EMMANUEL’S COVENANT IN THE ‘LAND OF PROMISE’

 The Udo Emmanuel administration has performed well, reckons James Orok

Recently, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly passed the appropriation bill 2023 of N700bn, N344.005bn for recurring expenses and N355.995bn for capital expenditures into law. Reading the report, it was not surprising that the bill was unanimously accepted and signed into law by the lawmakers. Of course, the lawmakers are witnesses to democracy dividends that have been accruing to the state since the inception of Udom Emmanuel as governor on May 29, 2015. 

While the governor exits office by May 29, it is instructive to x-ray the incursion of Emmanuel on the Akwa Ibom landscape. In the first term of his administration, among other things, the governor constructed roads – building more than 1,000 kilometers of highways across the state. This singular act opened up production in the state, allowing for efficient flow of goods and services. And in 2019 when he earned a second term, Emmanuel was not done with roads. “We will surpass this achievement with an emphasis on commercially viable highways,” he said, while delivering the inaugural address of his second term. 

And Emmanuel did exactly that. A roll call of completed road projects include the dualisation of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene highway, the construction of the 6.4km Nto Edino-Ekwere Azu highway with two bridges of 45m span at Obot Akara LGA; construction of the Nto Ide-Ikot Aruba bridge with an 80m access road; construction of 21.5km of Ikot Anyan Ediene Ikot Ntia-Urua Nara-Ikot Nseyen Nkwot Nung Ukim Road with a 45m beam bridge. The Emmanuel administration also completed the doubling of the 29km Etinan-Ndon Eyo highway with bridges and spurs from Mbioto Ekpene Ituen to the Ikot Abasi Ishiet junction, doubling of the 23.4km Etinan-Eket road, doubling of 19.5km Eket-Ibeno Road Road, with bridges, dualization of 9.5km Ring Road 3 (from Aka Road-Oron Road-Nwaniba Road with roundabouts), dualization of 3.2km Ring Road 2 (from Abak Road-Akan Road via Udo Udoma roundabout) and construction of the 14.1km Odoro Ikpe/Ikot Nkon Obotme Arochukwu road with a 110m span bridge. 

In addition, the administration constructed 19km Etebi-Enwang highway in Esit Eket and Mbo local governments, 12.7km Awa Iman-Asong-Ikot Edim-Ikot Emem highway in local governments of Onna and Mkpat Enin, the construction of a 19.3km Anua-Mbak-Ishiet road, as well as the construction of the 15km Ikot Akpan Afaha-Ikot Oku Usng road in Ukanafun local government and the expansion of Oron Road from Ring three to Victor Attah International Airport Road. Internal roads were also constructed at the Obio Akpa campus of the Akwa Ibom State University. The construction of these roads has positively impacted commerce and development in the region. It has also made the lives of the residents better. Hitherto, the residents could only commute by walking, riding bicycles or motorcycles. Farmers and traders suffered from moving from point to point. But thankfully, all that is in the past now.
 
Taking into cognisance the need to be food sufficient, Akwa Ibom under Emmanuel has raised the status of agriculture. Currently, the state hosts two fertilizer blending plants and three medium-scale rice mills including the Ibom Golden Rice mill, owned by Ibiono Ibom Rice Millers Cooperative Society. The Ibom Golden Rice Mill which services the rice field in Ikot Esen/ Utit Obio, Ibiono Ibom local government area began production around December 2019. The state government also embarked on large-scale vegetable farming and cassava cultivation and processing of staples like garri and fufu.

On healthcare, the state government remodelled Etinan General Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang, General Hospital, Iquita-Oron asides other interventions. The Emmanuel administration was also at the forefront of combatting the Covid-19 pandemic with the governor in constant meetings with medical practitioners on solutions. The efforts resulted in praise for Akwa Ibom by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for establishing the best two Polymerase Claim Reaction (PCR) laboratories in the country. 

And making history as the only Nigerian state with an airline, Akwa Ibom State founded Ibom Air on June 7, 2019 with three aircraft. Currently, it has nine aircraft in its fleet and in December 2022, Ibom Air flew its two millionth passenger after 27,000 scheduled commercial flights. In the first quarter of this year, the airline is planning on flying regional routes in Africa. The state government also built an international terminal and an additional taxiway at the Victor Attah International Airport.

Also, under Emmanuel’s watch, education was bolstered. Aside from primary and secondary school education being free in Akwa Ibom, the state government also spends about N600m annually to pay the West Africa Examination Council fees of its students. And collaborating with the navy and army to set up secondary schools in Akwa Ibom, the state government also constructed and renovated over 500 school blocks through the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Committee. This is in addition to the 601 projects including class room blocks executed by State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) through matching grants. 

Recognising the importance of electricity to a modern economy, in 2019, Emmanuel promised to provide infrastructure to increase electricity supply to Akwa Ibomites. Hence, as 2023 clocks away, it is impressive to know that the Emmanuel administration kept its word and embarked on massive electrification projects. Examples of some of those projects include the construction of the 2 X 5 MVA, 3/11 KV Injection substation, on Avenida Edet Akpan, Uyo; the construction of a 2 X 15 MVA injection substation at Victor Attah International Airport, the construction of a 2 X 60 MVA 132/33 KV power substation at Ekim, Mkpat Enin. His administration extended a 33 KV dedicated line from the Tropicana Shopping Center to the Victor Attah International Airport and the Center for Control/Isolation of Infectious Diseases, Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang. It also installed public lighting in the state capital, Uyo. 

Also, the administration rehabilitated facilities of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution company in Etim Ekpo, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Ekene, Ikot Abasi Ekpu, the installation of a transmission substation of 1 X 60 MVA, 132/33 KV in Afaha Ube, Itam. Surely, the governor’s intervention cannot be discarded. In fact, the slang used to describe this improved supply in the state is ‘Ikang Udom’ which means ‘Udom’s light’.

This improved electricity supply has birthed efficient industrial output as firms in the Onna industrial hub like the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company, King Flour Mills, Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services and Lions plywood industry and some palm oil mills now enjoy more than 18 hours of power daily. The bucolic state has also produced some industrial feats. For instance, the syringe manufacturing company is the largest in Africa, the meter company is the largest in the country with capacity to produce three million meters annually while the flour mills have capacity of 500 metric tonnes daily. Together with the Awa Industrial hub, Akwa Ibom is designing itself as a reputable factory where over 20 industries produce for not only the state but also for the country.

It is also on record that the Emmanuel administration constructed the State Secretariat Annex. And when it comes to the state government’s foray in real estate, Dakkada Towers stands tall. Indeed, what better way to show its commitment to business than the building of the 21-storey smart building. As it stands, the building would be attractive to international oil companies (IOCs) that operate in that axis. Stakeholders believe that even smaller businesses that would provide services like clearing and forwarding, logistics, and exports in Uyo would also be attracted to take space at Dakkada Towers.

As a follow-up to his first term in 2015, Emmanuel’s blueprint in 2019 focused on eight areas – industrialization, aviation development, rural and riverside development, agriculture, human capacity development, security, infrastructure, and small and medium-sized enterprises. As Emmanuel approaches his last days in office, over five million Akwa Ibomites will enjoy the goodies his vision has birthed. And he, Udom Emmanuel, would be remembered for good in the annals of Akwa Ibom history.

Orok writes from Uyo