Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has said that his administration have constructed, remodeled more than school blocks in the last seven years to boost education in the state.
His administration he said has also provided more than 3,000 science equipments and other school needs and has continued with the annual payment of over N700M as WAEC fees for final year secondary school students.
Emmanuel who made this known on Friday in a broadcast to mark the state’s 35th anniversary further stated that in a bid to further improve standards, his administration have recruited over 1,000 highly trained teachers for the Secondary School while another 1,000 would soon be recruited for the primary schools.
“We have changed and rejigged our curriculum to reflect the realities of an ICT defined world and have introduced entrepreneurial and skills acquisition as a key component of our curriculum.
“We desire to produce graduates that would be employers of labour, those who would tap into their skills set and create opportunities for themselves as opposed to waiting for government or the private sector to provide them jobs.” The Governor explained.
Emmanuel who said that substantial progress has been made in all sectors in the last seven years however said that the power sector which is the engine room of industrialisation has witnessed bold steps been taken through interventions in the remodeling of new sub-stations and the provision of dedicated lines to critical areas geared towards ensuring a 24 hours “Power for All,” initiative.
Today, I am proud to announce that out of the 2, 274 gazzetted villages in the state, only less than five percent remains yet to be linked to the national grid, and we are working assiduously to effect this before we leave office next year. This, I believe may be the best of such record in the nation.
“Also today, Ibom Power Plant generates a minimum of 155Megawatts of electricity everyday.
In the urban centres, most areas now enjoy steady power supply of up to 18 hours a day, quite a huge achievement, you will agree with me. And with our effort to actualize the distribution through the Utility company, we are moving and gearing towards a minimum of 24hrs electricity supply everyday.” He said.
The Ibom Deep Seaport, the 1.2 billion Fertilizer and Ammonia Plant, the Oil and Gas Logistics centre according to Emmanuel remained on course for actualization since government is a continum
He commended youths in the state for their ingenuity in critical areas but urged them to resist attempts by politicians to use them as instruments to foment trouble, to cause harm to your brothers and sisters.
“As I have always said, politics should not break the cords of our unity, politics should not be used as an instrument to divide us, politics should not cause division and enmity between brothers and sisters, politics should rather be played without bitterness.” The Governor emphasized.
After 35 years he said, the successive administrations in the state have done there bit to fulfill the objectives of the founding fathers of the state.
“The Akwa Ibom story has become a national story, the story of a leadership that, while attending to the needs of today, is equally looking beyond the immediate to focus on what is lasting and sustainable.” He concluded.
