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Tag: Onofiok Luke

Luke pledges to leverage on technology to expand A’Ibom Economy
House of Representatives Committee chairman on Judiciary and guber aspirant in Akwa Ibom, Barr Onofiok Luke has pledged to leverage on existing technological policies and facilities to develop the state economy.
Luke who made the pledge Wednesday in Uyo during his formal declaration said he would make the state a technology hub a priority.
“Akwa Ibom State is an emerging technology hub, and we will make it a priority to provide access to IT education, mentorship programs and technology incubation facilities for our youth.
“We will ensure that Information Technology becomes a fundamental part of our educational system in Akwa Ibom. This is the only way that we can produce a globally competitive next generation of leaders from Akwa Ibom.” He said.
In addition to also expanding existing capacities in agriculture, health, industry, education, food sufficiency and agric development, tourism, sports, youth, women inclusion, security, environment, infrastructure and good governance
he said he would invest in human capacity in order to increase productivity level to ensure that the State compete with other emerging economies.
“We can do this easily if we engender a greater sense of inclusiveness by ensuring that as we build together, we will also partake in the benefits, and grow together. Akwa Ibom is one of the most peaceful and resource-rich states in Nigeria, blessed with brilliant minds.
“It is therefore important for us to invest in human capacity development to improve skills and empower our people to build and grow, while improving infrastructure and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the state.
“We also see immense potential in partnering the private sector, our diaspora community, Developmental Financial Institutions (DFIs) and International Donor Agencies to accelerate economic growth, improve quality of life, and create sustainable jobs for Akwa Ibom indigenes.”
He expressed dismay over the shrinking statisrics in the agricultural sector and pledged to build the capacity of the people towards growing internal production capacity expanding scientific research and training opportunities, technical assistance and training to farm groups and agribusinesses.
“When these capacity enhancement efforts for our people are made, Sizable investments will be made to boost our agricultural sector, and we will provide the much-needed infrastructure, funds for agricultural loans and access to knowledge of best-practices to boost production and provide jobs for our teeming youthful population while improving food security.” Luke said.
On education, he said he would invest in building the capacity of the faculty reviewing the curriculum to meet with the current reality and providing infrastructure to ensure safer schools initiative.
His administration Luke said would also upgrade infrastructure in schools and improve the welfare of teachers and students across the State through the provision of educational support via merit-based scholarships and bursaries, and upskilling opportunities for teachers.
“This will in no small measure prepare our students and afford them the needed boost to compete with their peers anywhere in the world.” He concluded.
March 16, 2022
2023: Onofiok Luke pledges to build on legacies of past Governors
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Barr Onofiok Luke, has pledged to build on the legacies laid by former Governors of Akwa Ibom.
Luke who is a leading governorship aspirant in the state made this known when he officially consulted the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party in the state and the traditional rulers of his local government area, Nsit Ubium, led by Nteyin Solomon Etuk, the Oku Ibom Ibibio yesterday about his ambition.
The former Akwa Ibom Assembly Speaker said he had prepared to be Governor and had subsequently identified needs of different communities in the state and would ensure that there is no “dislocation in development” started by the past leaders of the State.
“I have been incubated in the leadership womb of this State for 15 years. I have interfaced with all strata of the state and her people; I know their challenges. With this exposure, I know the needs of the women, the youths and students.
” I have in the last 10 years carefully collated the specific needs of our communities and they have formed part of my social contract.” Luke explained.
He said he would prioritise the development of human capacity in areas such as agriculture, entrepreneurship , aviation and maritime, where the state has competition advantage and would raise a pool of qualified manpower with required competence to compete in the emerging industrialized economy of the state.
“We have built infrastructure in this state; we will continue to build on infrastructure but we have to build people. We will build the capacity of our young men and women to match the human capacity needs.
“Akwa Ibom is a largely rural and agrarian community, to close the economic gap between our people and the enormous infrastructural development we have already, the next phase of industrialisation will be agro-based and value chain development.
“We will build more commodity hubs, we are going to make effective use of existing hubs and increase them across the state to ensure that our people have value for their agro produce.” He said.
Luke said he remained passionate about primary healthcare development and has developed a template that would guarantee accessibility and affordability of healthcare services in rural communities while appealing for the party’s support, as well as the blessings of the traditional institution, Luke said he would run an inclusive government.
State chairman of the PDP, Mr. Aniekan Akpan, who served alongside Luke, in the House of Assembly between 2011-2015, said Luke has been a committed party man.
“You are a founding member of the party. We know you as a committed party man. The party appreciates you.”Akpan stated.
The chairman encouraged the aspirant and his supporters to go on with their consultations and campaigns with decorum and decency, and said that the party was open to every aspirant to express himself.
