Gov Emmanuel’s Infrastructural Transformation Commendable, Outstanding — Ex-Vice President

…says visit aimed at cementing friendship, brotherhood

Former Nigerian Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has described Governor Udom Emmanuel’s led massive economic development and infrastructural transformation in Akwa Ibom State as commendable and worthy of emulation.

The former Vice President stated this on Tuesday, when he paid a visit to the state as part of his tour across the nation to ascertain the state of affairs in the country.

The 2019 PDP presidential candidate
appreciated the level of economic development in the state and commended previous leaders for their selfless contributions which laid the foundation for rapid economic and industrial growth.

In his words, “Quite a number of things have endeared me to Governor Udom Emmanuel, the infrastructural development in the state, the other sectors of the economy in the state particularly the industrialization policy of the governor and couple with social sector development health care and education these are very key areas of human development and he has not left them untouched. He has made a very remarkable impact so that actually impressed me”.

“I used to come to this state when it was barely nothing, and I want to pay tributes to Governor Victor Attah who laid the foundation this state today. We are here today to further cement that relationship, that brotherhood so that we can further take this state to the next level and the country also to the next level. We want to commend your brotherly welcome and hospitality extended to us which we acknowledge Akwa Ibom is at the top”, he said.

Atiku who decried the downward economic situation of the nation, however said, comparatively, Nigeria fared better under the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying.

Hear him, “Just compare the economic indices during the PDP and also the APC reign, the growth in GDP and industrialization and other sectors of the economy, we did extremely well and we also promoted the growth of the private sector”.

Also speaking, former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu Muazu, described Governor Emmanuel as a silent achiever.

According to Muazu, “Governor Udom Emmanuel has done so well with little noise in Akwa Ibom State, and has also succeeded in taming those that do not know that their tenure ends in eight years. He is one of the few with the ability to ensure that our party the PDP remains united”.

Receiving the guests, Governor Udom Emmanuel welcomed the former Vice President and his entourage to Akwa Ibom State, describing him as a detribalized leader who is committed towards the growth and progress of the nation.

’You are someone that we admire, today if you check the leaders of this country there are few leaders like you who are highly detribalized”, he noted.

Governor Emmanuel stated that Akwa Ibom though richly endowed with mineral resources has not been given a fair share of its resources, lamenting the deprivation of the state evident in the near absence of federal government projects.

In his words, “You are one of the leaders I believe if God had given you an opportunity earlier than now, probably, Akwa Ibom wouldn’t have been where we are now, we have been badly cheated. A state that sits on 36.5% oil and gas reserves of this nation let them tell you what the federal government’s presence is, every single dual-carriage way you drive here is done by the state government, every single structure you see in the state outside the Police they posted to me they have not given me anything.

“I don’t even have a depot to store downstream petroleum product, I am developing one of the smartest and modern airport development in this continent, the simplest appreciation I would have gotten from the federal government would have been to give me a fuel Jet A1 dump as an Oil and Gas producing state”.

He thanked the team for commending his strides in the state, and restated that he is committed to making life meaningful to people in the state through efficient management of the resources accrued.