ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR UDOM EMMANUEL AT THE IBOM HALL THANKSGIVING SERVICE

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM STATE, MR. UDOM EMMANUEL AT THE INTER-DENOMINATIONAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE AT IBOM HALL GROUNDS, UYO ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

Protocols

Today, we have returned to thank God who has been faithful to us as a State for twenty-eight years and kept us as one indivisible country for 55 years.  We have returned like the Leper in the Bible to appreciate God for His mighty doings in our State, which have surpassed human understanding on all fronts. We have come to Praise God for the next phase of industrialization and development in our dear Akwa Abasi Ibom State.

In twenty-eight years of our existence, God has been with us through it all. We have moved from a mere civil service oriented State, where at birth, 28 years ago, the structural layers resembled that of a glorified village to a modern city, dotted with first class and up-to-date infrastructural amenities.

When we look back from when the State that was created in 1987, we can appreciate God for the transformational phases He has taken us through as a people. At every phase, marked by a particular era, there is always something to look back and say God has done it.  In twenty eight years, we have evolved from the days of decayed infrastructure to the glorious days of infrastructural renaissance engineered by the Godswill Akpabio years and now being sustained and deepened by my administration.

My brothers and Sisters, even though there are still elements of bigotry, animosity, tribalism and anger bestriding our society, and which the new spirit of Dakkada will help minimize, we have seen the invisible hand of God piloting the affairs of this great state. It has indeed been 28 years of Grace and Glory, 28 years of God’s blessing, and 28 years of steady advancement from Glory to Glory across all nooks and crannies of this great state.

We have changed from a servile mindset, lacking the competitive spirit and needed confidence to a group of people that have now decided to stand up and reclaim the greatness that God has endowed in us all. We have rekindled the  can do spirit of an Akwa Ibom person.
 As we have come here to appreciate God for His marvelous work in our lives, I implore every Akwa Ibom person to rise to the greatness that God has endowed us as a people. Every Akwa Ibom person is born a Star irrespective of his/her place of birth or the circumstance surrounding his/her birth. We therefore stand up to reclaim the seed of greatness that is in us. We must believe in God’s seed of greatness in us and project such, in all our doings.

As your Governor, I rose to the top in my career in the private sector because I believed in myself and the greatness that God endowed in us. I am standing here as one of those proud Akwa Ibom sons that has risen to the greatness that is embedded in him. This is what formed the bedrock of the Dakkada movement, which was launched at the 28th Anniversary of creation of Akwa Ibom State last week.  This is the Akwa Ibom Spirit, it is alive and well. We all must internalize it, and run with it.
Since this administration came into being on May 29, we have hit the ground running with strength, vigor and fervor, projecting the true Akwa Ibom spirit in everything we do. This administration came in with a Five-Point Agenda of Wealth Creation, Economic and political inclusion, Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructural Consolidation and Expansion and Job Creation, and so far we have keep track, delivering the dividends of democracy to our people.
Immediately I resumed office as the Governor, I made a visit to St. Luke Hospital, Annua, a major health service provider that has served our health needs for 78 years. I was shocked at the sorry state of infrastructure at the Institution and I gave directive for an immediate intervention. Today, to the glory of God, we have given life to St. Luke Hospital by constructing an ultra-modern gynaecology ward at the Hospital, named after the venerable Dr. (Sister) Ann Ward in addition to renovation of male and children wards respectively

Electricity supply which was at a severely epileptic condition when we came on board, has improved significantly because of the new power substations we have built. Apart from ensuring the prompt payment of salaries, we have cleared a decade of gratuities for local government employees, and other units of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners.  We have recently, commissioned water reticulation and head-works in Ifa Atai in Uyo and Idu Uruan, as an effort to reintroduce the concept of providing portable water for the public. In order to link all part of the State, we have flagged-off the construction of 137 kilometers of road across the State. Work has also resumed  on the dualization of Eket-Ibeno Road; urban renewal projects within Eket township; construction of second runway at the Ibom International Airport; construction of three collapsed bridges and internal roads in Obot Akara Local Government Area; dualization of Oron road and construction of 21.2km underground drainage in Uyo. Dualization of Oron-Okobo –Uyo Road, the construction of bridges and internal roads in Obot Akara Local government Area, The award of Etinan-Ndon Eyo road among others.

 The thrust of this administration is Industrialization. We are on point and will spare no effort in this regard. We have so far performed ground breaking for car assembly plant in Itu LGA to be built by a leading Israeli auto manufacturing company Mischac Merkavin and Low Energy Display (LED) Manufacturing plant at Itam, - Fertilizer Plant and the Daar Communications Broadcast complex at Abak. Peacock Paints at Ikot Ekan in Etinan, a once household name in paint industry, which has been moribund for decades has been revitalized and commissioned for operation at full capacity. We have also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Shoprite Mall at the Tropicana in Uyo. Work is on-going at the Ibom Deep Sea Port.

A thousand youths have been trained in Oracle technology. Others have been sent to acquire skills in agriculture in Israel, while another set will be sent for power sector training. At the moment, about 329 youths will soon commence training in photography and film production.

This administration believes in equipping youths with the right skills for the right jobs of the 21st Century. This approach has received accolades and appreciation at home and in the Diaspora. Just two weeks ago, in the glittering city of New York, I was honored with Outstanding Leadership Service Award by the International Association of African NGOs at the United Nations alongside the immediate past President of Malawi, Dr. Joyce Banda.

Permit me also, at this juncture, to congratulate the women of Akwa Ibom State, led by my dear wife, Her Excellency, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel for the successful launch of her signature project-Family Empowerment and Youth Re-orientation Programme (FEYREP).

 My dear brothers and sisters, in 28 years we have come a long way. In 28 years, we have risen as a State. In 28 years we have grown and we are thrilled and comforted by the endless possibilities that lie ahead. This is just the beginning and as the Americans would say “you ain’t seen nothing yet”.
 Let us rise for unity, love and togetherness. Let us rise above every divisive tendencies, tribalism and hatred. Let us be enveloped and protected by the big umbrella of love and oneness .Let us therefore,  from the rice fields of Ini, to the sandy shores of Ibeno,  the lush boulevards of Uyo to the Raffia city of Ikot Ekpene, rise to the true greatness that lies in us. Ami mme ‘dakkanda’, Akwa Ibom e‘dakkada!
Thank you and God bless us all!