Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has described the back-to-back winning of the best Airtel Distribution Partner in Nigeria by Idems Ultimate Ltd, an Akwa Ibom State company, as a true reflection of the Akwa Ibom spirit of industry, integrity and honesty.

Idems Ultimate, which was founded by Mr Uyime Idem, emerged the best Airtel Distribution partner in Nigeria for 2014 and was honoured in a momentous ceremony in Eko Hotel, Lagos, on Saturday with the Nigerian glitterati in attendance.

Idem came away with a Land Cruiser (2014 Model) and an i35 Hyundai Sports Utility Vehicle as his rewards for being the number one Airtel partner in Nigeria. It would be recalled that he had also won the Best Airtel Distribution Partner in Nigeria for the year 2013.

Governor Akpabio, who expressed the happiness of the Government and the good people of Akwa Ibom State over Mr. Idems success, described it as the result of hard work, diligence and good conscience.

He noted that these attributes exhibited by Idem were the reason Nigerians, in search of honest people to keep their homes, sought house helps from Akwa Ibom, but noted that he had to change the narrative with the free and compulsory education policy so that instead of running peoples’ homes, Akwa Ibom children would run Nigeria’s economy and businesses applying these same attributes.

He posited that Mr Idem was blazing a trail, which would soon hopefully be followed by other Akwa Ibom business people as the enabling environment for businesspersons to maximise their potentials has been put in place by his administration.

On his part Mr. Idem thanked Governor Akpabio for creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state, and said without such an environment he would not have recorded the enviable achievements.

Idem noted that the Airtel Partnership was a tough competitive field with partners all over the country and making good numbers for the company and thanked God for his victory. He dedicated the award to God and the good people of the Akwa Ibom State and said he was sure that more successes awaited the company given the policies of the present administration in the state.

In a related development, Governor Godswill Akpabio has also commended the three indigenes of Akwa Ibom State who recently benefited from the Special Scholarship Programme of the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta for sponsorship in Nigerian universities.

He urged the beneficiaries, Aniebiet-Abasi Okon Effiong, Abia Solomon Abia and Uduak Christopher Benedict to fly the banner of the state high in order to create more scholarship opportunities for other Akwa Ibom children.

Governor Akpabio added that education was a key cornerstone of his administration and urged Akwa Ibom children not to rest only on the Akwa Ibom State Scholarship Board for scholarships, but to also explore other scholarship avenues and grant opportunities, in the pursuit of their education.

•Photo shows Airtel Best Partner Uyime Idem receiving a car key from Airtel Nigeria officials.

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