By Odo Ogenyi,Uyo
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has said that despite the two recessions and the economic meltdown occasioned by coronavirus pandemic that his administration faced, that he would be leaving the state better than he met it.
Emmanuel who made the declaration in Uyo, the State capital in his Easter broadcast said the challenging economic situation never deterred him from delivering on his campaign promises to his people.
According to him, “it has been my great honour and privilege to serve you as your Governor. As I am getting ready to hand over the baton, I do so, with the full conviction and deep faith that given the resources available, given the challenging economic tailwind that we faced, given the two recessions and a pandemic of historic proportions, God has been merciful, God has been kind and I am leaving this State better than I met her.”
The Governor also urged politicians in the state to sheathe their swords and join hands with the Governor-elect, Pst. Umo Eno, to develop the state after the dreams of its founding fathers.
He said though they may have belonged to different political linings, politicians must learn to resist the impulse of allowing politics to create division of alienation among them.
Emmanuel also said that the political class should be reminded of the fact that though the Founding Fathers who established Ibibio State College in Ikot Ekpene may not have agreed totally on their political leanings, they never allowed Akwa Ibom kindred spirit to be broken through political affiliations.
The statement in parts read, “I urge our political class to sheath their swords and join hands with the Governor-elect, Pastor Umo Eno to build an economically vibrant State where the yearnings and hopes for our collective growth and development would be attained for the good of us and the generations yet unborn.
” We may have disagreements on political front, we may have pursued growth and development through different political prisms, but we must resist the impulse of letting politics create unbridgeable schism and chasm of alienation amongst us as kindred.
“Our Founding Fathers who banded together and established Ibibio State College in Ikot Ekpene may not have agreed totally on their political leanings, but they knew that our kindred spirit can never be broken through the ephemeral or temporary impulses of political affiliations.”
While noting that Easter broadcast was not his valedictory speech to the people, the governor said he was convinced that he has not let the state down.
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