By Ogenyi Ogenyi,Uyo
Akwa Ibom government say it has released N6.5bn to support ongoing projects at the Victor Attah International Airport in the last seven months.
It has also released N10bn to get contractors back to project sites for completion of ongoing projects initiated by the immediate past administration.
Governor Umo Eno who made this known in his New Year message to the people of the state in Uyo on Monday said the state government has kept it’s financial obligations with Airbus Corporation and about a month ago received the first of the ten Airbus A220-300 Series into the Ibom Air fleet.
“Ibom Air, which is the pride of our State, was one of the first places I visited shortly after my inauguration, where I had restated my desire to continue to support and expand the operations of that great project which is a testament to vision and creativity. We have invested heavily in the MRO and very soon, that will be fully commissioned.” Eno said.
His administration, the Governor said has also directed an operational audit of Ibom Power Plant be done aimed at repositioning the plant to yield the expected dividends for the state.
And to maintain the peace and safeguard the state status as one of the safest states in Nigeria his administration has created a full-fledged Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways manned by a retired general of the Nigerian Army.
“Two weeks ago, we successfully launched the Ibom Community Watch programme with 550 watchers commissioned for Uyo Local Government Area.
“The objective of this programme is to raise a well trained team that will protect government assets across our communities and assist in the gathering of intelligence for our security agents. This initiative shall also create over five thousand jobs for our youths.
“Still on security, on December 13, 2023, I signed into Law, the Akwa Ibom Security Trust Fund Bill earlier passed by the State House of Assembly to help us mobilize funds to improve on the security architecture of our state.
“Three days ago, we launched the Akwa Ibom State Waterways Security Assets whose central mission is to secure the waterways of the State and thus help protect governments critical assets, boost the state’s comparative advantage in the blue economy, support our fishermen through the provision of enhanced security among others.
“At the event, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, was on hand to help us launch the 14 State Patrol Gunboats we had bought and donated to ensure this operation
runs seamlessly. We also signed a contract with the Nigerian Naval Shipyard for the construction of a Passenger/Cruise ferry, with the view to turning our coastline towns into tourism hubs.” He explained.
The Education sector, Eno said has also witnessed a new Dawn with the construction of model primary schools while the first phase of Education Support Fund for Physically Challenged persons in State studying in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions has taken off.
“So far, we have paid about 106 persons under this scheme at N250,000 per undergraduate and N300,000 per Postgraduate student.We have paid bursary to students of Akwa Ibom State origin studying in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. So far, not less than 5000 students have received their bursary.
“The free and compulsory education policy in our state shall be continued and we have already paid examination fees for all Secondary School students. In addition to this, we have paid for the production of school uniforms, shoes, school bags and books for our pupils in primary schools.” He said.
On health the Governor said that work has commenced towards the establishment of Dialysis Centres in each of the ten Federal Constituencies in the State aimed at mitigating the rise in kidney-related diseases in the State while plans to open a Medical Corridor between the Ibom Specialist Hospital and the Sheraton by Four Points in Ikot Ekpene are in place.
He said his administration also paid over N12bn in gratuities to retired state and Local Government workers and Leave Grants in fulfillment of his campaign promise and spent over N5bn to augment the Federal Government’s Palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
