and manhandling of INEC officials and other electoral officers in the Saturday’s polls.

    INEC has so far announced results of 30 out of the 31 local government areas in the States.

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of the PDP has won landslide in the 30 out of the 31 local government areas announced so far.

    Results the 30 local government areas so far presented indicated that the PDP has scored 518,003 votes while APC has polled 165,336.

    There is anxiety in the air as INEC officials have taken a 30- minute break to wait for results from Essien Udim.

    The INEC resident electoral commissioner, Mike Igini, is yet to announce the final results of the governorship election due to the delay in the submission of Essien Udim results.

    APC agent for the governorship election, Archbishop Samuel Akpan has rejected the result as presented by collation officers from the 30 LGAs.

    Akpan alleged that PDP rigged elections in most of the wards and units across the state, adding that elections did not even hold in some places.

    The National legal adviser of the PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem said the results declared so far indicated the wishes of Akwa Ibom people.