Tony Okoh || The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom state says the Party has only one ticket which is for the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for 2019 Governorship Election.
The chairman of the Party in the State Mr. Paul Ekpo who accompanied the State Governor on the inspection of ongoing road construction across Uyo metropolis yesterday said that the Party is amazed at the level of road infrastructure being carried out by the Governor across the State in spite of the dire times.
“We have no other candidate outside Governor Emmanuel who have performed excellently, he is a good product that the entire State have embraced, we are fielding him again in 2019 as he remains our best”, Ekpo told the journalists.
The PDP State Chairman said the Governor has made the party proud over his choice as the party’s candidate ahead of 23 others in the 2015 elections.
He said Governor Emmanuel remained the best Governor in Nigeria with the enablers for industrialization being put in place, adding that from the expression on faces everywhere visited, it was clear that his administration was in tune with the expectations of the people.
On his own Governor Udom Emmanuel who was led around the projects site by the state commissioner for works Mr. Ephraim inyang-Eyen expressed deep satisfaction with the quality and number of road projects currently being executed by his administration, saying that without huge investments in infrastructure, his industrialization plan can never succeed.
The Governor said he was impressed that so many roads projects have taken shape within the short period.
One of the completed road projects inspected by Gov Emmanuel
At Ewet Housing Estate, the Governor said, “Actually I didn’t know that with the money we deployed, even within this estate, we’ve done in total up to 10 roads within this Ewet Housing Extension alone.”
He also commended the quality of drainage at the area, saying it would forestall the devastating effect of flood water on the new roads in the housing extension.
“We know the devastating impact of those drains and I don’t want to go into details but seeing the quality of what they have done there, even the concept on how to take out those outfall drains, I think it’s quite impressive.”
Mr. Emmanuel said he was happy that Atan Offot area, has also been made accessible to the entire state capital through a new network of roads constructed by his Government for the people.
He said the excitement expressed by the people of the community during his inspection visit, makes him wonder how they would react when he returns to commission the roads in few weeks.
Gov Emmanuel on project tour on Wednesday, with him, is works commissioner Inyag eyen
The Governor who promised to also commission the Ring Road 2, during his third year anniversary in office, explained that the scenario was that of total shutdown, no access, as the road was merely a design.
“But today, you can see they are already pouring stone base which means that by May 29, we should be able to commission Ring Road 2.”
He also expressed optimism that Ring Road 3 which work has also commenced, will be ready by the end of the year, “which means that before we go into election next year, all these road networks would have been completed.”
He urged people to support his infrastructural expansion programme as catalysts for industrial development and growth in the state.
“People talk about, the blueprint of Industrialization, they don’t understand that you start with Infrastructure, if you don’t have the Infrastructure on ground, the industries won’t stand. We won’t even attract the good ones.”
Emmanuel noted that his zeal to execute so many projects was in line with his passion to work and provide good governance to the people.
He said he has refused to play to the gallery about the numerous roads projects of his administration because he was not in the state for the sake of applause.
According to the Governor, the people who expect him to make noise about roads would be surprised by the number of factories that will spring up soon.
“We don’t want the people who had given us respect over the years to just think Oh!! It’s just today we are building roads or just today we are commissioning pipe-borne water because the outside world believes we have already gone past that stage,” he added.
Roads inspected included the seven roads in Atan Offot Community, Ring Road 2 and the 10 Roads in Ewet Housing Extension.