GOVERNOR ATTAH AT TWO.doc
ITA UDOSEN
GOVERNOR ATTAH, 2 Years After
In just two years, Governor Victor Bassey Attah of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria has moved so fast from “drawing board” to landmark achievements. At the first anniversary of civil rule in Akwa Ibom State, a lot of Akwa Ibomites were not sure of what to make of their Governor. Some said he was “slow” while others said he was “too long” on the planning stage. In his wisdom and style of doing things as an Architect, he humbly requested for time from all Akwa Ibomites to ensure that his developmental plans for the State were well mapped out to make for a solid foundation. For sure, all of you will agree with me that for a woman to bring forth a healthy and matured baby, it always fellows a nine month pregnancy period. A baby born after a full gestational period will need no emergency resuscitation at delivery. Similarly, a house built using a good structural design will surely not collapse on its inhabitants. By extension, it became obvious that Governor Attah never wanted to ignore this very important “drawing board” stage, the mistake his predecessors made, leaving the State with no meaningful developments since its inception 13 years ago.
My dear fellow Akwa Ibomites, I have to use this opportunity to inform you that the projects implementation stage of Governor Attah’s administration in the State has since started. It actually started more than 15 months ago. Since then the skyline has changed for better. The projects and programs that were on the “drawing board” are now sprouting across the State like a wild fire. In just two years, Governor Attah and his administration have been able to achieve quite a lot in the energy sector, communication network, health, education, agriculture, housing, socioeconomic, political and psychological empowerment of our State. Sports, Tourisms and Industries in the State are also receiving equal attention. Politically, he has brought Akwa Ibom from the political backbench to the very forefront both nationally and internationally.
Now, let us jointly look at the specifics of these great and unthinkable achievements of Governor Attah at just two years into his administration:
1, ENERGY SECTOR:-
-Akwa Ibom Independent Power Plant at Ikot Abasi.
-Akwa Ibom Refinery & Petrochemical Plant at Ikot
Abasi.
-Amakpe Refinery & Topping Plant at Eket/Ibeno.
2, COMMUNICATIONS:-
-NITEL in Akwa Ibom State is now digitalized
with all the features.
-Akwa Ibom State is one of the investors in the
first ever privately owned telephone company in
Nigeria called Econet (GSM) Communications.
-ROAD NETWORK: – at the last count in May, 2001, Governor Attah’s administration has constructed and tarred 48 roads in just two years. These include the following:
UYO:- -Nkemba Street, Ikot Ebido Street, Obio Imo Street, Umo Essien Street, Ukana Offot Street, Udo Eduok Street, Itiam Street, Williams Street, Urua Ekpa Street, Aka-Itiam Street, Udo Obot Street, Ewet Street, Atakpo Street, Paul Bassey Street, Afia Street, Ikot Abasi Street, Ikot Abasi Lane and Udosen Uko Street. The Uyo roundabout is now wearing a new look while the ring roads one, two and three are being given attention now.
ORON:- -Stadium Road, Andiyo Street, Joe Essang Street, Louis Atting Street, Anwane Abio Street, Mary Haney Road, College Road and Mainland Avenue.
IKOT EKPENE:- - Essien Road, Abiakpo Road, Dibue Road, Church Road, Old Firing Road, Old Itu Road, Ikot Ekpene-Itu Mbonuso Road and Ikot Ekpene-Nto Edino-Nto Ndang Road.
OTHER INTER-LGAs ROADS:- -Nung Udoe-Ikot Okwot-Ikot Ubo-Odot-Ekpene Ukim Road, Okopedi-Ekeya-Urue Ita with spurs to Oyubia Road, Itreto-Etinan Road, Ekpene Obo-Edor-Ibeno Road and Wellington Bassey-Ntak Inyang Road. Afaha Obong-Etim Ekpo Road which is now a dead trap has been designed for construction come this dry season.
OTHER FACILITY ROADS TARRED:- -Industrial Estate Roads, Akwa Ima Estate Roads, Ewet Housing Estate Roads and Federal Housing Estate Roads.
Presently, Governor Attah is talking with the Federal Government to rehabilitate all Federal roads in the State. As I am writing, the Federal Government may have awarded the contract for these roads.