Earlier, the OkuIbom Ibibom who is also the Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium, Nteyin Solomon Etuk, said he was impressed at the depth of plans for the state as elaborately presented by out by the aspirant.
“You are a young, dynamic and energetic man, full of zeal and enthusiasm to offer leadership to the people. God has endowed you with these qualities, and I urge you to maximize them wisely.”Etuk said.
Meanwhile Luke, has hinted that a full blueprint for his governorship will be unveiled on Wednesday 16th March 2022 in Uyo even as he donated N5 million for the completion of the auditorium at the PDP secretariat in the state.
March 10, 2022
2023: A’Ibom Youths begin statewide mobilization for Luke
More than 3000 youths from across the 31 Local Councils of the state converged in Uyo yesterday to flag off a state-wide mobilisation for the governorship ambition of a former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom Stte House of Assembly Barr Onofiok Luke.
The youths, under the auspices of Onofiok Luke People’s Movement said their action followed the endorsement of state Lands Commissioner Mr Umoh Enoh by Governor Udom Emmanuel, a move they said is different from the collective interest of the youths and the majority of Akwa Ibom people.
Coordinator of the group Comrade Ekemini Smart, said the youths would pursue their collective interest to support the candidate of their choice outside that of the Governor added that they believe in Luke and have resolved to propagate his governorship ambition.
Smart said they do not have any problem with Emmanuel picking his preferred gubernatorial aspirant provided the governor would not interfere with their own choice of a candidate for the 2023 election.
“The governor’s decision was his personal decision; it did not represent our collective decision and the interest of the masses; so we will go ahead to pursue our collective interest.
“Onofiok Luke is the collective interest of Akwa Ibom people. We have come out to propagate that interest. The youths of Akwa Ibom believe so much in him because he has the leadership capacity; he has proven that to us in several leadership responsibilities.
“We believe in the mantra of the Amazing Grace and what the Onofiok Luke’s governorship represents. Onofiok Luke is the best candidate for Akwa Ibom State. He has proven over time that he is the best. He has full grasp of the grassroots; he knows how to relate with the masses and he has genuine love for people.” He said.
Coordinator of Amazing Grace Campaign Organisation in North America, Mr. Otobong Umana, in a Goodwill message to the youths charged other youths in the state to join the train of supporters for Onofiok Luke, saying “it is time for the youths to rise up and take their destiny”.
In another goodwill message, Mr. Daniel Udo, he said “Akwa Ibom people can vouch for Onofiok Luke and his leadership qualities”, the reason they were all coming out to launch a movement for him.
Inaugurating the chapter coordinators of The Onofiok Luke People’s Movement, Director General of Amazing Grace Campaign Organisation, Mr. Imo Udo, thanked the youths for mobilising themselves across the state to drum up support for Luke adding that his governorship ambition was for the well-being and future of Akwaell-being Ibom people.
“You came out here not by anybody’s prompting. You called us to come and witness what you people are doing. This shows that you believe in this course and have absolute trust in your friend, Barr, Onofiok Luke. I am proud of your conviction.
“Onofiok Luke will protect the interest of every Akwa Ibom person including those residing in our state. He is the choice that every Akwa person craves to make. I’m urging you to go out there and appeal to our fathers, the leadership of the PDP, and delegates to please support Onofiok Luke.” Udoh said.
Udo however tasked members of the group to go about their mobilisation peacefully.
March 7, 2022
2023: Onofiok Luke promises to bridge social inequality gap in A’Ibom
One of the leading governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom, Barr Onofiok Luke has lamented the widening gap between the privileged few and the underprivileged majority despite their sacrifices and commitment towards building the state of their dream.
Luke has however given the assurance that though these social inequalities cannot be automatically undone, effective and people -oriented leaders could reinforce the noble foundation laid by past leaders and founding fathers of the state, in order to rebuild the broken walls of their collective dreams of the future.
In a statement issued by his Amazing Grace Campaign Organisation, through the director of communication, Uduak Ikafia, in Uyo on Thursday Luke, who is the chairman of the house of Representative Committee on Judiciary also stressed that his confidence in becoming Governor next year is unwavering.
According to the statement, “in the next few days, the Amazing Grace Project, which is the Campaign Organisation of Rt Hon. Onofiok Luke, will unveil details of his formal declaration and a manifesto which will outline the terms of his social contract with Akwa Ibom people.
“The Amazing Grace Project is the God-inspired and people-driven campaign Organisation galvanising Akwa Ibom towards the actualisation of Hon. Luke’s vision for Inclusive Governance which is clearly articulated in our campaign theme: Building Together, Growing Together.
