By BISI EZEKIEL

The Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has in the past three years been consolidating on the developmental achievements made by his predecessors in office, particularly, his immediate predecessor and President of the 10th Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Immediately the governor took the oath of office, armed with the resolve to make impact of his administration felt in every sector of human endeavours in the state by consolidating on achievement recorded by his predecessor in office, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

Within the first year in office, Pastor Eno has taken a lead in infrastructure development with massive construction that spanned roads, bridges, education and health facilities.

Gov Eno Commissioned Super Oil Mill in Abak LGA, he injected 890m to fund Women Cooperatives.

Within his first year, the Akwa Ibom Airport commenced international operation.

In the area of Education, the Eno administration has within just a year in office constructed CSK Model Primary School, Govt Model Primary School, both in Ewet Ofot in Uyo Local Government while the Mbiaso bridge. The Model Primary School project is ongoing.

His government approved N2 Billion in grant for indigent university graduates

Deepening Akwa Obom State economy, Governor Eno seeks Federal Government partnership to develop Ibom Deep Seaport and oil palm refinery.

He doled out N400 million Business Grant to Akwa Ibom Entrepreneurs. His government gave N1.5 billion interest free loans to traders in the state.

His government distributed free food items to the vulnerable as part of a poverty reduction programme at the Itam Central Market.

Happy with the state air carrier, the Ibom Air, the Governor said his administration will do everything possible to make the airline among the best in the country.

Governor Eno inaugurated additional aircraft in the fleet of the state owner Ibom Air while he developed a few projects at Victor Attah International Airport

He as well partners frontiers to strengthen the Ibom Integrated Farms and also partners Bertola Company on Mechanized agriculture.

Akwa Ibom Government under his watch partners Federal Housing Authority on affordable housing for his people while the government built 100 houses for poorest of the poor

Governor Eno has committed massive resources of the state into construction across the state in the first 12 months in office.

His giant strides in road infrastructural development include, construction and Commissioning of the span Ide-Ikot Amba bridge in Obot Akara LGA, construction of official resident for LGA chairmen, commissioning of a 3.3km Idua Road, Afa Nsit Reclamation in Eket and rehabilitation of the collapsed Afia Nsit Road Eket LGA and the ongoing project in Uyo ibiono ibom LGA, as well as re-awarding of Nsit Atai/okobo/oron road projects

Others are: Uyo-Ewet gully reclamation and beautification projects at Dominic Utuk, construction of the Ikit Itam-Mbiaya road, the Anua Ifa Ikot Okop Housing Estate, Construction of ring road from Idoro road to Ikot Ekpene road Uyo, and the 16.5km road project to link six local government areas.

The government also carried out the Construction of 16km Midim Atan kot Inyang Ikot Akpan Ekpeyon-Etok Uruk Eshiet Ikot Imonte road/ 30km Spain Bridge in Essien Udim/Etim Ekpo, the construction of 11.71km roads bridge, Health Centre in Obot Akara LGA, Construction of 11.71km internal roads/2nos15m Spain bridge in Obot in Obot Akara LGA, Construction of 13.6km Orikim/Umnyeshe Universal Energy Road in Mbo LGA, 34, construction and dualization of 13.5km Okopedi /Oron road by East West road phase 2 and Ongoing project at Dakada luxury estate along Airport Road, Uyo.

Governor Eno's government approved intervention to salvage Nigerian Correctional Faculty in Uyo.

The Governor partnered with the Nigerian Navy on maritime security. The government launched 14 gun boats in partnership with the Nigerian Navy to boost water ways security while he encourages other security agencies with money and donation of equipment

Governor Eno was able to tackle the challenges facing the Ibom Power Plant which he said has betrayed an unspoken displeasure.

He realised the importance of the power plant to his economic agenda, especially at a time the federal government has lessened its control of independent power plants.

The Ibom Power Plant in Ikot Abasi LGA, is one of the first independent power plants in Nigeria. It received a licence from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to generate electricity in 2008.

Pastor Umo Eno has achieved unprecedented feats in the development of Akwa Ibom State without borrowing either internally or externally.

Akwa Ibom State under the governance of Gov. Eno has been one of the most peaceful states in the country. Even politically, the governor has been the rallying point as there is cohesion among all the political parties present in the state most especially between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The administration of Governor Eno has done greatly in reuniting the ethnic, social and political fragments of the state which has brought an end to the era of political kidnappings and killings.

Governor Eno attributed the unprecedented peace and unity to God's grace, love and the cooperation of the people of the State and charged Akwa Ibom people to continue to work in peace, love, unity and respect for one another, saying that political parties should be seen as platforms for election, after which comes governance.

"Whatever we have been able to achieve is because of the grace and faithfulness of God, and it is because of the cooperation of our people.

"For me, the greatest achievement is not in all those things you saw in the documentary, the greatest achievement is the peace that God has brought into this State, that is my greatest achievement.

"Like His Excellency, Otuekong Don Etiebet said, we know how this State used to be. It would be difficult for all of us to gather in this room because of political affiliations.

"Someone would die in a family and you cannot attend the burial openly so that they don't think you are doing anti-party.

"We were made to think that wisdom resides in one political party. I want you all to understand that wisdom resides in all of us as Akwa Ibom people, not political parties.

"I thank God today that we can stay on one roof, we can discuss together, we can all contribute to governance, we can reach out to our brother and see political parties only as a vehicle for election. And whoever God brings, he becomes the Governor for all, and brings people together.

"Let's continue to push, we must live for each other, learn to extend hands of fellowship to people. That is the truth, we cannot continue to do what the winner takes it all. We need to bring people and learn how to work with the people.”

Governor Eno is an amiable politician who appreciated foundations laid by his predecessors in office and their respective contributions to the development of the State.

No wonder why an elder statesman, Otuekong Don Etiebet, described Governor Eno as a phenomenon, a spiritually-filled and an enigmatic leader, sent by God to serve Akwa Ibom in a critical time such as this.

The Eno administration nitration has touched virtually every aspect of state life, particularly healthcare delivery.

As an attestation to this, the governor was presented with the National Health Ambassador Award by the National President of Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Ozundara Tope-Zenith.

To do more in this regard, the governor said he has a vision towards creating more medical tourism infrastructures to boost tourism development in the State and expressed his readiness to sign the international hospital agreement for the state-of- the-art international hospital project to be handled by a Turkiye-based construction company.

A development-oriented Governor Eno said he joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), aligned with the state with the progressive family and worked resolutely for the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections.

The Governor said this was responsible for his endorsement of President Tinubu as the party’s sole presidential candidate for 2027 and the granting of automatic return tickets to the four incumbent APC governors in the region.

The governor emphasized that his administration is committed to an inclusive governance philosophy, known as the Akwa Ibom United policy, which emphasizes development beyond political boundaries and promotes unity in service to the people.

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