Chidi Tony
As part of activities to celebrate his third anniversary in office, Governor Udom Emmanuel has commissioned over 44 roads within Uyo metropolis alone in the last one week.
Among the latest road projects commissioned by the Governor between Wednesday and Thursday include the 1.50Km Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan Road, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area and a network of five roads in Atan Offot community measuring 6.1 Km. Other completed road projects commissioned by the Governor include 1.292Km Ntiedo Udosen Street as well as 2.1km Believer’s Assembly Road all in Uyo Local Government Area.
At Atan Offot community, the State Commissioner for works Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen recalled with deep emotion how some members of the community had petitioned various security agencies and anti-graft organizations owing to the delay to finish up the Project alleging that he has embezzled the funds for the road project, “It took your intervention your excellency for them to know that there was no such thing, that is why I am passionate about this Atan offot network of roads.
Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen explained that Governor Udom Emmanuel has fulfilled one of his campaign promises of giving Akwa Ibom people network of roads.
He maintained that all the roads commissioned by the Governor were an eyesore and impassable for years, stressing that the new roads come with double side drains and have met global standard.
A special guest at the occasion and former Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswan, however, commended Works Commissioner, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen, telling Governor Udom Emmanuel that, his Works Commissioner has not shortchanged him. “You have a hardworking commissioner whose performance is excellent, he has not shortchanged you”, he told Governor Emmanuel.
One of the commissioned road projects
The erstwhile Benue Governor observed that, there is no State with well-networked Roads comparable to Akwa Ibom in Nigeria. Describing Governor Emmanuel as Mr Infrastructure, Suswan, who scored the governor high on performance, confessed that, even as a former Governor who tried his best in eight years in office, Governor Udom Emmanuel had already surpassed his record in road infrastructure, harping that, in the last one week, Governor Emmanuel has only been commissioning projects here and there.
Earlier a prominent son of Mbiabong Etoi, Mr. Ebong Bassey, who is also the Managing Director of Akwa savings and Loans Limited, commended the governor for remembering the community, which he said is witnessing its first major infrastructure in his fifty years of existence.
.Mr Bassey noted that, Governor Emmanuel has done so much to transform Mbiabong Etoi from a sleepy suburb to a bubbling city when he constructed the new Secretariat Annex as his first landmark project and now, has given them standard roads and street lights with good drainage system. He assured that the people of Mbiabong Etoi in particular and Uyo in general, will pay back the kind gesture of Governor Udom Emmanuel by massively voting for him come 2019.
Works Commissioner, Ephraim Inyang-eyeng at one of the commissioning ceremony
Also speaking, the Prelate of Believers Assembly church, Apostle Professor Isaiah Isong, thanked the governor for a job well done and prayed God to bless and sustain his administration. He called on all well meaning citizens and residents of the the State to support Governor Emmanuel, who he said is a God fearing leader committed to doing his best to develop the state selflessly.
Governor Emmanuel on his part said, his administration will never neglect the desire of the people for development. He further stated that, he was determined not to give excuses to the people, but rather perform by delivering democracy dividends to justify the mandate given him by the people.
Mr Emmanuel who pointed out that his administration was “on a course and not for applause” explained that the idea of constructing state-of-the-arts roads in many areas was to uplift commercial and economic activities and attract more investors to Akwa Ibom.