MORE ON AKPABIOISM: THE UNCOMMON TRANSFORMATION OF AKWA IBOM STATE.

Uncommon Housing Scheme for All

 

Government is not leaving any area of life untouched. It is on record that when he was elected, he operated from his personal residence for some months. He deemed it wise and right to erect a befitting Governor’s Lodge. This he achieved in less than 7 months. Then he proceeded to build the deputy Governor’s Lodge, which he again completed in record time. To crown it all, he added a banquet hall and a new EXCO Chambers. Now the Akwa Ibom State Government House Complex in all its grandeur, stands as an uncommon Legacy from Godswill Akpabio to future Governors of the state.

Akpabio has also exhibited an uncommon magnanimity even in providing housing for those who are not his primary responsibility. The Nigerian Police have not been left out in this uncommon housing scheme for all; a standard Mobile Police Base has been completed and delivered to the Nigerian police in Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio’s developmental projects are well distributed. They are not concentrated only in the state capital. The housing scheme is well distributed throughout the state. Over 2000 units of housing across the three senatorial districts of the state have been completed and commissioned. In addition, he has constructed security quarters in the 31 local government areas of the state. The phase two of the housing scheme has kicked off at Ikot Abasi, Abak, Oron and Itu. 310 prime unit houses have also been constructed for local government areas through the state local government Joint Account Committee.

His Uncommon Housing Scheme for all can be summarised as follows:

1. Brand New Governor’s Lodge

2. Brand New Deputy Governor’s Lodge

3. A State-of-Art Banquet Hall

4. A Mobile Police Base

5. Housing Estate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District

6. Housing Estate for Uyo Senatorial District

7. Akpan Andem Ultra modern market

8. A New Digital Exco Chambers

Uncommon Urban Remodeling and Beautification

Uyo is a delightful sight to behold, especially at night. Roads, streets, sidewalks, pedestrian bridges are all lined with street lights. The pedestrian bridges twinkle with different colours of neon lighting; fountains dot the city round-about. I wouldn’t want to be accused of auditory hallucination, but those fountains actually sing. They sing the uncommon songs of the Uncommon Transformation.  From the government house complex, songs of the fountains follow you to every intersection with a round-about; And in each round about there is this man-made wonder that has beaten nature in her own games. Bowlders that look like they were hewed out of the rocky mountains of Jos Plateau stand imposingly as springs of water shoot out from crevices that look as natural as nature can make them. 

Indeed, His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has spared no cost in recreating, remodeling and beautifying the capital city, Uyo; and other cities in the state. As His Excellency jokingly said on this year’s Democracy Day Celebration Dinner party, witches have been driven out of Akwa Ibom State because the State is now too bright and too beautiful for their comfort. The nights are light days due to street flood lights. Highlight of the beautification projects include:

1. Singing Fountains

2. Four Lane Pedestrian Bridge

3. Four Lane Water Fountain

4.  Ikot-Ekpene Plaza.

Akpabio is not just setting up soft structures that will rot in a few years, he is building qualitative structures that will outlive this generation. He is not using government contracts as compensation for political support. He engages the likes of Julius Berger to make sure that quality is delivered to him and his people for sustainable development. Every project of His Excellency has the stamp of quality: The Airport, the flyovers, the bridges, the dual carriage ways, the school buildings, the rural roads, etc. all have the stamp of quality boldly engraved on them. Akwa Ibom State is the only state in Nigeria that has no abandoned projects. Whether a project was started by his administration or not, does not matter to him. His concern is to complete all the projects before handing over to another governor in 2015. It is part of his Uncommon Transformation Agenda.

Akwa Ibom State University: Transforming the Uncommon People

The conception, building, commissioning and actually kick-starting studies in this University, within seven years in office is the chief glory of Akpabio in the education sector. The gains of all the free primary and secondary education might be lost if there is no university of the people for the people. As they say, “Our own is different from my own.” The Akwa Ibom State University is the “My Own” of the uncommonly transformed people of Akwa Ibom State.

 Homes for Tourists to the Uncommon State

In recent times Akwa Ibom State has been making news as venue for all manner of conferences, both local and international. The reason is not unconnected with the presence of conference-friendly environment and suitable accommodations. There is the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort; there is also the new 5 star hotel recently constructed and commissioned; plus other existing hotels which been touched up to meet international standards.

Uncommon Transport Scheme

The uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom State is resulting in unprecedented commercial activities – movement of people and goods from place to place, resulting in economic growth. Economic growth has also resulted in population growth as people flock from other areas to Akwa Ibom State, especially Uyo. To ease transportation problems and ensure that residents of the state enjoy comfortable transports, Governor Akpabio has procured 400 brand new taxes, 40 brand new buses, and introduced the Ibom Taxi Scheme to augment the efforts of the private sector in the area of transportation.

Uncommon Transformation in the Area of Security

Sometimes, Nigerian security operatives fail in their duties due to lack of adequate equipment. But His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, has dealth with the problem of inadequate working tools by procuring brand new armoured vehicles, as well as patrol vehicles for use by the security operative in Akwa Ibom State.  In addition, to give the security personnel prestigious looks, he has purchased brand new uniforms and boots for them. They can now feel confident and proud in their new uniforms, instead of feeling dejected in old clothes. (Mood has a way of affecting duty.) Their confidence in the job has also been beefed up by the provision of brand new communications equipment.

On Human Capital Development

The greatest and most important investment is that made in human capital development. The sustenance of a developing economy depends on the quality of human capital available to that economy. And a developing economy cannot move to the next stage of industrialized economy without adequate investment in human capital development. This is because it is human capital that drives an economy and ensures its continued growth. The Uncommon Leader of Akwa Ibom State understands this logic; and that is why, despite the extent of what he has achieved in his Uncommon Transformation Agenda, he is not relenting in the area of human capital development. He has trained over 300 Akwa Ibom State indigenes in specialized areas in foreign universities for the Oil and Gas sector. He has ensured complete admission of students into various disciplines and he is creating jobs for them in the tune of scores of thousands.