“Onofiok Luke has always believed in a concerted effort towards building a progressive state. It has always been his thought and idea that our people should be actively part of our building process, and that they should grow together in prosperity rather than just watch a few grow.
“Our Project was therefore established on the firm belief that Akwa Ibom can only succeed through the collective contributions of the people, and the success story will only be complete when the people fully partake in the reward. Onofiok is thus on a mission to provide our great state with a leadership that will not only involve the people in the building process, but will prioritize the collective growth of every single one of us.
“As we push towards our GOAL in 2023, we are assured that Akwa Ibom people will reiterate their stand on demanding a leadership that is characterised by experience, youthfulness, acceptability, accessibility, and accountability.”
It explained that within the last two years of Luke’s consultations with stakeholders, elders, religious leaders, traditional leaders, youths and women, the people have shared their challenges while everyone agreed that those challenges are surmountable.
“Onofiok Luke is therefore committed to giving a leadership consciously aimed at building our people and their capacity to match with the economic and infrastructural growth of our state.
“After many years of dreaming and preparing, we are now at the turning point in history. Therefore, the Amazing Grace Project is a clarion call on Akwa Ibom people to come, let’s build together and grow together.” It concluded.
March 3, 2022
PDP statutory delegates dare Gov Emmanuel, endorse Onofiok Luke for governor
Statutory delegates comprising select ward and chapter officers, former elected officers of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom have dared the state government as they came out publicly to endorse a former speaker of the State Assembly, Barr. Onofiok Luke, for governor in 2023.
The delegates, on the platform of Great Supporters of Onofiok Luke, and numbering more than 250 said they have resolved to support Luke for the governorship in 2023 irrespective of the antics of the state government to unprecedentedly endorse one aspirant.
Mr. Abraham Udoekong, spokesperson for the group, said when they paid a solidarity visit to his campaign office in Uyo yesterday said that they have seen in the former Speaker and current member of the National Assembly the capacity, character, love for the people, ideas and passion to drive economic and social development of the State.
“We are taking this bold step for the general good of our state. We started mobilising ourselves for the Onofiok Luke’s governorship project in 2020; today we have mobilised delegates to come here and endorse Onofiok Luke. We believe in him, we will vote for him.” Udoekong said.
The spokesperson maintained that they were not perturbed by recent political happenings in the state, insisting that their resolution to support Like, who is also the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary at the party primary was absolute.
Other members of the group who spoke at the meeting said it was time members of the PDP took their destiny in their hands by voting their conscience and not persons chosen for them.
Addressing the group, the Director of Operations, Amazing Grace campaign organisation, Mr. Victor Brownson, thanked the delegates for coming out to publicly endorse the foremost aspirant.
“There was a time we were looking for delegates; now delegates have seen the truth; they are now coming for Onofiok Luke.” Brownson said and reassured them that Luke would not betray the confidence reposed in him by the group and Akwa Ibom people.
Receiving the PDP delegates on behalf of the aspirant and Amazing Grace campaign organisation, Mr Imo Udo, lauded them for bold action they had taken.
“I thank you for adopting Barr. Onofiok Luke as your sole candidate for the governorship in 2023. Onofiok Luke is one man who is associated with good works and I believe that is why you want him to be governor of Akwa Ibom State. We need a good man on the saddle of governorship and Onofiok Luke has demonstrated in words and actions that he is a good man.” Udo said.
Meanwhile, another group, Onofiok Luke Support Network led by Mr. Edemekong Edemekong, was also on hand to endorse Onofiok Luke for the 2023 governorship election saying, “we have seen the divine oil of anointing on Onofiok Luke’s forehead. Therefore, we have endorsed Onofiok Luke as our sole candidate for governorship.”
Chapter coordinators of the group who spoke at the event Mr. Sylvanus Effiong, Mr. Abia Monday, Mr. Eyo Thompson Udo and Mr. Inyene Usungurua, commended Luke for keeping faith with Akwa Ibom people who yearned for him to be their governor in 2023.
February 25, 2022
2023: Six groups endorse Onofiok Luke in A’Ibom
Six political groups have endorsed the aspiration of a former speaker of Akwa Ibom State Assembly, Barr. Onofiok Luke to become the next governor of the State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This was contained in a joint communique issued and signed by the leaders of the groups namely, Social Justice Movement (SJM), Democratic Alternative (DA) Akwa Ibom Students Congress (AKSC) Not Too Young To Lead Parliament (NTYLP), Political Action Initiatives (PAI), and Maintaining Peace From Justice Movement (MPJM) in Uyo last weekend.
The groups expressed satisfaction with the manner, Luke, who is the chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, has been going about his campaign which they described as “mature, methodological and issue-based”.