3, HEALTH:- Governor has resolved to provide affordable and accessible healthcare in the State. Existing General Hospitals in the State are currently being renovated and equipped with provision of basic amenities and staffing. He has also resolved to ensure that every LGA in the State has a General hospital. Currently 5 out of the 12 of these Hospitals are under contruction in five LGAs (please do permit me time to give you specific names of these five LGAs once I confirm them from home). Equipment have been purchased for distribution to schools for enhanced School health Services. Jeep vehicles and equipment have also been procured to mount campaign against HIV/AIDS in the State. Doctors and other paramedics are vigorously being trained and retrained to provide adequate personnel in the health sector. It was on the basis of this that Governor Attah and the Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo, Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo vigorously pursued and got an approval for a Medical School for Uniuyo and the initially State owned Specialist Hospital in Uyo (now Federal Medical Center) will be used as the Teaching Hospital for the Medical School in the State. Approval had also been sought and secured for work to start at the permanent site of Uniuyo .
4, EDUCATION:- -Governor Attah’s administration is currently paying WAEC examination fees for every student in the State. Schools are being renovated and equipped with science equipment. Model secondary schools have been selected in each of the three Senatorial districts in the State. Contract for the establishment of Information Technology Park in the State has already been executed by Governor Attah’s administration. Establishment of Akwa Ibom State University of Science & Technology is a commitment that Governor Attah has made to the people of Akwa Ibom State. Bursaries and scholarships are being awarded to students in the State.
5, AGRICULTURE:- -A back to land program has been put in place by Governor Attah. 1 million sprouted nuts have been raised for distribution to farmers and eleven oil palm nurseries have also been developed in the State. 400 tons capacity warehouse in Utit Uruan have been reactivated and renovated for storage of farm produce. N50 million has been released for disbursement as loans to farmers taking part in the integrated farming schemes. Poultry, hatchery, piggery and fishery facilities have been put in place at Use Offot, Oron, Ekpene Ukpa, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Enwang and in Ikot Ekpene.
6, HOUSING:- -The government is vigorously pursuing the Shelter Afrique Housing project in Mbiaobong, Etiam Etoi in Uyo LGA. The project is a counterpart funded housing project with an International organization based in Kenya. The project is nearing its completion now. Other housing projects are being developed in Eket and Ikot Abasi in addition to the existing Ewet, Akwa Ima, Iba Oku and other Estates in Uyo Urban.
7, SPORTS & TOURISMS:- To boast sports and tourism in the State, Governor Attah has concluded every arrangement to start the construction of an Olympic size stadium in Uyo and stadium in other towns in the State will be rehabilitated. The administration has also secured loan to build a Five Star International Hotel of not more than five hundred rooms at Nwaniba, just five minutes drive from Uyo town. This will provide a place for recreational and business meetings. A place like this would have housed the upcoming World Conference of Mayors taking place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from July 15, 2001 at the instance of Governor Attah. This conference will also play host to a number of Mayors from the United States of America (please refer to Nigerian Vanguard of Wednesday, July 04, 2001 for details on this conference). Qua River Hotel in Eket is also being considered for completion.
8, INDUSTRIES:- Champion Breweries, Uyo has been revitalized.
- Plasto-Crown Industries, Uyo has been revitalized
- Paint Industry, Ikot Ekang. Etinan LGA is running.
- Ceramic, Biscuit, Battery, Palmill and others industries will soon be revitalized. A number of interested investors are currently discussing the revitalization processes.
9, LABOR:- More than 3000 indigents of different categories have so far been employed by the State Government since inception of this administration. A lot more will still be employed. The labor in Akwa Ibom now earns one of the highest in the Nation. Various employees have been promoted and benefits paid. All the outstanding retirement benefits that were not paid by the past administrations in the State have been paid out to the beneficiaries by Governor Attah. This has greatly revitalized the lives of the retirees in the State. The government has so far enjoyed tremendous industrial harmony in the State. I am sure Governor Attah deeply appreciates this corporation from the labor in the State. I equally guess that the labor will do same to the government for its responsiveness to their welfare.
10, SOCIOECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT:- Governor Attah’s administration has settled all the debts worth N500 Million owed to the local contractors by the successive State Administrations since 1987. Non-payment of these debts to the contractors in the past had contributed to the dead of quite a number of our beloved ones due to stress and harassment they were subjected to by the banks and other financial institutions these contractors got the loans from to execute the projects for the State.
-Governor Attah finally paid all the contractors who were owed since 1991 for the building of the Abak Road State Secretariat Complex in Uyo. He is also planning to expand the Secretariat Complex by building more blocks to House government Ministries and Agencies that are currently still occupying private rented buildings in Uyo. These debts had also caused a lot of our families pain, stress, harassment and even dead of our beloved ones too. We thank God Almighty for giving Governor Attah the resources both financially and intellectually to offset all these debts and thus relieve us of the pain, stop the harassment by financial institutions and prevent the premature dead of our loved ones as a result of the evils perpetuated by the uncaring posture of successive Military administrations in the State since its inception in 1987. I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT PRESIDENT OBSANJO’S ADMINISTRATION, IN ITS USUAL WAY WILL VERY SOON TURN HIS SEARCHLIGHT TO SOME OF THE EX-MILTARY PERSONNEL IN THAT OUR STATE. SOME OF THEM WILL BE ASKED TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF THEIR STWARTSHIP AND HOW THEY REPRESENTED THAT STATE.
-Re-injection of huge amount of money into the State economy has further enhanced the living standard of the Akwa Ibomites.
-The use of indigenous contractors for projects execution has been a deliberate move by Governor Attah to stop capital flight from the State economy. This has greatly paid off.
-Over 5000 small indigenous businesses in the State have been given secured micro-credit loans to revitalize their businesses. Under this scheme, beneficiaries promise to repay the loans at a stipulated period of time.
11, POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT:- Governor Attah, as a devote Christian believes in one popular Bible verse which says, “ a house that is divided against itself can never stand”. He always ensures that the other two arms in Government, the Legislature and the Judiciary work in concert with the Executive while still maintaining their respective autonomy as enunciated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is evidenced in the cordiality of purpose that has existed between his Executives arm and the other two arms of government since the inception of this civil rule in State. Same applies to his Deputy, Obong Chris Ekpenyong. The Governor has consciously taken Akwa Ibom State from the political backbench to the very forefront in National and International politics. He has relentlessly advised the multinationals in the State to give Akwa Ibom State a fair representation in these company’s Boards and Management Teams. When he was in the Constituent Assembly, he jointly fought with others from the oil producing States for the inclusion of 13% derivation and abrogation of onshore/offshore oil and gas dichotomy in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today he is now fighting for the full implementation of the 13% derivation and non-reintroduction of onshore/offshore oil and gas dichotomy by the President Obasanjo led Federal Government of Nigeria. The call for the resource control by the Federated States in Nigeria has been his brainchild with the full support of other oil and gas producing States in Nigeria. Safe environment is also a top priority for Governor Attah’s administration and a constant source of disagreement with multinationals. He believes that every operation by the companies should be environmental friendly as much as possible.
With all these unthinkable projects and achievements of Governor’s Attah’s administration, where do we all find ourselves? For sure, we are in safer and caring hands of a Servant and not a boss, a Leader with foresights and vision and that of a Governor who puts the State interest first and foremost. As Governor Attah always confidently puts it “NOBODY CAN REVERSE ANY LONGER THE TEMPO OF ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION NOW IN MOTION. FROM NOW ONWARDS, THIS STATE AND ITS ENTIRE PEOPLE WILL REMAIN THE FOCAL POINT OF TRUE AND SUSTAINED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA”. This obviously leaves us with no other option than to once again ask him to serve the State by giving him a repeat mandate come year 2003 for a second term. By so doing we will allow him enough time to see through to completion all the projects and programs in the State. Let us all play down on our sentiments and all our negative criticisms. Constructive criticisms with good suggestions are, however, welcome. These are some of the ingredients of Democracy that we were all longing for. Let us joint hands together to nurture our State to this unimaginable greatness with Governor Obong Victor Attah.
Thank you and God bless Akwa Ibom State.
Long Live Governor Attah !
Long Live FOVAN, USA !!
Long Live Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria !!!
Ita Udosen, MD
National Coordinator
FOVAN, USA