“It is important to state that among all the aspirants who have so far muted or publicly declared their gubernatorial ambition against 2023, only Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke knows what lies ahead as regards how to pragmatically re-energise the obviously comatose social sector of our economy.
“The state has suffered from lack of investment in the youth for seven years. And nobody including those grandstanding on the platform of anointing and executive endorsement, appears to know the real problems of this state beside paying lip services, except Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke, who has been with the poor, with high and mighty and still remembers that there is serious hunger in the streets of Akwa Ibom State.
“Since he who keeps silence in the face of tyranny, as is currently happening in this is state, is dead, like Woke Soyinka once said, we need to be alive to our responsibilities as citizen to enjoin all right-thinking members of the society in Akwa Ibom State to support someone who knows all the socio-political and geo-economic nooks and crannies of this state and how to solve their segment-specific problems.
“That is the sole reason for unreserved our endorsement of Rt Hon. Onofiok Luke. That is the sole reason we have wholeheartedly rejected all entreaties to join the bandwagon of those milling round the government anointed like a dog stalking a pot- bellied child with the hope that he would soon vomit or release excrement for it to eat.” The communique said.
The groups said it would be better for the entire state to maximally benefit from good governance that would ensure equally opportunities to all, than to tag along with the powers-that-be whose only reward to the people is tokenism and unfulfilled promises.
“In 2019, Rt. Hon.Oniofiok Luke almost lost his life to defend the cause of this state. It takes someone who has the love of his people to shun all approaches to sell out the House of Assembly to the then growing opposition in order for them to effect the impending impeachment of the governor; it takes someone who is courageous, intelligent, experienced but humble to govern a state like ours.
“We longer want an assumed elitist administration led by foreign indigenes with international emails but who only know Uyo and their villages, because they are too proud to come down to our level; too clean to enter the streets.
“It often said a friend in government is a friend lost; but we have seen that since getting into government as a personal assistan to Gov Godswill Akpabio, to being the speaker of state house of assembly till now that he is in the national assembly, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke has never lost any of his friends, rather he is gathering more of them, especially, at the grassroots.
” So we urge all Akwa Ibomites good conscience to reject the attempted imposition of leadership so that the present administration to continue to rule by proxy while still inflicting the state with even more hardship and rhetorics.” The communique signed by Dr Akwaowo Akpan for SJM; Engr Edet Oton for DA; Comrade Courgae Udoh for AKSC; Rev Andy Micheal for NTYLP; Mr Sunday Ibanga for PAI; and Chief Udo Inyangekpe for MPJM,said.
February 21, 2022
Shun Gov Emmanuel’s anointed — Group tells Onofiok Luke
Foremost Akwa Ibom Guber aspirant and chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Barr Onofiok Luke has been advised not to be distracted by the endorsement of a certain aspirant by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Mr Jack Ekeng, Convener of National Political and Economic Discourse Group who made this known in a press statement in Uyo maintained that Akwa Ibom people know who they would vote forat the appropriate time.
Ekeng explained that the endorsement was programmed to make Luke lose focus but expressed delight that instead of throwing in the towel, Luke’s issue-based popularity has continued to soar, making him the most acceptable gubernatorial aspirant in the state at the moment.
“You cannot decree experience to exist. Of all the aspirants in the state so far, only Rt.Hon Onofiok can be said to be the most experienced having led the legislature at the highest level in the state and even fought to preserve democracy that was seriously threatened then.
“Moving to the national level, he has not played a second fiddle even though he belongs to the opposition PDP. It takes a person with deep socio-political mastery to be chairman of a powerful committee as the judiciary even as first termer.
“That’s is why the youth, elders and women all over the state route for him as the only detribalised politician with the ability to pull the state out of the current socio- economic and political quagmire and return us to the part of progress, human capital development and socio-national integration currently lacking.” He said.
He called on the youths to maintain their support for Luke, whom he described as one of their own, as it was time to also try the youthful population at the highest level of managing the affairs of the state.
“We have tried the elders and they did their best. But their best was not good enough due to the fact that most of their programmes did not resonate with teeming youthful population of the state.
“We cannot subject this state again to gerontocracy when we have young but experienced professionals eagerly willing to serve. We thank God that someone like Rt.Hon. Onofiok Luke agreed to join the race.
“He is the only person for now that deserves our votes and we I’ll do everything possible that come June12, 2023, Luke would assumed office as our next governor. We shall be happy for.
“It would be a great disservice to humanity if we as a people sell our birthright on the altar of assumed government candidate instead of displaying the independent and intellectual mindedness that Akwa Ibomites all over the world have been known for.” Ekeng declared.
February 17, 2022